Atlas Snowshoes, Beaver Creek Resort & A Snowshoe Racing Advocate Team Up In Colorado After School Program

Along with partners Atlas Snowshoes and Beaver Creek Resort, Colorado snowshoe racing competitor, Rich Schmelzer recently provided 50 pairs of Atlas snow shoes to the Meadow Mountain Elementary School for an outdoors educational experience. Mr. Schmelzer coordinated the program as a healthy alternative to many unhealthy activities, such as video games, that kids today are interested in. "I read that kids today have a shorter life expectancy than their parents," explained Mr. Schmelzer. "That's the first time in 100 years that's happened. That's what got me going on this."

School principal Kim Walter indicated that she was enthusiastic about the after school program. "We're trying to run as many healthful programs as we can after school," Principal Walter stated. The students expressed much interest in the program as well. "It's fun going through the mountains," fifth grader Gonzalo Vizcaino said. "I want to do this some more."

Vermont Tubbs Snowshoes Factory Goes Silent

Stowe, Vermont former snow shoe maker Tubbs Snowshoes, recently aquired by K2 Sports, has officially closed its manufacturing factory. All of the snowshoe manufacturing and assembly jobs are being relocated to China. Only a few workers remain temporarily to continue shutting machines down and packing up goods, all of which will be shipped overseas to the plant in Guangzhou China.

Factory manager and 15-year employee, Joel Foster, will be making a trip to China personally in order to instruct the Chinese how to properly make Tubbs Snowshoes on the same machines that once lived in Stowe Vermont. Mr. Foster, like those of several dozen assembly line workers, will no longer be needed. "There is nobody here to manage anymore," stated Mr.Foster. "We are victims of our own success."

Tubbs Snowshoes is using cheap China labor to try and match its competitors that are already outsourcing to the Chinese. Founded in Norway, Maine, in 1906, Tubbs Snowshoes has been manufacturing snow shoes and supplying them for decades to everyone from adventurers and the military to hunters and winter outdoor enthusiasts.

In 1987, Ed Kiniry purchased the company and changed its direction to one that marketed lightweight aluminum snowshoes with hi-tech bindings to a growing winter recreational market. In 2004, production reached 110,000. Interestingly, only 400 were traditional wood snowshoes. In 2003, the company was awarded "Exporter of the Year" by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. However, Mr. Kiniry sold the $20 million business to sports equipment maker, K2, who currently employs 8,000 workers at a factory in Guangzhou China. In keeping with its low cost manufacturing strategy, K2 immediately planned to move the manufacturing jobs to China and maintain a dozen administrative and sales positions in Stowe, Vermont.

Vermont's Congressman in the House of Representative's, Bernie Sanders, strongly opposes the recent wave of job losses from several business sectors in Vermont. Though facing heavy opposition from the Bush Administration, Bernie Sanders is currently legislating to impose restrictions on job migrations to China, due to China's low wage policy. "If you are an employer and you don't give a damn about your workers and you don't give a damn about your country, going to China makes perfect sense. They pay workers as low as 30 cents an hour, workers can't form unions, there is virtually no environmental protection and by and large workers can't stand up for their rights. That is their climate. You can't compete against that," stated Congressman Sanders in a recent interview.

Snowshoeing and Snowshoe Racing Tips Offered by Expert

Avid snowshoer and snowshoe racing enthusiast, Laura Clark, recently offered advice on the sport. "Basically if you can walk, you can snow shoe. You can snow shoe run. You need to have some endurance," she stated. Adding that, "If you think you can walk a mile in ten minutes, well it's going to take you 15 or 20, depending on the snow conditions. Snow shoes have crampons which are little steel teeth, and they are to grip the snow."

Other advice included choosing the correct shoes, the bigger the person, the bigger the snow shoe. It is important to remember the entire premise is to keep the user above the snow. Snow shoes for racing are smaller and lighter than those for walking, and retail starting at about $150 and run about $250 for high end models made by snowshoe manufacturers such as Tubbs Snowshoes, who offers the Catalyst & Piranha, and Atlas Snowshoes, who fabricates the DualTrac and Dual Trac SL racing snow shoes.

Proper apparel includes clothing that one would wear to walk in. And it is important to include heavy socks and shoe covers or snowshoe gaiters, which are great for keeping snow out of boots.

