For over 150 years, Leadville, Colorado has seen both the boom and bust times that often occurs with mining towns. With the last of the big mines closing in the 1980s, it seemed as if Leadville might just fade away into the history books. A few citizens were not about to let that happen and numerous high altitude sporting events and festivals were born to bring in outside tourist dollars. Along with tourist dollars that started to flow into the economy, other businesses started to appear. One unique business is the outdoor clothing company, Melanzana. Continue reading Made in America: Melanzana Outdoor Clothing
Category: Outdoors
Fitness Healing the Arizona Economy
There is no denying that getting out and doing some hiking, biking or running is good for the body – but according a recent study from economic consultants Brigitte Bavousett and Gerald O’Neill Jr. fitness can be even better for the economy. The pair prepared a study, titled “Sustainable Economic Benefits of Human-Powered Recreation to the State of Arizona,” and found that the “human-powered” outdoor recreation industry produces $5.3 billion in annual retail sales and generates nearly $471 million in state tax revenues.
The study concluded that 86,000 jobs were directly created from the fitness sector, while 100,000 jobs were indirectly created. The economic consultants even noted that closing state and national parks actually had a negative impact on economic recovery. The thinking hers is that keeping parks open encourages people to use them, and thus buy new products, which puts people back to work.
Meanwhile, Arizona’s neighbor to the west, California, is looking to close state parks to save money. Maybe the new governor should hire these consultants so residents in the Golden State don’t go without those parks.
[Via Arizona Daily Star: Hikers, mountain bikers, climbers boost economy]
GPS Meets Two-Way Radios
It was only a matter of time before two-way radios became location aware. Garmin just released the Rino series, a line of three two-way radios with integrated GPS. The Rino 610, 650, 655t have different levels of features, and all three models operate with up to a 20-mile communication range.
With each of the three models you can send your exact location coordinates. Other Rino users will see the location pop up on their map page. Once two radios are paired, you’ll be able to see your friend, or at least the radio, on the map. This helps when someone is in a location where the radio can’t get a signal for voice communication. You can also send unit-to-unit text messages between radios. This feature is ideal for windy conditions where it’s hard to hear, or if you need to be quiet and not disturb wildlife. While you don’t get the benefits of viewable location, the Rino radios are compatible with conventional FRS/GMRS radios, so you can use them to communicate with park rangers or other two-way radio users in the area.
The Rino 650 and 655t include a built-in NOAA weather radio to warn you of hazardous weather approaching. The radio supports Specific Area Message Encoding, which lets you access National Weather Service warnings and watches displayed county-by-county on the map. The Rino 655t has a built-in 5-megapixel autofocus camera so you can take and store pictures of your outing.
All three Rino models have high-sensitivity GPS receiver with HotFix, a feature that automatically calculates and stores critical satellite information and can use that to calculate a position for you. The devices have multiple profiles such as marine, recreational and automotive so the Rino radio can be customized to your activity.
Expect to see the Rino devices at retail in Q3. The 610 will retail for $349; the 650 for $499.99 and the 655t for $599.99.
Garmin blog
Garmin Rino
Bad Week for Board Riders
This hasn’t been a banner week for skateboarding. The northern Utah city of Richmond is considering banning skateboards on city streets. There have been complaints that skateboarders ride in the middle of streets, but one city councilman reportedly expressed concerns that the boarders threatened the safety of pedestrians, especially children.
Won’t someone think of the child? But seriously, how is it that the boards are threatening children – are the kids walking in the middle of the streets as well? It would seem that skateboarding on the sidewalk would threaten the safety of pedestrians.
Meanwhile, ESPN has announced that it has eliminated women’s vert skateboarding form the program at this July’s X Games in Los Angeles. This event reportedly struggled to sustain a viable competitive tour, and the X Games was the only remaining major competition.
On the plus side women’s street skating will remain a part of the X Games program.
Wearable Computer
Over the years technology designed for the battlefield has made its way to the commercial sector. The latest device that might just turn heads is Black Diamond Advanced Technology’s MTS (Modular Tactical System) wearable ultra-rugged PC. This new system is available as a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) system, where parts can be mixed and matched as needed. The system has been tested in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, and was optimized for dismounted use with command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR for those in the know).
The system essentially places the MTS computer right on the wearer’s chest in the backpack. While based on COTS, this doesn’t mean that it is actually commercially available right now. However, we already see the potential for civilian applications. Who wouldn’t want to wear their rugged computer? Continue reading Wearable Computer
GolfBuddy Gets Worldly
Just in time to hit the links, GolfBuddy has gone global of sorts. The Golf GPS that carries no added fees has just launched with an international World model. GolfBuddy World comes pre-loaded with more than 33,000 courses and still does not require any subscription fees or download fees. It is ready to hit the fairway right out of the box.
