Osprey Ambassador Alison Gannett to walk London to Brussels with skis on her Osprey pack to raise awareness and support to SAVE OUR SNOW at the COP-15 talks in Denmark. In Copenhagen, she will be working with the United Nations and their Climate Heroes programs, working together to help ensure that almost 200 nations, including Obama and the US, can work together to create the next Kyoto treaty.

Alison Gannett is a World Champion Extreme Skier, Founder of The Save Our Snow Foundation, an award-winning global cooling consultant, and long time Osprey Fan and Ambassador. She was named “Ski Hero of the Year” by Ski Magazine in 2009, and Outside magazine named her “A Green All-Star”, next to Leonardo DiCaprio and Arnold Schwarzenegger. She travels the world documenting glacial recession on her crazy ski mountaineering expeditions. She also trains individuals, businesses and governments on her four-step, cost-saving, climate change solutions framework, including working to train Al Gore’s Climate Project team and Congressman Markey’s Energy Congressional Independence and Global Warming Committee in Washington, DC.

To learn more or support Alison:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/905292877/save-our-snow-and-our-planet

Conservation, Events, Osprey Athletes, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, Uncategorized Alison Gannett, climate change, Osprey, Save our snow

Backpacker + 2010 Osprey Brand Team UPDATE:

On Halloween we officially closed out the Backpacker magazine/Osprey contest – after tallying the numbers we received nearly 2,000 entries! With all of the fantastic “why should you be a part of our next Brand Team?” responses, we have our work cut for us in determining who will comprise the 2010 team.

From all of your entries will will also pick a winner for the Exos 46 pack. Look for that announcement this Friday right here on the blog, and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Stay tuned and thanks again!

Brand Team posts, Osprey Culture

Backpacker + 2010 Osprey Brand Team = You?

Saturday October 31, 2009 (Halloween in case you hadn’t heard!) marks the final day of our Backpacker magazine and brand team contest. Head over to Backpacker.com and give us your story…you even have a chance to win an Osprey Exos 46 pack just for “playing.”

So what is the Osprey brand team…

If you’re one of our blog’s regular readers you’re probably familiar with our brand team project. Basically, it works like this: back in early February we recruited a group of athletes and adventurers to write about their experiences using Osprey packs. The contract is simple — be trustworthy, love our product, provide us with a consistent stream of new content documenting your journeys (with photos and videos wherever possible), and attend an outdoor event in your region as an “on-the-ground” rep for a day. It’s that easy. Our 2009 team has done a fantastic job so far and we would love to hear why you would make a great addition for 2010. So. Go. Now. Backpacker! We’ll be in touch soon!

Osprey Culture, Product 2010 brand team, Backpacker

Employees of Osprey Packs gathered outside our headquarters to register support for the 350.org Day of Action. As a team and individuals we strive to lower our carbon footprint each day through actions such as natural lighting in our headquarters , planting trees to maximize the passive solar benefits of our location, purchasing green energy blocks from our energy provider, recycling everything that can be recycled, carpooling and biking to work,  and systematically learning how to truly analyze the impact of our products upon the planet.

Conservation, Events, Osprey Culture 350.org

Osprey women (representing the Midwest on the "Atlantic" and PacNW on the "Pacific" side) take a moment at the Continental Divide atop Cottonwood Pass en route from SW CO to Boulder

Osprey tent is ready!

Saturday’s event was a blast!

Two of Osprey’s women made the 8hr trek from SW Colorado to attend and present at the The Women’s Adventure, an organized by Women’s Adventure magazine and held at the stunning outdoor setting of the Boulder Reservoir in Boulder, Colorado. It was a beautiful, sunny day packed with great activities that included scheduled demo and skills-clinics, along with gear testing opportunities. Ladies got a chance to try their hands at fly-fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, slacklining, rockclimbing, yoga, orienteering and biking. In addition to the gear testing and clinics (Osprey Packs held a women’s fit clinic), there was plenty of relaxing over food and wine samples. Ladies also got an opportunity to pamper themselves at the massage and facial tent. Everyone walked away with something…and there were lots of prizes and giveaways, including kayaks, road bikes and and of course, and Osprey backpacks! With the opportunity to try new activities and learn new skills, participants left inspired and informed.

