Outdoor Retailer - March 2021 - 12

THE PULSE

CASE STUDY

A New Outdoors
In the midst of the pandemic and social unrest, getting outdoors
has become an escape and balm for more people than ever before.
As the nation begins to recover, will this new enthusiasm create the
opportunity to build a more inclusive and equitable outdoors?
by James Edwards Mills
THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, OUTDOOR-ACCESS ADVOCATE DINEO DOWD HAS
been getting outside. As a social media influencer and local leader for the Portland-based community-engagement organization Hike It Baby, the working mother and wife has made every effort to get her young child plenty of playtime on sledding hills, snowshoe trails, and cross-country
ski tracks near their home in Madison, Wisconsin. Through the pandemic and one of the coldest
winters in recent memory, Dowd managed to make the most of a bad situation. While masked and
maintaining social distance to avoid the risk of transmitting the virus, she has taken full advantage
of the outdoor recreation resources available in her community.
But when the pandemic restrictions lift and life returns to some semblance of what was once
normal, Dowd looks forward to expanding her experiences to travel again around the country-
and even go abroad. " When this COVID-19 nonsense is over, I need to go home to South Africa
and give my mom a hug, " she says. " That's my No. 1 priority. "
Across every walk of life, there is pent-up excitement for the prospect of getting together with
friends and family for the type of physical contact and social interaction we've all been missing.
Communities of color have been especially hard hit by the pandemic, and those who are too often

12 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ March 2021

marginalized by our society are most in need
of relief from the crisis. Even with the growing availability of COVID-19 vaccines and
fewer active cases of the virus, spending time
outside will still likely be the best way to avoid
transmission of the disease while also offering
the opportunity to recreate. What better time
could there be to introduce new users to the
wonders of the great outdoors?

EXPANDING PERCEPTIONS
" I'd be curious to see some data on this, but,
anecdotally, I've noticed that COVID-19
leveled the outdoor playing field a bit, " says
Misha Charles, chief programs officer at the
American Alpine Club in Golden, Colo. " With
many of us staying put in our neighborhoods,
stores closed, and the safest space outdoors, we
were all kind of doing the same thing-walking
around the block, playing in city parks, cycling,
et cetera. The outdoors was a near-universal
pressure valve, and our perception of what
qualifies as 'outdoorsy' has expanded. "
In addition to the global pandemic, there
has also been a cultural awakening that has
raised awareness of the vulnerability of many
marginalized communities across the country. Not only are people of color more susceptible to contracting the virus, they are also
among those who, for a variety of different reasons, are less likely to spend time in our public
parks, forests, lakeshores, and rivers. Now is
the time, as more Black and brown folks are
venturing outside, to create opportunities
to make the outdoors more accessible and
even welcoming to a wider cross section of the
American public.
Shane Benedict, head of design at Liquid
Logic Kayaks based in Fletcher, North
Carolina, says that, in recent months, it's been
tough keeping boats in stock. " The pandemic
has brought so many people to the outdoors
this past year, " he says. " Everyone just feels
safer from COVID-19 outside, and paddling is
an obvious way to keep 6 feet between you and
somebody else. "
And, like many companies in the outdoor
industry, Liquid Logic is coming around to
understanding the importance of making sure
that their products and the sport of paddling
are accessible to everyone.

Mike Wilkinson

COLD COMFORTS
Young climbers learn the
ropes at the Michigan Ice
Fest, which had to be
canceled this year. After
COVID-19 restrictions lift,
the outdoor industry can
welcome a new generation of enthusiasts from
communities of color.

Outdoor Retailer - March 2021

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