Saratoga New York Snow Shoe Race Reports Record Participation

Organizers of the Saratoga New York 5k Snowshoe race, held in conjection with the Saratoga Winterfest Celebration, reported participation at record levels with over 160 people competing in the event. The snow shoe race was hosted by the Saratoga Stryders. Race co-director Jeff Clark stated that, "We've got people who are top U.S. mountain runners on the mountain running team. They've competed internationally. And then we have people who are trying on snowshoes for the first time. So it's just a great spectrum of people doing the course."

The inventor of modern racing snowshoes, Bob Dion of Readsboro, Vermont, was present and competing. Mr. Dion's engineered racing snowshoes are plastic with modern bindings and metal clamp-ons on the underside.

Mr. Clark explained that snowshoe racing in the east has grown considerably, offering much of the credit to the Western Massachusetts Athletic Club. Most snow shoe races are run on trails that are packed down, instead of fresh untracked snow where larger adventure and backcountry snowshoes are necessary for flotation.

Colorado Snowshoe Races Grow in Number and Attendance

On February 5 the second annual Cordilleria Moonlight 5K snowshoe running race in Edwards Colorado took place. It is the only moonlit Colorado snowshoe race, which is part of a growing trend in winter recreation and fitness. "Snowshoeing has come a long way since the tennis rackets they used to wear," remarked participant Jenn Gerard. "It's totally evolving into a sport of its own."

President of Altitude Racing Incorporated and the event organizer of the Cordilleria Moonlight 5K snowshoe race, Adam Lueck, detected an increase in popularity. "It is a very popular sport, because anyone who can walk can do the event," Mr. Lueck stated. Snowshoeing has taken winter recreation to a new level, requiring not only endurance, but also technique and agility. It has transformed traditional 5K/10K running races into a challenging event that is now popular throughout Colorado.

The Beaver Creek Snowshoe Adventure Series held 5K/10K snow shoe races on February 12 and will also be hosting an event March 5 that will be starting in the Beaver Creek Village. Other events on the 2005 Colorado schedule include The Screamin' Snowman 5K/10K snowshoe race, that took place February 13 in Nederland Colorado and the Tubbs Snowshoes 'Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer' Winter Walk & Snowshoe Challenge will take place February 26 at Keystone Resort and March 5 in Frisco Colorado.

Tubbs Snow Shoes 'Romp to Stomp' Event Date in Salt Lake City Utah Announced

The Tubbs Snowshoes annual Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer snowshoe benefit will be held February 19th at the Mountain Dell Golf Course in the Mountain Dell Recreation Area of Salt Lake City, Utah. Co-Hosted by Tubbs Snow Shoes and the local affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the event includes 3 or 5 kilometer snowshoe walking tours on the Mountain Dell golf course to benefit breast cancer research, education, and screening.

100% of all the gathered pledges and proceeds will be going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the local Salt Lake City affiliate. Over 350 pairs of Tubbs snowshoes will be on hand to use for free on a first come, first served basis. Participants that have collected pre-event pledges will also receive tickets for chances to win outdoor gear including snowshoes, snowshoe hiking-trekking poles, headlamps, CamelBak hydration packs, footwear, fleece vests, jackets, cameras and more.

Couple Completes Snow Shoe Trip Again for Valentine's Day Anniversary

After a trek on snowshoes that took them along the same route they followed on their honeymoon, Garrett and Alexandara Conover arrived in Maine's Allagash village Saturday. The Conovers, who own a guide service in Willimantic, left Greenville on Jan. 15. They hauled 200 pounds of equipment and food on toboggans. The Conovers used audio journals to record the snowshoe trip on their web site, hoping that their adventure would serve as inspiration for children. They also travelled with letters from school children that they delivered Saturday to students of the Wallagrass Elementary School in Maine.

Their chosen route included Moosehead Lake, portions of the Penobscot River, and a 90-mile stretch of the St. John. Faced with spectacular 50-foot-high ice jams at the confluence of the Allagash and St. John rivers, the Conovers were forced to seek help. They were hauled off the St. John on a snowmobile, about 6 miles from their destination. ''We needed to be here on a weekend so that the schoolchildren could come out," remarked Garrett Conover . ''It would have taken us until the middle of next week to get here" without the tow.

