Outdoor Retailer - February 2021 - 10

THE PULSE

Eric Larsen emcees
Colorado Calling at
the Ogden Theater.

BEGIN WITH ONE STEP

Polar explorer Eric Larsen battles cancer.

ROOM TO ROAM
Roam founders Jimmy
Chin and Christopher
Jerard talk about how they
have brought adventure and
education to laptops during
the pandemic.
By Eugene Buchanan
Hoping to educate the growing
outdoor-adventurer market in
the COVID-19 era and beyond,
Roam Academy was launched to
(virtually) teach consumers tips
from the pros. Featuring hours
of online education on climbing, fitness, photography, surfing, mountain biking, adventure travel, and more, the new
Roam Academy lets members

10 OUTDOOR RETAILER

" At Kelty, we're all about spontaneous adventures, getting outside, goofing around, and having fun. But playing outside often comes with
its own set of challenges in the form of aches
and pains, " says Russ Rowell, Kelty senior vice
president and general manager. " Thanks to our
new CBD products, we now offer another tool
to help you go farther, higher, and faster-and to
bounce back more quickly when you do. "
Kelty consulted experts to whip up its new
line of THC-free products, including Pain Relief
Gel Roll-On, Cream and Salve; After Sun
Lotion; and Itch Relief Spray. Items are available
at kelty.com/cbd. -Amelia Arvesen

boost their skills via insight from
some of the world's best adventure and creative icons, including Academy Award-winning
filmmaker Jimmy Chin; climbers Conrad Anker, Mark Smiley,
and Sasha DiGiulian; surfer Ian
Walsh; adventurer and photographer Cory Richards; bikepacker Rebecca Rusch; to name
a few. Outdoor Retailer caught
up with co-founders Chin and
Christopher Jerard for an exclusive glimpse behind the academy's curtain.
Were you working on this before the pandemic? Or is it as a
result?
JERARD: The plan has always

/ February 2021

been to inspire, educate, and activate living adventure with purpose. From the start, our vision
has been to create value for the
global outdoor community. First,
we started with original content
to inspire. Then the pandemic accelerated plans for education.
What makes the academy different from other online classes? Is there anything else like
this out there?
CHIN: There is certainly nothing else out there in our world of
adventure and outdoor lifestyle
that features this level of instruction. When we say learn from the
best, we mean it. The experience,
knowledge, and expertise the

Roam instructors bring is incredible. That said, there are many
online education platforms, from
MasterClass to Khan Academy.
But we've created the first online
membership community for outdoor and adventure education.
Is online learning like this the
wave of the future? Will it ever
replace learning in the field?
Or is it just a good stepping
stone?
CHIN: It's a great resource to level
up your skills anytime, anywhere,
at an affordable price. So, yes, a
great stepping stone that gives
you access to information you
can't get anywhere else. But none
of us are going to say that learning

From left: Courtesy Kelty, Doug Scxhnitzspahn

KELTY GETS IN ON CANNABIDIOLS
For nearly 70 years, the name Kelty has been associated with tents, backpacks, sleeping bags,
and camp furniture. But this month, the company surprised its loyal following of outdoor
enthusiasts by making an intriguing move into
an entirely new category: CBD.
Cannabidiol, extracted from hemp plants,
started trending in the outdoor industry in 2018
with a debut of its own section at Outdoor
Retailer. Skeptics cite safety and regulatory
concerns, while advocates attest to the numerous health benefits. A number of athletes use it
in topical and capsule form for recovery.

One of the outdoor industry's most beloved
leaders and athletes needs our love and support. Esteemed polar explorer Eric Larsen,
49, shared publicly on Jan. 7 that he has been
diagnosed with colorectal cancer. " People say
that they beat cancer, and that's what I intend
to do, but it's not a solo fight, " he wrote in a
Facebook post. " Already these first few days
have made me realize the people and infrastructure needed to wage war against this
terrible disease. " Treatment and more tests
on nodules in his lungs are in his near future.
Maria Hennessey, PR pro and Larsen's wife,
is keeping the community updated through a
CaringBridge blog. She wrote, " One of Eric's
expedition mottos has always been 'Begin
With One Step.' Now more than ever, that
message is guiding our lives. " -A.A.

http://www.kelty.com/cbd https://roammedia.com/academy/

Outdoor Retailer - February 2021

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