November 30, 2023

Vail Resorts to Acquire Swiss Ski Resort

Vail Resorts, Inc. agreed to acquire Crans-Montana Mountain Resort in Switzerland from CPI Property Group (CPIPG). Crans-Montana Mountain Resort spans approximately 4,593 square feet of skiable vertical terrain with about 87 miles of trails. Accessible from five airports and by train, Crans-Montana Mountain Resort is located in the Valais canton...

November 29, 2023

Why environmentalists are suing the National Park Service to prevent it from planting trees

The National Park Service wants to replant sequoia groves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, where wildfires in 2020 and 2021 inflicted lasting damage on the iconic sequoia forests. Environmentalists in California say it’s a huge mistake. Four groups filed suit against the NPS on November 17, saying the...

November 29, 2023

Movement Expands; Acquires Multiple Gyms in the Northeast

A press release earlier this week announced that Movement, the largest network of climbing gyms in the United States, recently acquired The Cliffs’ five facilities. The acquisition encompasses all The Cliffs’ gyms in New York and Pennsylvania and brings the total number of Movement gyms to 29 across the country....

November 29, 2023

VF Corp. Lays Off About 500 Under Reinvent Turnaround Plan

VF Corp., parent of brands such as Vans and The North Face, confirmed today that it has laid off roughly 500 positions across the organization. A spokesperson confirmed the reductions are global and impact all brands, corporate functions, and geographies. The layoffs come as new VF President and CEO Bracken...

November 28, 2023

PEARL iZUMi and Nathan owner, United Sports Brands, acquired by Norwest Equity Partners

Norwest Equity Partners (NEP), a middle market investment platform founded in 1961, has acquired United Sports Brands (USB), which has a diverse portfolio of sporting goods and active lifestyle brands. The transaction closed on November 20, 2023, and financial terms were not disclosed. United Sports Brands’ (USB’s) six brands are: PEARL iZUMI,...

November 27, 2023

Vista Outdoor Receives Unsolicited Proposal to Buy Company

Vista Outdoor announced it received an offer last Wednesday from Colt CZ Group to buy the company for $30 per share, or $1.74 billion, which, if accepted, would scrap the deal announced earlier this year to sell Vista’s sporting products business to Czechoslovak Group (CSG) and spin off Vista’s outdoor...

November 21, 2023

Outdoor recreation contributed over $1 trillion to the US economy in 2022

According to the US Department of Commerce, the outdoors recreation industry contributed $1.1 trillion to the US economy in 2022. The Department of Commerce’s latest assessment reveals that last year, outdoors recreation put more back into the US economy than oil and gas extraction and mining combined, while being responsible for...

November 21, 2023

Beyond Unbound: Gravel Kansas launches a statewide gravel cycling network of routes, free of startlines and entry fees

LeLan Dains ,former co-owner of the famed Unbound Gravel event, has long been on a mission to showcase the best riding Kansas has to offer.  This inspired Gravel Kansas, a statewide route creation initiative that empowers riders to explore the 98,000 miles of unpaved Kansas roads and the communities surrounding them. This...

November 21, 2023

Dick’s Sporting Goods reports record Q3 net sales of $3.04 billion

Dick's Sporting Goods' third-quarter net sales increased 2.8% year-over-year to a record $3.04 billion. Net income for the quarter was $201 million, down 11.8% from $228 million year-over-year. Earnings per share decreased 16.3%, from $2.94 to $2.46. BRAIN

November 21, 2023

No Climbing Allowed: Federal Proposal May Restrict Access Nationwide, Advocacy Groups Warn

Last week, the U.S. National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service unveiled a policy that would designate climbing bolts and anchors as “permanent installations,” which are banned under the 1964 Wilderness Act. That caused immediate concern among climbing groups, who said the change could threaten climbing routes across the country, from...

November 20, 2023

Workers file unfair labor practice charges against REI

REI Co-op workers with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union filed 80 nationwide unfair labor practice complaints against the outdoor retailer for bad-faith bargaining practices. The union said the federal complaints showed "a pattern of egregious anti-union behavior, emotional manipulation, and retaliatory actions against workers." According to the union,...

November 15, 2023

‘Campground & RV Park E-News’ Magazine Put Up for Sale

Noting that by the end of this year the company will have published 744 issues over its 15 years of existence, Industry E News announced recently that it is currently soliciting buyers for its weekly “Campground & RV Park E-News” digital magazine. RV Business

November 15, 2023

Out&Back Outdoor Acquires The Locals Sale

Out&Back Outdoor, a marketplace to buy or sell new and used outdoor gear, acquired gear exchange company The Locals Sale. Out&Back said in a release that the acquisition positions it to continue expanding its offerings that support sustainability and affordable pricing while challenging the way consumers typically shop and sell...