Mr. Conover added that the varying winter weather, with temperatures dipping to -30 degrees, was similar to what he and his wife encountered during their first snowshoeing trip. "However, there were many new wonders," Mrs. Conover stated, "such as the ice reefs and canyons at the end, a whole new population of coyotes, lynx and bobcat tracks, and a raven mating dance along the Penobscot River. Yet the sight of the children from the school meant the most. 'That's what this whole snow shoe trip was about, opening doors and windows. They were bright and really sharp kids."

Attendence Expected to Double at Tubbs Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer Event at Frisco Nordic Center

Tubbs Snowshoes Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer event organizers report that the number of participants registered for the 2005 event, taking place on Saturday, March 5, at the Frisco Nordic Center, has doubled. Tubbs Snowshoes and the Denver Metropolitan Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation have partnered to raise money for breast cancer research, education and screening through the event. 100% of all pledges and proceeds help the Komen Foundation.

"Last year's Tubbs Snow Shoes Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer event raised more than $40,000," stated Joan Davids, event coordinator. Adding that, "It's a warm, intimate kind of gathering. Everybody always has a great time. It's very upbeat."

Every participant that gathers pledges will receive raffle tickets for an opportunity to win lodging, shopping and restaurant certificates, to snowshoes from Tubbs and more.

MTU Bigfoot Snowshoe Event Most Successful to Date

Michigan Technical University reports that their annual Bigfoot Snowshoe Event, held February 5th, was their most successful yet with a record setting turnout of 310 participants that included faculty, staff, students and community members from throughout the Michigan region. The 2005 event also featured more activities than previous years, with the largest number of prizes raffled off as well. The Michigan Snowshoe Event was also covered by Marquette-based television station TV6, which had crews on hand to document the day.

Organized by the Michigan Technical University student organization, Peers Offering Wellness Education Resources (POWER), the Bigfoot event was created for the purpose of encouraging students to stay active and involved during the long winter months by introducing them to the fast-growing sport of snowshoeing, as well as by providing a fun gathering and meeting place for those with snowshoeing experience. Event coordinators provided everything needed for first time snowshoers to get off to a quick start, including free rental of demo snowshoes provided by local retailers. Archita Sivakumar a POWER member stated, "To cater to avid enthusiasts as well as beginners we have snow shoe trails from the very simple to the fairly difficult, and for the adventurous they can make their own trails."

Nordic Walking Growing in Popularity in the U.S. & Canada

Part common sense and part marketing ploy, a new trend called Nordic walking is taking off in Europe and is beginning to take hold in North America as well. Nordic walking is cross-country skiing without the skis or snowshoeing without the snowshoes. Nordic walkers use hiking or ski poles in rhythm with a walking cadence for added stability on various surfaces to reduce impact on joints, and to increase the aerobic impact of a workout by engaging the muscles in the neck, arms and upper torso.

Nordic walking can be performed anywhere, such as sidewalks, frozen ponds, trails and even sandy beaches. All a nordic walker needs is a pair of ski or hiking poles and a pair of hiking boots, sneakers or ice cramp-ons (in winter) for stability and traction.

Winter Snowshoe Challenge Held at Keystone Resort in Colorado

This February 26th, Keystone Resorts will be hosting the Winter Snowshoes Challenge, a complete schedule of events that includes participant choices of three snowshoe sessions on two different routes of various levels of ability. Portions of the event proceeds will be donated toward breast cancer prevention. The event will include rental of several different types of snowshoes, breakfast, lunch, LUNA bars provided by CLIF Bars, raffle give aways, with top fund raisers receiving gifts from Atlas Snowshoes and Tinbuk2 Bags.

Snow Shoe Tours Added to Bend WinterFest

Event officials report that snowshoeing tours will be part of the sixth annual Bend WinterFest celebration held February 11th through 13th. Other activities will include ice carving, wine tasting and fireworks. The Bend WinterFest headquarters are once again in downtown Bend, Oregon. Officials explained that free public snowshoe tours, led by a U.S. Forest Service naturalist, will be scheduled each day at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The snow shoe tours begin and end at the snowshoe hut outside the West Village Guest Services Building at Mount Bachelor and will last roughly an hour, with showshoes provided for free.

Wanderlust Tours will also be accepting reservations for paid snowshoe tours at the Wanderlust Tours booth in the Snow Gear Village tent at the Festival Center in downtown Bend. Information about snowshoeing as well as the sale of snowshoes will also be offered.