The Daily - January 29, 2020 - 28

Ideas
B I G

N E W S

RODNEY SMITH,
REMEMBERED

American Outdoor Products since
1971, and Rodney followed his
father at the helm of the company.
"Rodney was a strong advocate
for the outdoors and protecting it
for future generations," says Chris
Devlin, vice president of sales and
marketing for American Outdoor
Products. His desire to make the
world a better place drove him to
build the company into an outdoor industry leader in renewable
energy and innovative agriculture.
Rodney supported The Conservation Alliance, Leave No Trace, 1%
for the Planet, Terra Cycle, Access
Fund, and OIA. -Jenn Fields

BEHIND THE
LENS
Adventure photographer
Corey Rich has put himself
into some precarious places to
get the stunning images he's
been collecting over the past
25 years. In his latest book,
Stories Behind the Images: Lessons from a Life in Adventure
Photography (Mountaineers
Books, 2019), he's profoundly
honest, funny, and quick to
share lessons learned from
mistakes he's made along the
way. Not only does the book reveal how he captured specific
images, the self-taught photographer also shares how he went
from working for a local newspaper, with assignments that included photographing the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, to spending
two weeks on El Cap with Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson to
document their historic ascent of the Dawn Wall. Rich will be signing copies of the book tomorrow (Jan. 30) at the Black Diamond
booth (37055-UL) from 3 to 4 p.m. -Cameron Martindell

/ OUTDOOR + SNOW SHOW 2020

Checking the base bevel
after a custom tune on
the Wintersteiger Scout.

FINE TUNING
WINTERSTEIGER'S
SMALL-FOOTPRINT SCOUT IS
GIVING THE U.S. SKI TEAM-
AND ORDINARY SKIERS-
PERSONALIZED TUNES. SEE
IT IN ACTION AT THE SHOW.
One product you need to see
at the Show is pretty big-
yet it's the company's smallest ever created. Wintersteiger debuts the Scout Plus, an
automated ski-tune machine
with a compact footprint.
The Scout has already produced big results for the U.S.
Ski Team.
Partnering with U.S. Ski
& Snowboard, Wintersteiger put the Scout Plus, first
introduced in 2018, to the
test at the Copper Mountain
Tech and Speed Centers this
past November. The brand
set up the Scout in a pop-up
tune shop in a garage near
the base. Wintersteiger's
expert tuners worked alongside coaches on the hill to
assess the athlete mechanics
of development team racers-and then translated that
info to ski tunes. They found
that more than 60% of the
athletes' skis needed some
adjustment or modification.
They then corrected issues

affecting flatness, structure,
and edge angles on the spot.
This winter, Wintersteiger will
be on hand to support U.S.
Ski Team athletes at the Youth
Olympic Games in Switzerland
and the World Championships
in Norway. Not only can the
machine help score World
Cup wins, it can also improve
the ride for everyday skiers
who come into your shop.
The machine's small footprint
means retailers who've never
considered a tuning machine
for inside their store due to
space constraints can now get
in the game.
"The Scout has filled a
much-needed niche in our market since it was unveiled," says
Stan Woliner, Wintersteiger
NA sales director. "At the 2020
Outdoor + Snow Show, we will
be rolling out new, racing-derived features to help our retail
partners achieve the highest
quality finish for all their customers, whether they're racing
or just having fun."
Here at the Show, Wintersteiger is holding demonstrations-including modules on
disc edge finish, polish, and
structure as well as a module
on the Scout x U.S. Ski Team
project. Stop by booth 32055UL for times or check the
schedule in The Daily. -D.S.

C LO C KW I S E F R O M TO P L E F T: CO U R T E SY O F BAC K PAC K E R ' S PA N T RY, W I N T E R S T E I G E R, M O U N TA I N E E R S B O O KS

A familiar face will be missing
from the Backpacker's Pantry
booth at the Show this year.
Rodney Smith, the owner and
president of American Outdoor
Products, died on January 1 from
injuries following a skiing accident
near Boulder, Colorado. He was 57.
Smith was skiing with his sons
on December 30 at Eldora, a resort
just west of Boulder, when he
collided with a tree. "He left us all
too soon but spent his final days
doing what he enjoyed the most,
appreciating the outdoors and all it
has to offer," read a statement from
American Outdoor Products. He is
survived by his wife, Soraya Smith,
who is the company's product
development chef, his sons, Aidan
and Talvin, and his father, Ron.
The Smith family has owned

The Daily - January 29, 2020

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