In 1994, Kemper Snowboards went kaput after it was sold to an in-line skate company on the East Coast. But former professional snowboarder, Jib Hunt, driven by nostalgia, is resurrecting it.

For Hunt,听43, launching this one-man show is a culmination of his life experience. Hunt grew up skiing and snowboarding at Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway, New Hampshire. The Kemper Rampage was the second snowboard that Hunt owned at 13 years old in 1988鈥攚hen Burton, Kemper, and SIMS were the top three snowboard brands.

After competing in snowboarding through college and graduating with a graphic design degree from Plymouth State University, Hunt spent five years as an apparel designer at Burton in Vermont. Then, Hunt worked for 16 years in New York City and New Jersey as a contract designer for streetwear apparel, launched Virgin Mobile USA, and eventually, ran global marketing for technology companies.

鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to get back to working in the snowboard industry,” Hunt said. “This is the perfect scenario to do everything I like and put it all into one company.”

The brand is already growing. Product is predominantly sold direct-to-consumer online and through key snowboard shops, as well as a pop-up store. Distribution is expanding to Australia and Japan. And for winter 2020-21, the snowboard variations will double to 30 iterations of shapes, graphics, and sizes. OBJ spoke to Hunt, whose lifelong passion of snowboarding and design is apparent, as he enters the inaugural winter with Kemper Snowboards and 15 new takes on the heirloom rides.

What is your mission with relaunching Kemper Snowboards?

The snowboard industry has gone through many changes over the years. The era of snowboarding, during Kemper鈥檚 prime in the late 鈥�80s, was completely associated with fun. The sport wasn鈥檛 mainstream yet. Riders would make their own jumps and quarter pipes by hand. Relaunching Kemper is about bringing back the roots of snowboarding.

I also want to shake up the industry with a comeback brand, retro graphics, and bright neon colors. We want to be one of the big players pushing snowboard construction, shape, technology, and new graphics鈥攊n addition to old graphics. Using photo references and original snowboards, I redrew the graphics of three seasons’ of models from 1988 to 1991.

Who is the quintessential Kemper consumer?

There are two. The brand attracts people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who snowboarded when the brand was first around. There鈥檚 a huge following of collectors, sellers, and buyers of retro, nostalgic snowboards. Multiple Facebook groups have 8,000 to 10,000 people or more per group who collect or sell these boards there or on eBay. That market inspired me to restart this brand from back in the day.

Also, a lot of younger customers are into Kemper because of the retro graphics and uncommon shapes. A lot of companies are creative with shapes that don鈥檛 follow a traditional template. But those younger riders want something different and throwback that makes them stand out. The Kemper Snowboards Flight, for instance, has a unique tail and nose shape, and it鈥檚 the original silhouette of that snowboard.

Why is Park City a good home for Kemper?

I moved here in July. The Wasatch Mountains is home to some of the best snowboarding I鈥檝e ever had. I like the vibe of the people who live in the area and I like the mountain scene.

Being here offers great visibility for the brand. We鈥檙e the only snowboard company based out of Park City. We partnered with Corner Sports Ski & Snowboard Rental Shop, at the base of Park City Mountain Resort, to have a pop-up store within the shop. Everyone walks by the window to get to the chairlift, so it鈥檚 great exposure.

What production, design, and manufacturing resources do you have there?

I do everything right now: graphic designs for the snowboards, website, marketing, production, and sales. The goal is to grow sales and hire additional help.

Our manufacturing is done overseas in China in the GP87 factory, which is owned and run by American snowboarders. The factory has a great reputation. Many brands in the industry have their boards made there, including Weston. The quality control, design, and manufacturing is done by men and women who know snowboarding and are up to date with the latest and greatest in the industry.

What’s your distribution model? Will we see you at Outdoor Retailer?

We sell off of our website, kemper-snowboards.com, and in our Park City pop-up shop directly to consumers. We also sell at retail core snowboard shops such as The Easy Rider in Canada and Invasion Board Shop in Vermont. We also currently work with Moosejaw online in the states. We have a distributor in Australia and we working on expanding in a large Japan retail chain and also core snowboard shops for 20/21.

I will not be at OR, but plan on being at the on-snow SIA demo. We will also be exhibiting at the WWSRA Salt Lake Shows and Utah demo days.

How will Kemper stand out from longstanding snowboard makers like Jones, Burton, and Weston Backcountry?

First, we are aligned with a factory that produces snowboards for some of the top brands. To push the limits, we need great construction and technologies鈥攍ike edge traction, different core and sidewall materials, and carbon integration鈥攑lus fun shapes and graphics that stoke people.

There鈥檚 also an evolution of brand growth. As bigger companies become more mainstream, the core customer of the sport tends to gravitate away and toward smaller, edgier, newer companies. Those riders want to be more one-of-a-kind and not have same product as a larger mass of people on the hill.

The post Kemper Snowboards Returns Just as Retro and Bright as Before appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

We all know the outdoor industry鈥檚 legacy brands: Patagonia, The North Face, Arc鈥檛eryx, Black Diamond. But where are the fresh-faced newcomers destined to become titans?

