Outdoor Retailer Snow Show / January 2022
share
Meet the
finalists
In the face of challenges ranging from supply chain snafus to the continuing pandemic, the outdoor industry continues to do what it does best: innovate. Here are the cream of the crop, the finalists in line for the prestigious 2022 Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards.
Photo by lauren danilek
back to outdoor retailer magazine
Aetrex
Albert 2 Pro
This innovative foot-scanning device uses Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence technologies to transform the way customers purchase shoes and orthotics. aetrex.com
Astral
Ceiba
Astral's most comfortable and environmentally friendly PFD to date, the Ceiba features the first UL- and Bluesign-approved shell, made from 100% post-consumer recycled polyester. astraldesigns.com
Basecamp Outdoor: A Networking Community for the Outdoor Industry
Basecamp Outdoor has become “The Muse” of the outdoor industry, helping candidates market themselves and brands market to candidates in a way that is undeniably human. The network currently boasts an audience of 45,000 people who either work in the outdoor industry or want to. wearetheoutdoorindustry.com
Outside
Gear Up Give Back
Gear Up Give Back (GUGB) is an innovative used-gear program that promotes sustainability, addresses inequity by helping to decrease the financial barrier to enter the outdoors for new enthusiasts, and donates cash to nonprofit organizations focused on inclusion and diversity in the outdoors. getcairn.com/pages/gear-up-give-back
Cake
Kalk AP
Optimized for wildlife preservation, the Kalk AP is a limited-edition, solar-powered bush bike, developed in collaboration with the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) and rangers of the African bush to protect conservation areas from poaching. ridecake.com
Eddie Bauer
BC Flyline Jacket and Bib
Built with adaptive ski athlete Trevor Kennison, the BC Flyline Jacket and Bib is a waterproof, insulated sit-ski kit, designed specifically to work with the motions of sit skiers so they can shred from first chair to last. eddiebauer.com
Freestone Equipment LTD
Love Handle 7 Gear Organizer
The Love Handle is a 9-inch-long handle, finished with a loop of 6mm cord for racking up to 20 quick draws or a double rack of gear. freestoneequipment.com
GOT BAG
ROLLTOP
Got Bag created the world's first backpack made of 100% recycled ocean plastic. The Rolltop backpack is an innovative, functional high-performance original that recovers and recycles 7.7 pounds of plastic from our oceans. us.got-bag.com
Hot Bento
Hot Bento Self-Heating Lunch Box
Hot Bento serves up a hot meal in 10 minutes—anywhere. Patent-pending thermoelectric technology allows this one-of-a-kind device to create heat from batteries with no wires (and it’s airplane safe). hotbento.us
Icebreaker
Shell+ Hooded Jacket
This versatile hooded shell jacket features Icebreaker's Shell+ 100% merino woven fabrication, a fully natural alternative to synthetic shells, coated with a water-repellent finish to retain warmth and protect against wind and light rain. icebreaker.com
Ignik Outdoors
FireCan
Powered by propane, Ignik’s FireCan makes it simple to enjoy a campfire wherever you go while still following burn ban restrictions. ignik.com
Karmik Outdoors
Outdoor Gear Recovery Decals
Affixing Karmik Outdoors’ extremely durable decals to outdoor gear ensures the gear is easily identifiable and returnable if lost. karmikoutdoors.com
Kathmandu
NXT-Level Bio Down Jacket
This soft, warm, and light down jacket is made from only biodegradable materials. Plus, everything from the swing tags, kimble, desiccant, and poly bag to the courier bag is designed to break down (in the right environment), to ensure every aspect has the least impact on the planet. kathmanduoutdoor.com
Küat Racks
Piston Pro X
This bike rack features OneTap, hydro-pneumatic tire arms that ensure zero contact on the bike frame and integrated LED tail lights that synchronize with a vehicle and provide enhanced rear visibility and on-road safety. kuat.com
La Sportiva N.A.
