REI, Patagonia, and More Will Boycott Outdoor Retailer if Returned to Utah
Outdoor Retailer, the huge, twice-annual trade show that once called Utah home, is considering a move back to Salt Lake City. The show has spent the last four years in Denver after Utah leaders campaigned to reverse the Bears Ears National Monument designation. But big outdoor brands led by the Conservation Alliance like Patagonia, The North Face, and REI are threatening to boycott if the show moves back to Utah.
According to KSL.com, The Conservation Alliance, comprised of more than 270 companies, said in a news release that Emerald X, the publicly traded company that owns Outdoor Retailer, is considering moving the show despite widespread industry objections. Salt Lake City is on the short list.
Last September, Utah Governor Cox released a video asking the trade show to come back to Utah.
Patagonia CEO, Ryan Gellert, has not been swayed, writing in a press release:
“For decades, Patagonia has worked in solidarity with Indigenous communities, local activists, outdoor athletes, and businesses in Utah. We love the state and its spectacular cultural and natural landscapes. We were thrilled when President Biden restored the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante … and we will oppose any effort to undermine their protection. Our position on the location of the Outdoor Retailer trade show remains clear and unchanged. The show belongs in a state whose top officials value and seek to protect public lands.”
Multiple Fatalities at Utah Ski Resorts
February has been a deadly month at Utah ski resorts as here have been three in-bounds fatalities. Solitude, Alta, and Snowbasin have all reported skiers losing their lives on the slopes.
Prominent Doctor Killed at Solitude
Dr. Andrew Gagnon, 38, lost his life at Solitude Mountain resort on February 4th. He had been skiing with his wife before going off alone to expert-only terrain on Evergreen Peak. According to KSL.com, witnesses on a chair lift saw him go off a 100-foot cliff, then continue to tumble down a steep slope through rocks and trees for another 500 to 600 feet.
According to the Unified Police Department, Gagnon fell while skiing Ortovox Chute and slid off a cliff. He was wearing a helmet, according to a statement from the ski resort.
Rescuers were able to get Gagnon off the mountain and crews from the Unified Fire Authority attempted life-saving efforts, but he was pronounced dead just before 12:40 p.m., according to police.
According to a joint statement from Intermountain Healthcare and Canyon Surgical Associates, Gagnon was a transplant surgeon.
Teenager Loses Life at Alta
Tragic news from Alta, as a 14-year-old skier was killed after he collided with another skier. According to KSL.com, the boy was skiing in the Sugarloaf zone just before 10 a.m. Monday when the collision occurred. According to a statement released by the Alta Marshal’s Office, the teen was unconscious when emergency personnel reached him. He was flown to Primary Children’s Hospital where he died from his injuries.
Fatality at Snowbasin Makes Three Skiers Killed in Two Weeks
On February 11th, a 35-year-old man was killed in a skiing accident at Snowbasin Resort.
KSL.com reports the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday that the man, whose name has not yet been released, was skiing with friends about 3 p.m. Friday when he had a collision on the mountain. The Ogden Standard Examiner reported that the man crashed into a weather station near a tree.