First, why startups matter: 鈥淚nnovation and industry progression come from the group, not a handful of companies,鈥� said Drew Simmons, founder of PR agency Pale Morning Media. 鈥淓ven the best company with the largest R&D budget can鈥檛 match the innovation from hundreds of brands with small budgets.鈥� Meaning startups fueled by a connection to the outdoors feed the industry鈥檚 success and relevancy.

At Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show in Denver this January, we looked for startups pushing the industry forward. What do they share with legacy brands? Gear obsessions, perfected. And a tireless zeal for sharing innovation with the masses. We predict big things from these 12 nascent brands.

Agency Aspect / outdoor gear with a touch of luxury

You鈥檝e already seen gear designed by Michelle Rose and Liana Delucca Johnson. Before teaming up to launch Agency Aspect and create women鈥檚 bags, both women worked for The North Face. Rose helmed the team behind women鈥檚 outerwear; Johnson focused on backpacks. That experience informs Agency Aspect’s inaugural 鈥渁ctive luxury鈥� bags. The Hybrid Crossbody and larger Messenger鈥攆eatured in the brand鈥檚 current Kickstarter campaign鈥攄eploy 500D Cordura, premium leather, climbing hardware, magnet closures, water-repellant zips, and ergonomic shape for hands-free use. 鈥淭he bags are a hybrid of luxury and performance,鈥� said Rose.

Chill Angel / merino wool PJs promise quality Zzzs

After Betsy Seabert survived breast cancer, doctors prescribed an estrogen blocker that triggered hot flashes every 20 minutes. Each night featured sweat, chills, and scant shuteye. Then Seabert turned in wearing a merino wool base layer she at home in Steamboat, Colorado. Unlike synthetic pajamas, the wool pulled moisture away from her skin and retained warmth when damp. Seabert woke up rested鈥攁nd inspired. She launched Chill Angle merino wool sleepwear in November 2017, drawing on her career in sales with Smartwool and Point6 to source New Zealand merino that鈥檚 cut and sewn in California. The line uses 18.5micron yarn at 200 grams per square meter for a smooth, light feel against skin. 鈥淭he idea is to make your sleep as comfortable as your outdoor activity,鈥� said Seabert.

Coalition SNOW / skis for women who rip

At Coalition Snow鈥檚 booth, skis and snowboards purpose-built for women display common high-performance features: wood cores, ABS sidewalls, sandwich construction, camber underfoot, tip and tail rocker. So, what sets the Reno-Tahoe brand apart? 鈥淭he way we design products is the innovation,鈥� said co-founder Jen Gureki. 鈥淲e see women鈥檚 differences as a strength, not a deficit.鈥� She and co-founder Danielle Rees learned the technical components of ski manufacturing from veteran builders and engineers. Then they built skis from 157 to 180 centimeters long, with torsional stiffness and stiff flex鈥攁ll qualities scarce in women鈥檚 specific models. Shred the patriarchy, indeed.

Cusa Tea / revolutionary brews

Jim Lamancusa carried tea on a 2016 backpacking trip鈥攁nd emerged from his Colorado Rockies sojourn burdened with soggy tea bags. 鈥淭ea absorbs 400 percent of its weight in water,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the only thing heavier to pack out than pack in.鈥� Twelve months and 22 patents later, Lamancusa debuted the world鈥檚 first premium instant tea. Lamancusa鈥檚 method starts with a cold brew of organic tea leaves and real fruit, then uses vacuum dehydration to produce tea crystals. Empty a 1.2-gram sachet into a mug, add 14 ounces of hot or cold water, and your cuppa鈥檚 ready in three seconds.

Fisher + Baker / urban menswear built for outdoor moments

When Greg Horvitz lived in mountain towns, he favored function over style. He wore Gore-Tex to Vail鈥檚 bars; rocked flannel and Carhartts at a Maine office. Then Horvitz moved to Minneapolis. There, he needed sophisticated layers that worked for his daily bike commute. As the industrial designer refined prototypes, he connected with outdoor industry vet Mike Arbeiter. In 2016, they launched Fisher + Baker, a menswear apparel brand that combines classic silhouettes, technical fabrics, and functional tailoring. Consider the Birmingham CPO jacket: Schoeller鈥檚 c_change membrane blocks wind and rain, synthetic insulation adds warmth, and underarm zips provide ventilation. 鈥淓ven in a city, I find little outdoor moments every day,鈥� said Horvitz. 鈥淚 wanted confidence in the elements鈥攁nd style.鈥�

Flowfold / upcycled sailcloth becomes durable gear-haulers

In 2005, Charley Friedman learned to sew sails on the Maine coast at his high school summer job. Then he used mylar and carbon fiber scraps from racing sails to make indestructible, featherlight wallets. Friedman kept stitching as he studied civil engineering. After graduation, he decided to build Flowfold around transforming pre-consumer waste into minimalist, hard-wearing wallets, bags, packs, and duffels. 鈥淚 wanted to figure out how to make money and give back,鈥� said Friedman. 鈥淭he outdoor industry is faster paced than designing roads or building chemical plants.鈥� His company works with fellow Maine brands: Sterling Rope offcuts become dog leashes; L.L.Bean carries exclusive product. And every Flowfold product is made in the USA.