G-Tech
Comfortable, precise, warm, and hyperlight (620 grams), this technical ice climbing boot combines the qualities and technologies of a high-altitude mountaineering boot with an ice climbing-specific boot—and it’s constructed to be completely or partially resoled to ensure minimum environmental impacts and material waste. sportiva.com
LavaBox Portable Campfire
Tabletop Vol-CAN-no
LavaBox is a patent-pending propane campfire inside a battle-tested military ammo can. No smoke. No embers. No wood to collect. And it passes fire restrictions. fireanytime.com
Little Kamper LP
Little Kamper Portable Propane Tank Exchange
The Little Kamper Portable Propane Tank Exchange is the zero-waste alternative to single-use (disposable) propane tanks. The program allows retailers to sell and exchange prefilled one-pound tanks to customers who care about the environment. littlekamper.com
MoTom Enterprises
Nordic-Step
The patented Nordic-Step allows multiple users to access a single set of cross-country skis regardless of shoe size or shoe/boot preference. It provides beginner skiers and occasional casual cross-country skiers with an alternative to maintaining uncomfortable ski boots and allows them to ”step into snow” without the hassle of changing from winter boots to ski boots. nordic-step.com
MountainFlow
Recycled Aluminum Ski Poles
The world’s first recycled aluminum ski pole is made from ultra-strong high-grade aluminum that’s more than two times stronger than most poles currently on the market. At the same time, the manufacturing will release 90% less carbon emissions than that of a ski pole made from virgin aluminum. mountainflow.com
Mystery Ranch
Bridger 65L Backpack
The Bridger 65L is a full-featured backpack featuring the new Endurance Yoke, a running vest-inspired design for on-trail access to essentials with maximum breathability and comfort. mysteryranch.com
Norda Run
The Norda 001 G+ Graphene Spike
The world’s first seamless, trail running shoe made with Dyneema and a G+ Graphene membrane is the result of nearly two years of design and testing. It’s the lightest, strongest, most conductive natural material on Earth. nordarun.com
Norda Run
The Norda 001
The world’s first seamless trail running shoe, the Norda 001 is made with bio-based Dyneema, the world’s strongest and lightest fiber. It uses a mass balance approach, is sustainably sourced, and is a Bluesign- and ISCC-approved material. nordarun.com
Oakley
MOD7
Oakley’s proprietary helmet technology, Secure-Connect, magnetically connects and mechanically secures the visor to the helmet, both in the ride and stowed positions. oakley.com
Ortovox
Diract Voice
Diract Voice is the world’s first avalanche transceiver featuring voice navigation. It guides the user to the destination with clear instructions and is designed to significantly speed up the search and rescue of buried victims. ortovox.com
Pact Outdoors
The Pact Kit
The first all-in-one bathroom kit designed for outdoor adventures includes everything that outdoor enthusiasts need to make bio-breaks easier, cleaner, and more environmentally conscious. It’s as easy as dig, clean, and restore. pactoutdoors.com
PolyCore Solutions
Eco-X Coating
Eco-X is a high-performance water-based polyurethane coating designed to maximize a product’s mechanical properties while simultaneously minimizing its environmental impact. polycoresolutions.com
Proof
From periods to pregnancy to postpartum to incontinence, the circle of life sometimes feels like the circle of leaks. Proof is a line of meticulously designed and expertly created products that empower women to live life worry free. shopproof.com
Samaya
Samaya2.5
The hexagonal Samaya2.5 is the lightest four-season tent for two to three people ever designed, with a minimalist weight of 3 pounds, 7 ounces. It packs down to a volume of 6.2 liters. samaya-equipment.com
SheFly Apparel
SheFly Go There Pant
The Go There Pant is a comfortable, multifunctional, technical all-season hiking pant with a special twist: the patented SheFly zipper that empowers women everywhere to “go” on the go. sheflyapparel.com
Smartwool
Smartwool K9 Camp Cushion
The result of Smartwool’s Second Cut project sock-recycling program, this dog bed features an interior cushionmade of unwanted socks. The removable, washable exterior fabric is made of recycled polyester—making it as sustainable as it is comfortable for your furry friend. smartwool.com
Smith
Smith I/O Mag Imprint 3D Goggle
The new Smith I/O Mag Imprint 3D goggle is the first custom goggle built to the individualized features of a person’s face. smithoptics.com
Sno-Go
Sno-Go
Sno-Go is a revolutionary ski bike designed for use at ski resorts that uses a three-blade design to give the rider maximum control and stability. sno-go.us
Sol Paddle Boards
GalaXy Stringer System
This innovative IXI stringer system design creates front to back rigidity with the straight stringers and side to side rigidity with the X pattern, creating camber underfoot in the middle of the board. The board then takes shape with rocker in the front, camber underfoot in the middle, and rocker in the rear, similar to snowboards and skis. solpaddle.com
W. L. Gore & Associates
Expanded Polyethylene (ePE) Membrane
Gore’s new ePE membrane leverages a high strength-to-weight ratio to create extremely lightweight and thin composites that are still mechanically robust and enables durable performance with a low environmental footprint. gore.com
YKK
Touchlink
Touchlink is a zipper puller with an NFC (Near Field Communication) chip embedded in it, serving as an access point to the internet when simply touched by a smartphone. ykkfastening.com
innovation
awards 2022
Innovation is the outdoor industry’s lifeblood. The Show is full of brands and organizations looking to create products and provide services that are better performing, easier on the planet, and more inclusive. “It was innovation creating answers to the challenge of the outdoors that brought our community to the notice of broader society and expanded participation,” says Larry Harrison, Outdoor Retailer brand development director and the driving force behind the awards. “When a retailer provides real answers to the needs of the consumer, they will succeed. It is not enough to simply have a collection of high-profile brands in a store. A solution to a problem facing a consumer—Whether an ice climber, a teen carrying books to school, or a beginning snowboarder—creates a customer for life.”
An independent judging panel selected 35 outdoor products, materials, and retail services as finalists for the awards based on their original design and impact from a pool of 152 total entries. All finalists will be on display during Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver Jan. 26–28, and the winners will be unveiled during a live ceremony on Day 2, Thursday Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. MT in the Colorado Convention Center.
The finalists were rated for their unique and cutting-edge attributes. Judges looked at each product and service based on four criteria: Spark (concept, design, appeal), Desire (opportunity, differentiation), Function (innovation, functionality, insight), and Impact (cultural, environmental, business). The judges will now reset their scoring and determine winners from the following list of finalists.
meet this year's finalists
See all of the finalist products and services in person in the Innovation Gallery at Snow Show, and view an online gallery HERE.
share
back to outdoor retailer magazine