We’ll see you all again next year and all the new faces that come too! You won’t want to miss out!

One of the many fit clinics of the day

Courtney and Kerry give a fit clinic

Ladies enjoying the day

Events, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, Product

This weekend, we’re at the Telluride Blues ‘n’ Brews festival along with our local dealer, Jagged Edge Mountain Gear.  The fall colors are just starting to come in and with snow already blessing the peak tops, it couldn’t be more beautiful.  Jagged Edge has a great selection of our packs on special for 20% off during the show and at the store for the week following.  It’s a great time to update that old, grungy show pack with a new one and you can even recyle your pack through our Pass on the Passion Program.  Leave your pack with us and we’ll send it to the Mountain Fund who distributes your old pack to deserving programs such as the Climb High Foundation in Uganda which works to open up career opportunities for women to work in the trekking and climbing industry.  We’ll give you a festival ready, Innate BPA free stainless steel water bottle!!!  Last but not least, you can sign up to win an incredible trip for two to Telluride this winter.  If you’re not at the festival, go to our Travel Contest page and enter now.  The Grand Tasting is today so stop on by, pace yourself and have some fun with the Osprey and Jagged Edge crew!!

Events, Music Festivals, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, Product, Retail Promotions, Southwest Colorado

The Osprey traveling road show spent the Labor day weekend at the 2009 Jazz Aspen Snowmass Music Festival.  We partnered with our local retailer the Ute Mountaineer to bring folks great deals on Osprey packs.   Amidst the great music and mountain scenery, lots of folks stopped by to peruse our product offerings.  There’s a lot of buzz around the new Kode Series backcountry ski packs and our Talon and Flap Series packs were a big hit as well.  If you’re still in town this week stop by the Ute for continued great deals on Osprey Packs and more.

Events, Fergie Fan Club, Music Festivals, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, Retail Promotions

Wow!  I am so proud.  Last Friday, August 21, 2009 a group of outdoor industry companies and environmental not for profits got together for an extraordinary day of service work in beautiful Eldorado Canyon State Park outside of Boulder, Colorado.  this was the sixth Backyard Collective, a series of events concevied and executed by Conservation NEXT.  As a board member for the Conservation Alliance, I am really excited to see these events take shape and continue to grow.  For outdoor company employees, what better way to learn and understad about the environmental and conservation groups that their company’s Conseration Alliance dues support.  And for the grantees, what better way to connect with the cool outdoor companies that help them further their misson?!  Some key stats:

• 100+ volunteers
• Participating companies:  Osprey Packs, Kelty, Sierra Designs, GoLite, La Sportiva, Backpackers Pantry, The Outdoor Industry Association, and The North Face
• Extraordinary organization by Conservation Alliance grantee, the Colorado Mountain Club.  Special thanks to Anya Byers!!!
• Volunteers removed invasive plant species, installed railroad tie/rebar steps, and built rock steps
• Grantees present included Colorado Mountain Club, Colorado Environmental Coalition, Colorado Wild, The Wilderness Support Center, and The Access Fund
• Thanks to IMBA for sending an expert group of trail builders out!!
• Also special thanks to Colorado Fourteeners Intitiative for sending their trail guru, Brian Wallace!!
• Jonathan Lantz, President of La Sportiva brought his  band, Seismic Shift for some great apres trail work entertainment
• New Belgium Brewery contributed beer and cash to the event.  BIG THANKS!!!

But the biggest thanks of all go to Deanna Lloyd (The Forest Group) and Brook Shinksy (The North Face),  two of our awesome NEXTers who have been putting these events together.  From the killer goodie bags, to the tasty lunches and HUGE goodie trays following the event – they really made the hard work worthwhile.  Great gear was raffled off at the end of the day and everyone walked away with their own Conservation NEXT shopping bag filled with great stuff from our outdoor company participants.