Himali / high-altitude outerwear by seasoned mountaineers

Tendi Sherpa first met Dave Schaeffer in 2014, at base camp in the Argentinian Andes below Aconcagua鈥檚 22,281-foot summit. A year later, the mountaineers launched Himali, an apparel brand dedicated to building layers for brutal high-altitude environments. Tendi, a Nepali IFMGA-certified guide who鈥檚 summited Everest 11 times, brings two decades of experience on 8,000-meter peaks to the design process. Dave is a former REI staffer with a mountaineering habit and a business degree. After a trio of Kickstarters, the duo arrived at OR + SS 2018 with three styles for men and women: an 800-fill, 9.8-ounce down jacket; a waterproof/breathable hardshell; and a stretchy, windproof softshell. Think technical, elegant layers, built to perform from base camp to summit鈥攚ith proceeds supporting Himalayan schools and clean water initiatives.听

NoSo Patches / DIY gear repair gets better

Kelli Jones has skied Wyoming鈥檚 Jackson Hole for 16 years, where the rugged Tetons shred her outerwear. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 not putting duct tape on my $400 puffy jacket,鈥� she said. Instead, the accountant spent nights in her garage with an X-acto knife, fabric swatches, and assorted glues to design a patch that wouldn鈥檛 fray or gum up. Next, she handed out samples in Jackson鈥檚 tram line and raised $15,000 in a 2017 Indiegogo campaign. Today, NoSo Patches offers patch kits ($4.99鈥�$14.99) that pairs a top-secret adhesive with ripstop nylon for foolproof gear repair. Simply open the package, peel off backing, press over a tear, seal with heat. Third-party testing shows Jones鈥檚 product lasts for 50 laundry cycles.

QALO / put an outdoor-proof ring on it

The perfect accessory for your technical flannel? A medical-grade silicone wedding ring. That鈥檚 the basic premise behind Qalo (say it: kay-lo), a California outfit launched in 2012 by Ted Baker and KC Holiday. The friends had each recently married, but metal rings didn鈥檛 suit their active lifestyles. They bet rock climbers wary of avulsion injuries felt the same. Ditto ski patrollers, guides, gym users, or anyone whose daily grind destroys gemstones. 鈥淲hat drives me is people, not what it鈥檚 made of,鈥� said Baker. Worried silicone will succumb to chain grease or scorching desert? Try Q2X, a non-conductive polymer that resists chemicals and tolerates high temperatures. From $20.

reDEW / a new kind of denim

Peter Lantz knows that denim is a dirty business. It鈥檚 also a massive business 鈥攇lobal denim sales top $50 billion each year. He saw this firsthand at H&M and VF, parent corporation to Lee and Wrangler. When he and Anders Haglund teamed up, they decided to make jeans that last, so consumers buy less. 鈥淲e want our base in the outdoors, where people actually care about the environment and the durability and lifecycle of the products they buy,鈥� said Lantz. In reDEW鈥檚 Core Collection (from $150), organic cotton blends with recycled polyester for a durable fabric with 360-degree stretch. The manufacturing process trims water and chemical use by 80 percent and cuts energy draw in half compared to standard practices. Coming soon: reDEW ditches cotton. This summer, reDEW will debut jorts cut from Zero Cotton Fabric, a blend of aspen, pine, and birch fibers from ISKO, a Turkish textile manufacturer that dominates global denim.

Teton Bros听/ apparel for the skin track and the white room

Teton Bros designs herald a new generation of technical apparel in a highly competitive field. But we鈥檙e not talking urban cardio. Founders Nori and Junko Suzuki make backcountry-specific apparel. Nori, once a Spyder distributor in Japan, drew on ski days at home and in the American West to build 鈥渇unctional beauty鈥� into technical garments. That means off-center neck zips to prevent frostbite. Pit zips positioned on the chest for better air flow. And detachable bibs with an offset waist zip that delivers versatility minus cold spots. Plus, Polartec NeoShell, Alpha insulation, and Power Wool, for breathable yet protective layers throughout. Established a decade back in Japan, Teton Bros arrived stateside in 2015.

Weston Snowboards / backcountry-inspired snowboards

Powder. That鈥檚 the first obsession snowboarders Leo Tsuo and Mason Davey shared. And the reason both worked in the Weston Snowboards shop in Minturn, Colorado. When the founder decided to sell in 2016, Tsuo and Davey purchased Weston and partnered up on a second obsession: backcountry-inspired snowboards. 鈥淎dvanced riders aren鈥檛 getting enough at resorts,鈥� said Tsuo. 鈥淭here鈥檚 still stoke to be built.鈥� They replaced the storefront with a mobile showroom. And engineered a 2018/19 splitboard line with hole-less bases鈥攎eaning smooth bases without visible hardware, a standard feature among top brands鈥攆or better glide and durability. Coming in 2019/20: a swallowtail split with weighted tails for user-friendly kick turns.

The post Founded on Obsession: 12 Startups That Could Be Outdoor鈥檚 Next Legacy Brands appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.