Outdoor Retailer honors the outdoor community’s most inspiring individuals

Outdoor Retailer honors the outdoor community’s most inspiring individuals

(Cara MacDonald, KSL.com)


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DENVER — Outdoor Retailer attendees and prominent members of the outdoor recreation community gathered at the Hyatt Regency hotel Tuesday night to see some of the most inspiring members of their community receive awards for work in getting others into the outdoors.

“We’ve really been looking forward to celebrating the work you all do,” Marisa Nicholson, Outdoor Retailer vice president and show director, told the audience. “This is our night to recognize the people, brands and organizations making an impact.”

The Inspiration Awards were given out in several categories, including one each recognizing an individual, a manufacturer, a retailer, a nonprofit and a person under the age of 18, and two awards recognizing the lifetime achievements of a couple of prominent individuals.

The race was tight, with three finalists in each primary category. The results are as follows:

The Inspiration Awards; Photo by Cara MacDonald, KSL.com
The Inspiration Awards; Photo by Cara MacDonald, KSL.com

Nominees for most inspiring individual:

Jenny Bruso with Unlikely Hikers: Bruso started Unlikely Hikers to promote change, demonstrate the healing power of nature, and put a spotlight on diversity and inclusion in the outdoors, according to the Inspration Awards website. She has inspired thousands to enjoy nature in an accepting and safe environment.

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, filmmakers: These two award-winning filmmakers created "Free Solo," a hit movie documenting free solo climber Alex Honnold’s ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any safety equipment. Together, they open the outdoor journey to a diverse audience and seek to document the lives of incredible individuals in the outdoor community, according to the Inspiration Awards.

Elyse Walker, hiker and explorer: A thru-hiker and explorer, Elyse Walker is the first African American woman to complete the three major wilderness trails in the United States: the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, according to the Inspiration Awards.

Winner: Jenny Bruso

Nominees for the most inspiring manufacturer:

The inspiration award for the most inspiring manufacturer is for businesses that seek to inspire others through socially and environmentally responsible products geared toward the outdoor industry, the Inspiration Awards said.

Costa Sunglasses: Costa Sunglasses began its kick-plastic initiative in 2015 to encourage a departure from plastic in the creation of popular sunglasses, and in general. It creates high-quality sunglasses that don’t pollute the world’s oceans and other bodies of water.

Sawyer Products: This company is dedicated to offering effective and reliable items for outdoor production. It has created some of the best water treatment systems, sunscreens, insect repellents and first-aid kits. Sawyer Products has also been delivering clean water solutions to some of the most remote regions on the earth.

Vericool, Inc: Vericool has a two-part mission. It wants to end the use of styrofoam and hire people who have been incarcerated in the past to help them get their lives back on track. It has created an original, sustainable cooler made of biodegradable materials to replace styrofoam-based options. Vericool has a mission to end the use of styrofoam while inspiring previously troubled individuals to turn their lives around.

Winner: Vericool, Inc

Nominees for the most inspiring retailer:

Alpine Shop in Kirkwood, Missouri: Alpine Shop lives by the vision that generations are transformed through discovering the outdoors. It seeks to get people into nature in the heart of the midwest.

Arrive: Arrive’s founders seek to create a world in which outdoor recreation can be experienced sustainably. They partner directly with high-end brands and provide consumers with the option of renting premium gear and having it delivered to their location anywhere in the United States.

Title Nine: Title Nine is the largest female-owned independent specialty retailer in North America. It is committed to supporting women and youth through grants, business development and community outreach.

Winner: Arrive

Nominees for the most inspiring nonprofit:

City Kids Wilderness Project: Based in Washington D.C., City Kids connects urban youth to the outdoors through a seven-year program. In the last three years, 100% of participants in the program have graduated from high school, compared to D.C.’s 69% average graduation rate.

Lincoln Hills Cares: Since 2009, Lincoln Hills Cares has taken urban children and teenagers who wouldn’t otherwise have opportunities to get outside into nature for education and fun.

Women’s Wilderness: This nonprofit shares the gift of the wilderness with people of all backgrounds, and in particular women. It helps participants learn about travel, the outdoors and other valuable skills.

Winner: City Kids

Nominees for the most inspiring youth:

Trevor Burke: Burke has been working to restore the nearly extinct Blackland Prairie in his area, which he was inspired to do when he realized that only 0.01% of the original prairie remained in the world, according to the Inspiration Awards. He has focused his efforts on increasing awareness of the endangered lands, planting seeds, removing invasive species and reintroducing Northern Bobwhite Quail.

Joseph Goldstein: Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Goldstein tried to use his Make-A-Wish gift toward activism to protect the Boundary Waters, the Inspiration Awards said, but the foundation found it too political and didn't grant the wish. That did not stop Goldstein, though. He founded Kids for the Boundary Waters and is working to spread the word through documentaries and social media.

August Randazzo: Randazzo has done a large quantity of volunteering and conservation work near his home in Pennsylvania, according to the Inspiration Awards. He has been honored for his efforts by the state and his community.

Winner: Joseph Goldstein

Lifetime achievement award: Larry Burke and Greg Thomsen

Two prominent members of the outdoor recreation community were honored with lifetime achievement awards this year: longtime friends and prominent businessmen, as well as world travelers, Larry Burke and Greg Thomsen.

Larry Burke is the founder, chairman and editor in chief of Outside Integrated Media, which encompasses Outside Magazine, Outside Online and more. Burke started the magazine after five years of traveling the world, during which time he had wished there was a platform in which he could have shared stories from his adventures.

“Part of his formula was helping people live a balance between their work and outdoor lives,” Scott Parmelee, executive vice president and chief revenue officer for Outside said as he introduced Burke. “He continues to set an example of what it means to lead an active life.”

Burke, after accepting his own award, went on to introduce Greg Thomsen, who has revolutionized the outdoor recreation equipment industry with his designs and ideas. Thomsen currently is the managing director of Adidas Outdoors, but prior to that he founded Wilderness Experience and created designs for Nike, JanSport, Adidas and more. He and his brother helped create the first Gore Tex jackets, the first backpacks with frames, and the first dome tents through Wilderness Experience, according to the Inspiration Awards.

“No one is more deserving of the lifetime achievement award than Greg Thomsen,” Burke said.

The Inspiration Awards; Photo by Cara MacDonald, KSL.com
The Inspiration Awards; Photo by Cara MacDonald, KSL.com

The Inspiration Awards, which celebrated its eighth year in operation this summer, hopes that the event will help inspire even more individuals, businesses and organizations to seek to inspire others.

“(They’re) creating new opportunities for recreation and encouraging people to enjoy the spaces we all love,” Nicholson concluded. “We are all so fortunate to be part of a remarkable community of advocates.”

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Cara MacDonald enjoys both engaging in outdoor recreation and writing about it. Born and raised in Utah, Cara enjoys skiing, rock climbing, hiking and camping. She is passionate about both learning about and experiencing the outdoors, and helping others to learn about and explore nature. She primarily writes Outdoors articles centering around wildlife and nature, highlighting adventure opportunities, and sharing tips and tricks for outdoor recreation.

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