Last but not least, big thanks to my Osprey crew and Verde PR.  A group of four drove up from the 4-Corners, our Boulder based Rocky Mountain Sales Rep added his toil and sweat to the event and we proudly hosted the Colorado Environmental Coalition under our tent.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

Gareth Martins

Director of Marketing, Osprey Packs and proud Conservation Alliance Board Member

Conservation, Events, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities Backyard Collective, Conservation Alliance, ConservationNEXT, Osprey

Hey Front Rangers! ConservationNEXT (a program from the Conservation Alliance) is hosting a full day of trail restoration in the climbers paradise known as Eldorado Canyon State Park tomorrow (Friday 8/21). The Backyard Collective vision is to bring together outdoor industry companies for a day of collective action in our backyards. As host for this edition, Osprey is hoping you can come out and lend a hand by joining volunteers from Osprey, Conservation Alliance grantees & friends for a day of service and celebration. If you can’t make it out check back Monday for a recap of the day’s events with photos and commentary.

WHAT: With the help of The Colorado Mountain Club, ConservationNEXT will host a day of trail restoration at Eldorado Canyon State Park. This area, has suffered from such severe budget cuts that they were unable to hire a seasonal trail crew this summer to maintain their hiking and climbing access trails that are used by over 200,000 people each year.  The Recreation Manager is desperate for volunteer help, and we will provide a range of activities from building steps to pulling weeds, depending on the interest and ability level of volunteers.

WHEN: August 21^st 2009.  We will host a morning & afternoon work session with catered lunch served from 12:00-1:00 on site.

• Morning session – 9:00-12:00
• Lunch - 12:00-1:00
• Afternoon session – 1:00-3:00
• Celebration/Volunteer Fair & Raffle – 3:00 – 6:00

WHERE: Eldorado Canyon State Park

WHAT TO BRING: All equipment, tools and instruction will be provided. No experience necessary. Participants will receive a water bottle &water will be available on site.  You should dress in comfortable clothing that can get dirty, & don’t forget your shades. If you have leather work gloves you prefer to work with, please bring them, otherwise they will be provided.  The program will run in light rain, but will be rescheduled in the case of a full storm!   Please bring appropriate rain gear.

SCHEDULE:

• Arrive at Eldorado State Park:  8:30AM
• Please carpool, parking is very limited
  • 8:00AM –Carpool meeting spots – A representative of CMC will be on hand from 8:00 – 8:30 to assist at each meeting place:
    • Neptune Mountaineering – 633 S. Broadway #A, Boulder, CO 80305 -
    • The North Face – 1711 29^th Street Boulder, CO 80301
    • Please note:  when you drive through the gate at Eldorado Canyon State Park tell them you’re with the Backyard Collective.
  • 8:30AM – Sign-in, get oriented, pick up swag bag
  • 9:00AM – Service project begins
  • 12:00PM – Break for lunch
  • 1:00PM – Service continues, 2^nd session begins.
  • 3:00PM – End of 2^nd session – party & volunteer fair begins!  Listen to Jonathan Lantz’ band Reverb Nation while enjoying light food & drinks.

• 5:00PM – Raffle & wrap up!

CONTACTS:

• Brook Shinsky – 303.717.3849 (ConservationNEXT)
• Deanna Lloyd – 530.919.4534 (ConservationNEXT)
• Anya Byers – 303.563.9767 (Colorado Mountain Club)

Events, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities Backyard Collective, Conservation Alliance, ConservationNEXT, Eldorado Canyon

If you think Outdoor Retailer (that’s @ORSM if you Tweet!) is all about fancy new product, schmoozing industry heads, and generally talking about a lot of sports but not actually doing them, you’ve got another thing coming this year. An assembled crew of roughian industry players will take to the pitch for a punishing game of…of all games!… RUGBY!

Two members of the team come from our fair company – Kerry McCarthy and Osprey pack designer (and all-around rugby hero) Stephen Barnes. Stephen, we have to mention, is a former U.S. National Team member so heads might roll if you get in the way of him and the goal.

The opponent? The Salt Lake City “Old Boys” who we have no info on at the moment, but we’re sure a full scale scouting report is brewing as we speak. The industry team roster is still being sorted out and from what I hear, there’re still openings.

Send an e-mail to ORRugby@snewsnet.com if you don’t care all that much for your teeth .

The match details:

Wednesday, July 22, at 7 p.m.

Fort Douglas Field, SLC. Google for directions!

For the full industry participant list, check out this SNEWS article.

…by the way, this post’s title is a quote graciously taken from former French rugby coach Pierre Berbizier on how to survive the game.

Events, Osprey Culture ORSM rugby, Osprey, Outdoor Retailer rugby