Colorado Sees Snowshoes Holiday Sales Increase

The Colorado Department of Commerce has confirmed increased holiday sales of winter outdoor gear, including snowshoes, over last year. The reports cites three major factors contributing to the uptick in sales.

- The length of the holiday season was two days longer than last year.

- Heavy post-Thanksgiving snowstorms boosted demand for winter outdoor gear equipment, such as alpine and nordic skis, snowboards and snowshoes.

- An overall holiday season feel throughout December due to the snow and prolonged chilly air.

Publicly Guided Snowshoe Tours Offered at Michigan's Ludington State Park

Michigan's Ludington State Park has announced it will offer to the public guided snow shoe walks this January and February. The 1.5 hour guided programs will take participants out through the park's wooded, snow-covered sand dunes. In addition to the Saturday walks is a mid-week guided snow shoe walk Wednesday afternoons, park officials added.

"There will be two Saturday Snowshoe Walks at 3 p.m. and the 'Moonlight Walk' at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 through Feb. 19. The Wednesday series of walks will be Jan. 5 through Feb. 16, starting at 1 p.m. A limited number of snowshoes will be freely available for participants going on the guided walks. Dress warm, wear good winter walking shoes or boots, and bring a flashlight if you're going to attend the 'Moonlight Walk'," a Michigan state park official said.

Snowshoe Holiday Sales Stronger than Expected

The Snowshoes Industry reports that figures for the 2004 holiday shopping season mark a significant increase in snowshoe sales over the same holiday period one year ago.

Particularly strong have been the sales of kids snowshoes. Major manufacturers and snow shoe retailers have also indicated the surge in childrens models from Tubbs, including the Storm and Flurry models, Atlas' Junior series and the Mountain Safety Research (MSR) Tyker model.

Anylysts' initial forecasts for sales during this year's holiday season were significantly more conservative, based on previous holiday sales trends and records.

New York DEC Requires Snowshoes or Skis in High Peaks Trail Region

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has recently issued a bulletin concerning the use of snowshoes or cross country skis in the High Peaks Region. DEC Commissioner Erin M. Crotty made the announcement in light of recent snows that have covered the Adirondack Region.

"Winter offers great opportunities for outdoor recreation, but it also creates conditions that can be troublesome, and even dangerous, to the unprepared," Commissioner Crotty said. "The snow cover in the Adirondacks ranges from 1 foot in the lower elevations to 2 to 3 feet on mountain summits."

The use of snowshoes or skis is now required on all trails in the High Peaks and strongly encouraged on all other trails in the Adirondacks. The bulletin also stated that ice crampons should be carried for use on icy mountaintops and other exposed areas.

Tubbs Snowshoes Offers Discount Snowshoe Program for Families

Tubbs Snowshoes has rolled out a new promotional program. The mail-in rebate offer for a $25 discount applies to any consumer who purchases two pairs of adult Tubbs Snowshoes and at least one pair of kids Tubbs Snow Shoes, including both their Flurry and Storm models.

The offer is valid on Tubbs Snowshoe purchases until January 31, 2005, at which time the promotion will expire. Mail-in rebates must also be postmarked by March 1, 2005. Consumers have been instructed to contact dealers or the manufacturer directly to receive more information and the promotion form.

Tubbs Snowshoes Continues Successful Romp To Spomp Out Breast Cancer Series for 2005

Tubbs Snowshoes announced that it will once again continue its successful event series Romp To Spomp Out Breast Cancer. The events are currently scheduled to take place at at Stratton, Vermont on January 22, Salt Lake City, Utah on February 19, Mt. Hood, Oregon February 26 and Frisco, Colorado March 5.

The events are designed to both raise money and awareness about breast cancer. The events are held in conjunction with the local affiliates of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Tubbs Snow Shoes explains the events are welcome to all ages and abilities of snowshoers, with several different snowshoeing events taking place throughout the day.

Events include a 3K and 5K fun snowshoe walk on local trails as well as a 3K Fun Snowshoe Race for those looking to be competive . Tubbs will be giving away snowshoes and other top industry prizes to the winners of the 3K snowshoe racing event. Free Tubbs Snowshoes demos will also be provided for use on a first-come-first-served basis.

Tubbs also states that all participants who collect pre-event pledges will be eligible for the free give-away of great outdoor gear from Tubbs and other series sponsors including Columbia Sportwear, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, EMS, Cabot Cheese and others. One grand prize package (valued at over $1,000) will also be awarded to the participant who raises the most in pre-event pledges.

The Tubbs Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer reports that 75% of race proceeds fund grants for programs that focus on breast cancer screening, education and treatment, and 25% supports research and education projects nationwide through the Komen Foundation's national grant program.

CCSAA Issues Snow Shoes Guidelines for Snowshoeing on Cross Country Ski Trails

CCSAA, the association representing nordic ski areas throughout North America, issues guidelines for snowshoeing safety and etiquette when using snowshoes on cross country ski area trails.

