The Backstory: Fond Farewell Longtime local rancher and former Olympic ski jumper Ray Heid unloads from Howelsen's Barrows chair lift, which will be replaced thanks to a gift from Smartwool. LAST CHAIR Most companies that leave the town in which they were founded for greener pastures often move forward without looking back. Not so with Smartwool, which relocated from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to Denver in 2020 as part of its parent VFCorporation's effort to put all its outdoor brands under one roof. The brand-an important part of the town for 25 years-gave the community a final parting gift before bidding adieu: a chairlift. On Oct. 21, Smartwool announced a $1.5 million charitable gift to the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club to fund a new chairlift at Howelsen Hill, the oldest continually operating ski area in the nation. The new Barrows lift will begin operation next season and replace a decades-old two-person chair with a brand-new fixed-grip triple lift. " The community of Steamboat Springs inspired and helped drive the Smartwool brand to where it is today, " says Smartwool President Jen McLaren, whose two sons grew up skiing at Howelsen. " Steamboat is at the heart of our brand ethos, and skiing is the core of our brand's foundation. We're proud to support such a phenomenal community project that will promote the sport to the next generation of locals and encourage them to seek time outside as a source of mental and physical solace. " -Eugene Buchanan 78 OUTDOOR RETAILER / January 2021 Photograph courtesy City of Steamboat Springshttps://www.smartwool.com/