Pedallers take on Cycle Challenge
Sports stars and celebritiescompleted a gruelling 250 km cycling challenge, raising funds for RACQ CareFlight Rescue.
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SOTA visitors down?
Early reports from exhibitors at the Snow and Outdoor Trade Association show, currently underway in Canberra, indicates that visitor numbers are down.
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Don’t look at the view, just pedal!
Cycling enthusiasts have been in their element in the West over the past week with elite cyclists battling for titles.
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Adventurer to launch brand
Outdoor Performance has a major launch planned for the Berghaus outdoor brand in Sydney later this month.
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Timberland goes to Chapel
Outdoor apparel and footwear retailer, Timberland, has opened its first local concept store on the mecca of trendy stores, Melbourne’s Chapel Street.
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Outdoor show celebrates 20
Exhibitor figures for Outdoor 13 trade show in Germany in mid-July are in line already with last year’s record, report organisers Messe Friedrichshafen
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The North Face 100 goes solo
Outdoor specialist The North Face will again host its spectacular and punishing ultra-marathon trail run, adding a 50km solo run to the mid-May programme.
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Let’s get training outside
Walk along any beach, through any park at any time of the day or evening and you will see people training.
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Adding more to Nanjing list
Next July's eighth edition of Asia Outdoor will feature another global apparel and footwear player in the outdoor industry, The North Face.
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Taking on the Highland Fling
More than 2000 riders awoke to a clear Southern Highlands morning last weekend for the 2012 Briars Highland Fling mountain bike marathon, and the final race in the Real Insurance XCM Series.
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Toughest battle the Mudder
Tough Mudder Sydney was a massive success last month, testing well over 20,000 people on a gruelling 20 km obstacle course at Peats Ridge near Gosford.
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Paddle expo visitors grow
Renamed PADDLEexpo, the tenth annual paddle and SUP event in Nuremberg, Germany, played host to the world in early October.
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Aussie brand goes for global
Melbourne-based EcoLife International is taking its brand EcoSoulife to the wider world, with its sustainable outdoor products and accessories and several ranges of apparel.
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Show gets thumbs up
More exhibitors, more visitors and the very popular concurrent bike show showed that people are taking to the outdoors and wheeled sports in a rapidly growing way, report organisers of Asia Outdoor 2012.
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OutDoor shows optimism, resilience
As the four-day OutDoor12 on the shores of Lake Constance in Germany closed its doors, exhibitors and organisers reported that the show was just as vibrant, lively and exciting as ever and broke attendance records with 21,730 trade visitors.
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Time to ‘sex up’ camping
Tight budgets are forcing many families to take caravanning or camping holidays rather than staying in resorts and numbers, along with popularity are growing. So says the chief executive of Caravan, RV and Accommodation Industry of Australia Stuart Lamont.
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SOTA show: ‘great vibes’
Exhibitor and visitor numbers for early May’s Snow and Outdoor Trade Association show in Canberra were within coo-ee of last year but with a very much happier vibe, reports Editor Maggie Coleman.
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IWA show claims record numbers
IWA & OutdoorClassics 2012 in early March claimed a record number of exhibitors that topped 1,200 for the first time and 36,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries.
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Salomon names its Aussie run team
Salomon, the athletic outdoor brand distributed in Australia by Melbourne-based Amer Sports, supports trail running and adventure racing events world-wide, from grassroots to elite level.
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OR Winter show in snow storm
Outdoor Retailer Winter Market wrapped up in late January in Salt Lake City, coinciding with the new year’s first big winter storm.
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Don’t miss SOTA show
In May, the National May Outdoor Trade Show (better known as the SOTA show) will return to Canberra's Epic to showcase huge numbers of new and innovative products for the industry.
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Grant to have an adventure
Winner of The North Face Australian Geographic outdoor adventure grant is a New Zealander who will climb and ski 18 peaks higher than 2500ms in the Southern Lakes District of New Zealand’s south island during winter 2012.
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Adidas acquires action brand
Adidas is to acquire Five Ten, described as “a leading performance brand” in outdoor action sports, in a reported US$25 million deal.