The Snowshoe Trail Etiquette and Safety guidelines include the following:

- Keep off groomed ski tracks.
- Give skiers the right of way.
- Obey posted signs.
- Grooming vehicles may be on the trails -use caution.
- Remove snowshoes at road crossings.
- Return to lodge by closing.
- Snowshoe in designated areas.
- Choose trails appropriate to your ability and fitness.
- Never snowshoe alone.

Tubbs Snowshoes Provides Trail Net Database as a Source for Snowshoe Trails Around the World

Tubbs Snowshoes, of Stowe Vermont, has integrated a database, called TrailNet, for snowshoers to find snowshoeing trails thoughout the United States, Canada and beyond.

Tubbs Trail Net is currently considering by many winter outdoor experts to be the definitive resource for snowshoe trails around the world, with useful and comprehensive information about thousands of snowshoe trails for every snowshoe ability. The searchable database allows users to plan winter hikes and even walks during the warmer seasons.

The interface allows users to interact in several different ways, including submitting a snowshoe trail and becoming a TrailNet advisor within a particular region. Countries currently included in the index include Tunisia, U.S. Antarctica, Canada, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, Finland, Japan, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Norway snowshoe trails.

Tubbs Snowshoes Designs Less for Purists Looking for Wooden Traditional Snow Shoes

The latest Winter Outdoor Industry survey suggests snow shoe purists and traditionalists are quickly declining in numbers. Manufacturers such as Tubbs Snowshoes still make some wooden snowshoes for purists who insist on the traditional snowshoes. But these types of users are outnumbered 99 to 1 by customers who prefer more modern footwear.

"You've still got hunters and trappers who prefer wooden snowshoes, because they're so quiet," said Dan Kiniry, Tubbs's product manager. However most consumers are leaning toward sleeker models made of stainless steel and aluminum. Tubbs hopes that the most adventurous outdoor enthusiasts will pay up to $289 for its latest snowshoe line, the Tubbs Elevation series.

The Elevation snowshoes are designed for snowshoers who like to trek in backcountry. The important feature is a newly designed snowshoe binding, called the Nexus, that can be fixed adjusted easily, even on the trail. "There are some bindings that, if they fail, it basically renders the snowshoe unusable," Mr. Kiniry said. "That can become a huge problem if you are miles from the nearest road and facing a blizzard."

The bottom of the Tubbs Elevation series shoes are lined with steel crampon teeth, each more than an inch long, critical for back-country hikers who hike over both icy mountain sides and deep powder.

"When designing the Elevations," said Mr. Kiniry, "the biggest challenge was balancing weight and strength. Snowshoeing is a grueling physical activity - it can burn more than 1,000 calories an hour - and heavy footwear makes it all the more exhausting."

Beginning in 2002, the Tubbs Snow Shoe design team came up with 12 two-dimensional designs; a focus group of snowshoers then reviewed them. That helped narrow the potential offerings to three, which were then turned into proto-types. The Elevations combine the best characteristics of all three finalists, from weight (the lightest women's model is 3.56 pounds per shoe) to base construction (using a puncture-resistant alloy that won't crack at temps of -40 below).

Tubbs, based in Stowe, Vt., was acquired by the sporting-goods maker K2 of Carlsbad, Calif., and Tubbs plans to move its manufacturing from Vermont over to China. Lately, Tubbs has emphasized snowshoeing's health benefits, sponsoring snowshoe races and snowshoe festivals.

One of the fastest-growing segments of the market has been older adults who want to keep fit during the winter but no longer wish to brave downhill skiing. Tubbs has tried to communicate that modern snowshoes don't force users to walk unnaturally like wooden traditional snowshoes do.

Mr. Kiniry did acknowledg that some longtime snowshoers would never make the switch from wood to modern materials, no matter how many fancy new bindings and crampons Tubbs invents.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Purchases Snowshoes

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a member of the National Park System, and established in 1970, has purchased 50 pairs of snowshoes for rental this winter.

According to park ranger Bill Herd the fleet of snowshoes will be available from mid-December to Easter. Additionally he said, "In a typical winter at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, the trails become snow-covered paths and snowshoe hikes are a fantastic way to explore the wooded areas and otherwise unaccessable regions of the park during the winter months."

Redfeather Snowshoes Celebrates 15 Year Anniversary

REDFEATHER SNOWSHOES PRESS RELEASE
Over the past 15 years, since 1989, Redfeather Snowshoes has manufactured hundreds of thousands of snow shoes and conducted more than 500 demo days, placing snowshoes on more than 15,000 people to give them a free opportunity to experience the snowshoeing adventure.

Mr. Allan Kettlehut, President of Redfeather said, “Throughout our 15 year history, we have been very proud to be a part of the Colorado community. The people we have employed from Colorado have become more than just employees to us, they are our valued friends.” Mr. Kettlehut goes on to say, “We credit the company’s ability to stay competitive because of the high quality of our work force. We have never had difficulty finding motivated people to work for us. From Leadville, the small mountain town where we first started to Denver, we could not have made it this far without their dedication.”

