S09 OR Show – The People
As usual, I started out thinking that I’d only go to a bit of the OR Show in nearby Salt Lake City and ended up going to almost all four days. The purpose of the OR Show is to give manufacturers (Mountain Hardwear, Black Diamond, etc.) a chance to show their latest gear to buyers (REI, Wasatch Touring, etc.). None of the gear is really for sale right at the show, but it gives buyers a chance to go back to their shops and decided how they are going to allocate their budget for the upcoming season. There are two shows per year – summer and winter. The summer show concentrates on climbing and the winter one on skiing.
When I first started going to these shows almost twenty years ago, I was all about checking out every single booth for the latest in gear. Nowadays, I tend to wander around, check out the gear, look in the remote corners (this is where a lot of the cooler, up & coming companies are) and catch up with friends. While gear drives the outdoor industry and is the main reason for the show, the sports themselves are all about the people you meet and adventures you have with them. I’d rather have great partners and crappy gear than crappy partners and great gear. Ideally, you have the best of both.
The temple with the outdoor goods...
... takes place right across the street from another well known temple. I don't think these guys were going to the OR Show.
I knew Max Lowe (left) when he was two years old. Kris Erickson (center) has skied off an 8,000m peak and been a good friend for many years.
Conrad Anker showing the #512 Rite-in-the-Rain Expedition Journal he helped design.
A detailed topo of Conrad's latest adventure.
John Griber works his charms on the poor cupcake girl.
Kate kicking some Utilikilt ass for not making them small enough for her size. Don't piss this woman off.
Alison Osius holding Stella. Alison is the Executive Editor of Rock & Ice Magazine and also happened to be the instructor for a beginning rock climbing class I took in 1984. If someone had told me then that 25 years later she would be holding my newborn daughter in a convention center in Salt Lake City, I wouldn't have believed it.
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Category: Trip Reports