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Where outdoor footwear is going
The demand for outdoor multi-functional shoes, with their light weight and comfort, is growing and trends for the 2012 season include urban outdoor shoes and barefoot shoes.
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Asia Outdoor claims records
The Asia Outdoor trade show is growing at the same pace as the market and is well on its way to becoming the world's number three, claim organisers.
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Kathmandu to open four stores
Outdoor retailer Kathmandu is opening four new stores in Australia and New Zealand in late June, adding to the nine new stores already opened this year.
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OutDoor show to be a record
As the outdoor industry has grown over past decades, it has established itself as a business, and as a lifestyle and social movement, report organisers of the show to be held on the banks of Lake Constance in mid July.
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Outdoor conference
It is get-together time for the outdoor industry of NSW with the ORIC conference to be held in Sydney in mid-August.
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SOTA show: ‘largely positive’
To a show focussed on the outdoors – for the trade and with nature among the exhibitors – the weather is important to the success of the Canberra event.
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LIG adds Garmont shoes to rollcall
Outdoor performance footwear brand from Italy, Garmont has named Melbourne-based Lifestyle Industries Group as its new distributor for Garmont footwear for mountaineering, hiking and outdoor pursuits.
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Racing through the ranges
Sponsor Salomon was just one company supporting the first Marysville to Melbourne multi-sport Challenge in mid-April which attracted around 800 participants and much enthusiastic competition.
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Don’t miss the SOTA show
Plans are well in hand for the mid-May outdoor show, to be held as usual in Canberra.
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OR shows ‘better’ market
Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City hit several records and reflected the improved state of the market in the US, reports Sportslink’s European correspondent Hank Aldrich.
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Winter hiking growing fast
Hiking, hunting, sports shooting are in great demand in Europe, report organisers of the March trade show in Nuremberg, IWA and Outdoor Classics.
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Nanjing outdoor show adds bikes
Asia Outdoor show, to be held at the new Nanjing International Expo Center in China in late July, is adding a new show for bikes too.
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Anaconda heads for hoonsville
Landcruiser Mountain Park is home to fanatical four wheel drivers.
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Flagging Australian-made outdoors
Whle it is true that little apparel and footwear are manufactured in Australia now, there are pockets of resistance, including some suppliers to the outdoor industry.
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Yeehaa and line dancing for BCF
BCF has two store openings in December – one in the NSW country music capital of Tamworth in good time for the late January festival.
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Race hit by sharks and locals
The first Paddy Pallin adventure race of the summer was held on the south coast of NSW in early October in cold and windy conditions.
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Kathmandu reports revenue up
Outdoor chain Kathmandu is reporting a 14 per cent lift in annual revenue to $245.8 million, following its listing last year and the opening of new stores.
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Asia Outdoor show claims ‘largest’ tag
The fifth Asia Outdoor show in late July in Nanjing, China claimed a new attendance record of 16,326 trade visitors and 359 exhibitors, following the trend of high growth experienced in the booming Chinese market.
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US records strong sales
June sales rose 13 percent in the outdoor segment (outdoor chains, outdoor specialty and online), according to sales data from Leisure Trends' Outdoor Retail.
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‘Doing great’ – verdict on OutDoor show
Mid-July saw a successful OutDoor2010 show, held in Friedrichshafen, Germany with visitors up by six percent to more than 21,000 from 87 countries.
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Capital punishment in mud
The inaugural Capital Punishment MTB Enduro held in the ACT in late May turns into a mud fest with heavy rain and “horrendous” conditions.
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Recharge via your gumboots
Mobile phone users won’t run out of power at music festivals thanks to the launch of gumboots that can recharge your handset.
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Camping World joins ARL
Camping World Australia members have agreed to merge with Melbourne-based Associated Retailers Limited, the parent body of the Compleat Angler group and of sports retailing groups Sports Power and Sportscene.