The GPS device has the capacity to hold 40,000 courses in its internal memory, while offering a high resolution, color touch screen that is easy to navigate without or without golf gloves. It features an anti-glare screen that makes it remain visible, even in direct sunlight. The device offers a digital scorecard, statistical analysis, a shock and water resistant casing and 50 channel satellite reception. Continue reading GolfBuddy Gets Worldly
Slackers Walk the Line
Tightrope walking has been around for thousands of years as a form of entertainment and amusement. In recent years, a new form of walking on a taunt rope has developed – slackline. Rock climbers used to walk on the cables and chains used by the National Park Service to stop the flow of traffic on trails or roads in the parks. This cable/chain walking provided the climbers with practice balancing and building of core strength when they were no on a rock face. In the 1980s two climbers, Adam Grosowsky and Jeff Ellington, who frequented Yosemite National Park started stringing the webbing used in climbing as their ‘rope’ to practice their balancing skills. With Yosemite being filled with climbers, the sport caught on like wildfire.
(Set up video after the jump)
Wiley X Eyewear Remembers America’s Soldiers Who Gave Their All
Today Wiley X Eyewear encourages everyone to remember our soldiers who gave their all, and so much more. The company, which has a long tradition of providing U.S. soldiers with state-of-the-art eyewear that protects their vision in combat situations and in the world’s harshest environments, offers a special thanks to the troops.
“With Memorial Day marking the unofficial kickoff to summer and many families taking the opportunity to get away for an extended weekend, it’s easy to forget the true meaning of this holiday,” said Myles Freeman, Jr., Co-Owner of Wiley X Eyewear. “Memorial Day is a time for Americans to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice so many have made over our great nation’s history. On behalf of the Wiley X family, I encourage people to pause during this holiday and really think about the gift we’ve all been given — as well as its tremendous cost. If you meet a veteran or a solider this weekend, make sure to say ‘thank you!’ We need to truly appreciate our fallen heroes and our standing soldiers alike.”
True words from a class act.
Sun Powered Golf Carts
Golf courses are designed to actually offer little in the way of shade, which is what you’d expect with the fairway and the green. But it is also means that solar power should be a no brainer.
Apparently Coconut Creek-based SolarCarts has seen that solar power is a bright idea for the transportation used on the golf courses. The company is the designer and manufacturer of solar energy retrofits for golf cars, and this week announced the launch of The Sun Eagle, a solar roof that transforms electric golf carts into solar-powered hybrid carts. Continue reading Sun Powered Golf Carts
SensoGlove Partners With Golf Schools and PGA Instructors
A year ago we had just heard about SensoGlove, and this week Sensolutions, the maker of innovative IT systems for sports analysis, motion and performance measurement has announced that it has partnered with 20 golf schools and PGA professional instructors across the world to glove up.
The SensoGlove, the world’s first digital golf glove, will be used as a training tool to help correct the dreaded golf club “death grip” and help get golfers attuned to making more accurate and powerful golf swings.
“Many of the students we teach at our golf school struggle with grip pressure. More than 90 percent of our students grip the club too tight,” said Mark Durland, Director of Instructions at Naples Grande Golf Club, Naples, FL. “Until now, it has been a challenge to communicate proper grip pressure to a student. SensoGlove gives the student immediate feedback and creates a feeling of the proper grip pressure. I recommend SensoGlove to any student.” Continue reading SensoGlove Partners With Golf Schools and PGA Instructors
Saving (Race) Face
The Canadian manufacturer, Race Face Performance Products, emerged from receivership less than two months after the future of the iconic brand was thrown into uncertainty.It was announced on March 12, 2011, that after 18 years of business, Race Face would be entering receivership with many accusations circling of mismanagement by the then CEO, Craig Pollack.
The Race Face website remained unchanged, but their products started cropping up all over the internet retailers in the clearance and ‘specials’ pages. It seemed from the outside that it was the end for Race Face or worse – it would be sold to a company who then produce all of the products overseas… see Control Tech, American Classic, Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, etc. Continue reading Saving (Race) Face
Polar Tour’s France
This week Polar USA announced that it is taking a “Yellow is Everything” attitude, and has announced the release of the CS500 Tour de France, the official Tour de France training computer. The granddaddy of cycling events kicks off in just a month and a half, and now you can give it your best and try to ride like the very best in cycling.
The device features an aerodynamic diamond shape and yellow accents, as the the CS500 Tour de France is designed for event riders who want to improve their fitness at the competitive level through highly effective training guidance. The CS500 Tour de France features twice as much memory than the original, and offers compatibility with the forthcoming Polar LOOK Keo Power pedals, the world’s first pedal-based system for measuring power output and cadence. Continue reading Polar Tour’s France
Possessed to Skate
There are a fair amount of cities and towns around the country, that along with building recreation centers, community pools, amphitheaters and ball fields, have built skateparks. Often these skateparks are proposed with all of the other options a community can choose to fund; but it is not uncommon to find that a community has to pick and choose based on finances or space.
Skateparks are usually subject to harsh and often unfounded criticism based on stereotypes that may or may not be true and can ultimately lead to a skatepark being unfairly passed over as an option. At Kinetic Shift, a few of us have skated in the past and feel that it is better to have our kids out actively skating than to sit in front of the TV playing video games all day. A community park allows our kids to have a safe place, away from our streets and business staircases, to skateboard and ultimately get some exercise. Continue reading Possessed to Skate