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NORTHERN UTAH -- Utah's largest annual convention, the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, gets underway Tuesday. As always, companies large and small are coming up with new gear that they hope takes off.
At the Salt Palace Convention Center, over 1,000 retailers will show off their gear that's lighter, more waterproof and more innovative than ever.
In the mountains of Wasatch County Monday, KSL got a sneak peek of the latest and greatest.
At the Outdoor Retailer's Open Air Demo at Jordanelle Reservoir, visitors unleashed their inner athlete by land and by sea.
- 4-day convention (Aug. 3-6)
- More than 21,000 manufacturers, retailers and suppliers
- Generates over $19.4 million in direct economic impact to Salt Lake and the state of Utah
For those who are simply over the health club thing, there's the StreetStrider, which is like a stair climber machine on a bicycle.
"A Stairmaster, if you will, the elliptical trainer in the gym," said Kevin Miller with StreetStrider International. "But essentially we've taken the gym outdoors. You're getting that full-body workout but you're using your weight as resistance and you're engaging the core as well, so you're exercising all muscle groups at the same time."
Columbia Sportswear Company is showing a new kind of clothing with chrysanthemum-based "insect shield."
"It's actually made into the fibers itself and into the fabric and very resilient over time, so it keeps bugs at bay and is still 90 percent after 70 washes," said Jeff Kendall with Columbia.
If you want to take your iPhone everywhere, including underwater, try the ultra-waterproof DryCASE from Dry Corp.
One of the hottest trends sweeping the nation is standup paddling. Explains Mark Johnson with Hobie Standup Paddleboards, "It's just another way of enjoying the beautiful weather on the water. It's a way to get in the elements. The sport is exploding across the country, all the manufacturers here are just trying to keep up with demand. It's a cross-country phenomenon."
The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market begins Tuesday at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City. It is closed to the public.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