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SOTA show: ‘all facing up to the challenges’
Always a factor in chilly Canberra, the weather for the National May Outdoor Trade show (or SOTA as it is known) came up trumps until the time came to pull down all those hundreds of tents and load the kayaks. And then came the rain, reports Editor Maggie Coleman
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BCF and Ray’s marry up
Super Cheap Auto Group (owner of BCF Boating, Camping and Fishing) has entered into an agreement to acquire outdoor leisure retailer, Ray’s Outdoors, for $54 million.
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Outdoor fair: 'great new products'
IWA & OutdoorClassics 2010 broke records again for hunting and shooting sports, classic outdoor activities and law enforcement equipment with 1,141 exhibitors from 55 countries.
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SOTA show to celebrate silver
This year’s National May Outdoor trade show (better known in the industry as the SOTA show) will be celebrating its 25th anniversary but celebrations will be low key.
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Positive vibes at Outdoor Retailer show
The early January Outdoor Retailer show held in Las Vegas, showed that there is general optimism going into 2010, after a very difficult year for US retailers, reports Sportslink’s European correspondent, Munich-based Hank Aldrich.
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Camping grounds full as budgets tighten
The industry is still gathering figures but anecdotally, Christmas / New Year has been another great season for the camping and outdoor leisure area of the marketplace.
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Endurance race names dates
For the third year, The North Face invites runners to take on one of the toughest running events of the year, The North Face 100, to be held in the Blue Mountains in early May.
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Asia Outdoor offers matchmaking too
Claiming to be Asia’s leading trade show, Asia Outdoor is planned for late July 2010 in Nanjing, China.
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Adventuring around Australia
New dates have been set for the Paddy Pallin Adventure Race Series 2009-10, over the summer in Australia.
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Skins chases around the city
Skins has signed up as a major sponsor of urban adventure race series, City Chase which will be held in Melbourne next March.
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Muster been a good cause for BCF
The BCF brandmark was front and centre at the National Music Muster last weekend after the Boating Camping Fishing retailing group signed up as a major sponsor.
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Apple Isle hosts Wildwater world cup
The first six-race Wildwater world cup to be held in Australia is attracting elite paddkers and teams from the major white water nations, say organisers, Canoe Tasmania.
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Show focus on apparel, footwear
With exhibitor and visitor numbers up, the European OutDoor show was rated a success by most, according to Sportslink’s European correspondent Hank Aldrich who spent three days at the Friedrichshafen Messe.
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SOTA show to stay put
The National May Outdoor Show 2009 in Canberra received the thumbs up from exhibitors and visitors, and after months of canvassing and discussions, the committee decided to keep the event in Canberra.
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Cool! Coleman acquires Esky brand
Coleman Australia has bought the Esky brand from the receivers of Nylex Ltd with plans to launch the brand globally.
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Just tri-ing a new event
Events company t3 Events is launching a new challenge, the Just Tri It Triathlons, which will focus on fun and fitness, catering for all ages and fitness levels.
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Great show: now the dilemma
The National May Outdoor Show just ended in Canberra received the thumbs up from exhibitors and visitors, but now a decision on the location of the 2010 show has to be made.
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BCF says yeehaa!
Music fans will know of the annual Muster festival, held annually in the Amamoor state forest near Gympie in south-eastern Queensland.
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Getting ready for the SOTA show
All roads lead to Canberra in early May for the National May Outdoor Trade Show (or as it is known to most, the SOTA show).
Each year, the show at the EPIC centre attracts more visitors and exhibition spaces are filled.
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Optimism for Outdoor show
Among the many changes in hand for Outdoor 2009 is the return of Adidas as an exhibitor and the expansion of the show facilities at Friedrichshafen, Germany including two new halls and a new press centre.
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BCF launches into SA
Expanding outdoor retailer BCF has opened its first SA store, in Richmond, with another planned for Gepps Crossing in June.
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Tackling 100 of the toughest kilometres
Outdoor footwear, apparel and equipment brand, The North Face, will again host one of the toughest endurance trail runs on the Australian outdoor calendar, The North Face 100.
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Have a heart, and a hole — later!
The charity trade golf day planned for the outdoor industry on March 20 has been postponed due to the Victorian bush fires, says organiser John Elliott of Nike ACG.
