p4,6 outdoor news 7/17/08 12:42 PM Page 6
BUSINESS - Outdoor News
SGB
Sports and Outdoor www.sgb-sports.com
Snugpak invests in UK HQ
Snugpak has invested heavily in its Yorkshire-based manufacturing facility. The building, now Grade 2 listed, is a former
woollen mill and dates back to the 1850s. Recent investment has included new office facilities, reception area, staff
canteen and a sales showroom.
Snugpak’s joint Managing Directors, Mick Dobson and Susan Parrish said “Because of the age of the building, this is an
ongoing programme of investment and renovation. We have to balance the needs of a modern manufacturing business
with the preservation of an important historical building and have worked in conjunction with the local council to ensure
we retain its essential character.”
Snugpak has been at the forefront of synthetic sleeping bag design technology for the last 30 years and remains a
market leader with new product designs and innovations. Snugpak are proud to be the last company producing low pack
size performance synthetic fill sleeping bags in the United Kingdom and are one of the few left producing insulated cold
weather clothing in Europe. With a dedicated production team at their West Yorkshire factory, Snugpak uses a
combination of state of the art computer controlled quilting machinery and hand sewing techniques to bring ideas to life.
VF Outdoor President
Haglöfs wins two APEX
wins endurance race
awards
These prestigious APEX awards go to the best Polartec-
Topher Gaylord, President of VF Outdoor & Action based garments that will be available to consumers in
Sports International, which comprises The North Autumn 2008. Winners are selected based on the style,
Face, Vans and Reef brands, recently won the function and fit of the garment, as well as the most
EOG launches new look
legendary Nemea-Olympia ultramarathon in innovative and appropriate uses of Polartec fabrics. In
Greece. addition to a Tiffany crystal award and bragging rights for
Organized by the Aethlios International Long a year, winners can participate in a custom hangtag
and website
Distance Running Association, the historic 180km promoting the product at a consumer level and additional With a cleaner fresher look, the new logo replaces the
race is staged every two years, drawing the world’s Polartec marketing support through product placement existing one immediately and provides the European
attention to the ancient games by linking two with media and events. Outdoor Group with a modern, stronger visual
legendary stadia—from the start at the Nemea Swedish manufacturer Haglöfs has been producing representation. To retain continuity and some recognition
stadium to the finish at the Olympia stadium. The high quality outdoor products for over 90 years, and is within the industry the blue of the old logo was retained.
ancient stadium at Olympia is world-renowned as renowned in particular for their innovative use of fabrics, The new website will allow the European Outdoor
the birthplace of the Olympic Games, where the first cleverly using different fabrics to suit the different Group to interact with its members easily and effectively,
Olympic flame was lit in 776 BC, and where it was requirements of the body. Both the Reptile Hood and the providing a single point of contact for everyone working
rekindled at the inception of the modern Olympics Treble Q Hood have been ingeniously designed by Karin within the outdoor sector.
in 1896.“Especially this year, when the Olympic Kinander to provide versatility, both being able to be worn For non-members the new website offers an
Summer Games will soon take place in China, it was as either mid or outer layer. information point and the opportunity to sign up to
powerful and humbling to participate in this Haglöfs' strap line is OUTSTANDING OUTDOOR receive the EOG's newsletter, Outdoor News.
celebration of international friendship and EQUIPMENT, and the fact that they continue to receive Outdoor News is currently printed twice a year but the
cooperation,” commented Gaylord. awards year after year for their products, shows their new website will allow for additional communications
Along the way, the race route followed sites of dedication to this mission. throughout the year.
archaeological and historic significance, highlighting
both the beauty of the Peloponnesian countryside,
as well as the hospitality of its people. Runners were
Polar Challenge 09 invites competitors
given 28 hours to complete the route, with its 3,700
meters of elevation gain. As in ancient times, supply One hundred years ago the North Pole was conquered by American explorers, Robert Peary and Matthew Henson. Or
points were limited to the 19 villages along the route. was it? After both had died, claims were made that they had lost their way and missed the pole by a hundred miles.
Athletes were required to carry water and no In 2009, the organizers of The Peary and Henson Centennial Polar Challenge are inviting participation from
support vehicles or bikes of any kind were American contestants to settle the score.
permitted. International competitors from Europe, Scandinavia, Canada and Australia will be racing 350nm across the frozen
Like the other competitors, Gaylord ran through Arctic ocean, battling temperatures as low as -50C while towing sledges weighing 120kgs. Only two metres of ice will
the dark of night, crossing the finish line in the early separate contestants from seas 4000 meters deep. The Arctic is also home to 80 per cent of the world's polar bears, the
morning with a final time of 17 hours 35 minutes— biggest land predators in the world, and the race route cuts straight through their natural habitat.
a new course record.“This was the longest race I’ve As in previous races, many of the contestants will be racing for charity and will have no prior Arctic experience. What
ever run and my fellow competitors were very they have in common is extraordinary physical stamina, mental endurance and a desire to win.
strong,” said Gaylord.“I was so grateful to have my Full training is provided by the world's Arctic experts in the UK, Austria and Norway and includes shotgun shooting
wife, Kim, cheering me on, and to have the collective to ward off inquisitive polar bears, glacier skiing, GPS navigation, surviving in a tent where everything freezes (including
support of all my friends at The North Face.” Elke your breath) and cold weather injury training.
Streicher, also an athlete for The North Face, took The Peary and Henson Centennial Polar Challenge 2009 is an opportunity for Americans to prove that America had
first place among the women and sixth place overall what it took 100 years ago and still does today in an international centennial race to the top of the world!
with a time of 22 hours 35 minutes. For further information see www.polar-challenge.com or contact Tony or Noel
on +44 (0) 1285 861102. noel@polar-challenge.com
6 JULY 2008
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