November 14, 2023

Samsonite Sees Gregory’s Q3 Sales Climb 23 Percent

Samsonite International S.A. reported sales from its Gregory backpack brand grew 23 percent in the third quarter while an overall recovery in travel led to similar gains for the overall company. Consolidated net sales were $957.7 million for the three months ended September 30, an increase of 21.1 percent on...

November 9, 2023

Yeti Lifts EPS Outlook on Strong Margins and Drinkware Strength

Yeti Holdings, Inc. raised its EPS guidance for the year after seeing margins in the second quarter top expectations, expanding over 600 basis points. Q2 Sales were flat as a 6 percent gain in drinkware sales offset a recall-related decline in cooler sales. Adjusted EPS was 60 cents a share,...

November 9, 2023

Wolverine Sees New Round of Layoffs as It Looks to Further ‘Streamline’

Wolverine Worldwide is accelerating its transformation plan as it looks to “streamline” the organization. As part of this plan, the Rockford, Mich.-based footwear company on Thursday revealed a new global workforce reduction and organizational redesign. While Wolverine has not disclosed the number of employees affected by this move, the company...

November 7, 2023

LCI Industries Reports Q3 Financials

LCI Industries, through its wholly owned subsidiary Lippert, reported financial results for 2023’s third quarter. Consolidated net sales for the third quarter were $1 billion, a decrease of 15% from 2022 third quarter net sales of $1.1 billion. Net income in the third quarter of 2023 was $25.9 million, or...

November 6, 2023

EXEC: BOA, Primaloft and Velocity Outdoor Drag on Parent’s Q3 Results

Brand aggregator Compass Diversified (CODI) saw third-quarter sales decline 25 percent at BOA and 16 percent at Primaloft as both businesses continued to be impacted by elevated inventories in the marketplace. Among CODI’s other active lifestyle brands, revenues grew 13 percent at Marucci Sports and 7 percent at 5.11 while...

November 6, 2023

General RV Opening Fourth Florida Store

General RV Center will expand its Florida footprint in early December. The company will open a new store in Fort Pierce, Florida. The store is located about 20 miles north of Port St. Lucie. General RV operates 18 stores nationwide. RVNews

November 2, 2023

Cummins Names Three Experienced Leaders to New Roles

COLUMBUS, Ind.-- Today, Cummins announced several changes to the Cummins Leadership Team. These appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2024. “Destination Zero is Cummins' strategy for decarbonization of our products and is a growth opportunity for us. With our broad portfolio of innovative products, strong partnership with and understanding of our...

November 1, 2023

‘Access Problems for Everyone’: Federal Closure of Moab Trails Sparks Outrage

Off-roading groups and the State of Utah have filed legal challenges to keep Moab trails open to vehicles after federal officials announced large-scale closures in September. Gear Junkie

November 1, 2023

Vista Outdoor Reports Second Quarter FY24 Financial Results

Vista Outdoor Inc. reported financial results for the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), which ended on September 24, 2023. Sales decreased $105 million to $677 million, down 13 percent, driven by lower shipments across nearly all categories in the Sporting Products segment. Gross profit declined 21 percent to $209...

November 1, 2023

Garmin Lifts Outlook On Q3 Beat

Garmin, Ltd. raised its guidance for the year as third-quarter results topped expectations. Among segments, fitness sales grew 26 and Outdoor advanced 7 percent while Marine declined 7 percent. Highlights for the third quarter 2023 include: Consolidated revenue of $1.28 billion, a 12 increase compared to the prior year quarter...

October 30, 2023

How Wave Pools Are Deploying AI as a Revenue-Producing Tool

Wave parks seem to be the first to deploy artificial intelligence in a practical way connected to surfing. And it’s immediately being promoted as a revenue tool for them. Wavegarden announced this week that it’s using an AI-based video tracking program, which will allow park guests to track their sessions...

October 30, 2023

Mountain Hardwear Down 9% in Q3 as Brand Works on Refresh

Outdoor apparel and gear brand Mountain Hardwear posted sales of $29.2 million for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, down 9% compared to the same period last year. The decline was driven by lower fall 2023 wholesale shipments, and was partially offset by DTC growth, said Tim Boyle, CEO of parent company...