In the very competitive business world, Redfeather Snow Shoes has separated itself from its competitors by providing the best service possible to all of its customers. “After 15 years everything has changed except our service.” Mr. Kettlehut concluded.

REI Awarded Exclusive Holiday Sales of MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes

MSR Corp. has entered into an agreement with outdoor gear retailer Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) allowing the retailer to be the exclusive provider of MSR Snowshoes' much anticipated men's and women's Lightning Ascent snowshoes, new for the 2004-2005 season.

The agreement reportedly stipulates that REI will be awarded the opportunity to be the exclusive retailer offering the MSR Lightning Ascents until Dec. 15th, after which, all other MSR dealers will then be allowed to sell the snow shoes.

The snowshoe industry is regarding the MSR-REI deal with controversy and will be closely watched by outdoor gear analysts. Sources suggest the move has soured many snowshoe retailer forecasts, as the holiday season traditionally accounts for a majority of retail sales of snowshoes. Retailers have further rebuffed the nature of the exclusive agreement, as pre-season orders were apparently placed without MSR Snowshoes disclosing it's exclusive agreement with REI beforehand. As a result, many retailers will be saddled with an overstock of MSR Lightning Ascent snow shoes as the season draws to a close.

One retailer remarked, "If I were a consumer considering purchasing these snow shoes, I'd wait until later in the season, as there will most certainly be a market glut, with resulting discounts, as retailers try and recover there substantial losses from MSR restricting everyone else's holiday sales while REI is given the exclusive sales rights. This is definitely new in the snowsports outdoor gear industry and deals like this are placing an even larger burden on smaller retailers. I can't help but think it's the type of deal Wal-Mart works out with its vendors on a regular basis. In this case where REI is Wal-Mart and MSR Corp is the vendor. Many more deals like this and I'll be dropping MSR Snowshoes without a doubt."

Colorado to Play Host to Several Snowshoe Races and Events

This winter, Colorado snowshoe racers, athletes and enthusiasts will prove once again that their outdoor athletic activities don't slow when the snow piles up. Instead, they'll simply switch gears, pull out the snow shoes and keep on pumping.

"One of the great things about winter in Colorado is that athletes get to stay in great shape year-round," said Alma's Danelle Ballengee, a world-class adventure racer and the North American snowshoe racing champion.

Several snowshoe races are on tap starting in January, including Ballengee's Swift Skedaddle snowshoe series. The first race is Jan 15 at Silverthorne, followed by the March 19 event at the Frisco Nordic Center. Both offer a 10-kilometer and a 3K option. The Silverthorne race is one of two Colorado qualifiers for the U.S. National Snowshoe Championships on March 5 in Anchorage, Alaska.

"I try to make courses that are challenging and exciting, but not too hard or dangerous," Ballengee said. "A lot of people will just walk the 10K for fitness and to enjoy the scenery, which is spectacular. The 3K is good for snow shoe beginners, kids, older folks or those who are not in superhuman shape."

The Screamin' Snowman 5K and 10K snowshoe race Feb. 13 at the Eldora Mountain Resort is the other national qualifier. New this year, the race will have a high school division in the 5K. Demo snowshoes will be available in limited quantities for racing.

Longtime Colorado snowshoes adventurer Darrin Eisman, a sponsored racer, is offering two on-snow clinics in January but said first-timers shouldn't be intimidated. "The first time I ever put on a pair of snowshoes was about 5 minutes before a race," Eisman said. "You basically learn about 90 percent of what you need to know about snowshoe racing in the first race. It's a lot like running but you go anaerobic a whole lot faster and you have to deal with the snow conditions as well as the hills. It's a lot of fun."

Snowshoeing is also a staple in many winter multisport races. One of the most popular events in the region is the Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon, set for Feb. 19 in Grants, N.M. Colorado athletes descend on this grueling race in droves, including Ballengee, who has won the women's title the past five years. Participants bike, run, cross-country ski and snow shoe, and then reverse the order of events back to the start. Teams are welcome.

"I've done a lot of fun winter races, but the Mount Taylor Quadrathlon stands out as my favorite," Ballengee said. "The course is challenging, and the views atop Mount Taylor are stunning."
Closer to home in Colorado, Eisman said one of his favorites is the Steamboat Pentathlon, set for March 5. Participants climb Howelsen Hill on foot, then ski or snowboard down the mountain, snowshoe 3 miles, cross-country ski 4 1/2 miles, mountain bike 12 miles and run 5 miles. Team divisions and a short course option are available.

Breckenridge Resort hosts its own winter multisport adventure April 16. In the Imperial Challenge, participants bike from downtown Breckenridge to the base of Peak 8, followed by an ascent of Peak 8 on the equipment of choice (snowshoes or skis are popular). It ends with a descent of Peak 8 on skis or a snowboard snowboard.