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Retailer launches podcasts
Paddy Pallin, retailer of outdoor and travel equipment and clothing, is to release podcasts every week, with the option for customers to receive RSS feeds.
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Study on boosting skiing
With reports of decreasing equipment sales, lack of interest by the younger generation and changing environmental and economical conditions, it is time for the ski industry to find new ways to generate revenue.
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Tougher times boost camping numbers
To paraphrase a popular saying, When the going gets tough, the tough ...go camping.
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Technical dressing for the outdoors
The North Face provides an extensive line of performance apparel, equipment and footwear for Australasian outdoor enthusiasts, with one of the main categories for the 42 year-old brand reported to be trail running.
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That's the (nomad 22) spirit!
Taking a bike trip across Australia just seems like a great idea to John Elliott, eternal optimist and distributor of Nike ACG brand in Australia.
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Anaconda opens Frankston store
Outdoor adventure retailer Anaconda opens its new Frankston store in mid-October, making three in Victoria and 12 overall.
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Skateboarding —that's what women want!
It seems that women are riding skateboards in much greater numbers, along with darts and tackle football — these are US figures!
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Thumbs up for green Outdoor show
Mid-July saw a huge influx of visitors to Friedrichshafen, on Germany’s Lake Constance where OutDoor 2008 reported a 12 per cent increase in visitor numbers, reports SportsLink’s European correspondent Hank Aldrich.
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Only eight minutes this year
John Elliott of Nike ACG reports that entries for the 21st Nike ACG Kepler Challenge are closed.
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Lucky Simon wins a car
Retailer Simon Dickson was the lucky winner of the Holden Barina given away at the SOTA show in Canberra in early May by Outdoor Survival Australia.
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Flaik wins design award
A performance tracking device for snowsports has won the Australian international design awards’ top prize.
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Spida’s foot is big enough
One of the AFL’s big men, Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt of the Sydney Swans needs a much bigger chair when he takes the family on a camping holiday.
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SOTA's time to get outdoors
Canberra is May is the perfect time to show off product for the outdoors — chilly nights, sunny days and many people who consider the National May Outdoor trade show (or SOTA show) a fixed date on their supplier or visitor calendar.
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Anaconda opens Tasmanian store
Outdoor retail chain Anaconda opened its first Tasmanian store in early May in Cambridge with manager Aaron McClimont and around 40 local staff, many with a background in outdoor and camping retailing.
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Coleman sponsors motocross
Coleman Australia has signed a partnership with motocross and supercross racers Woodstock Honda Thor, with 16 rounds across all states during the 2008 season.
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North Face of the Blue Mountains
One of the toughest, endurance trail runs on the Australian outdoor calendar—The North Face 100 ultra-marathon!—will be held mid-May, with a course set through NSW’s Blue Mountains.
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Elliott gets set for the Kepler
Having signed up as the naming rights sponsors for the next three years, Nike ACG’s John Elliott is putting his running shoes where his brand is.
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Anaconda opens in west
Outdoor retail chain Anaconda has opened a store in the Perth suburb of Innaloo, its tenth store. To be managed by Matthew Ness who comes from a food background, the new team’s training included a two day camping trip to gather product knowledge on the equipment stocked.
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Last year's event |
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Chasing through the city
More than 1000 Sydneysiders will be running around the CBD in late March, taking part in this year’s Volvo City Chase.
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SportsDesign's Ecobrand winners
Winner of the Ecobrand of the year at the Volvo SportsDesign forum, held during the Ispo winter trade show in Munich was Patagonia USA.
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Nation's big spenders
A new report released by the US Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation demonstrates that by any measure America’s hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups.
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Outdoor brand's third Aussie store
Distributors of wet weather and outdoor brand Helly Hansen have opened a third concept store in Melbourne, this time in trendy Hawthorn.
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SOTA plans 'going well'
Plans are progressing well for this year’s National May Outdoor Trade show — known as the SOTA show — to be held again in chilly Canberra.
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New island, same weather ... but more great product
Coleman Brands held another of its media days late last year to launch new product, particularly the family water recreation and kids ranges.
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