SEATTLE, Wash. – During the last few years, Outdoor Research, a leading independent manufacturer of outdoor apparel and accessories, has rapidly grown its commitment to product designed specifically for sidecountry skiing and riding. This winter, OR will continue to raise awareness around the depth of its Sidecountry collection – and help recruit new regional athletes in the process – by putting three of its top snow athletes on the road for a free-wheeling adventure called Sidecountry Sessions, a modern take on every ski bum’s dream.
Skiers Zack Giffin and Molly Baker, along with splitboarder Neil Provo, will travel around the western U.S. and Canada this winter, hunting for powder, exploring the sidecountry at resorts along the way, finding new Outdoor Research grassroots team athletes, posting video dispatches and generally spreading the sidecountry stoke along the way. They’ll be following the true ski-bum spirit by living out of a self-built, bohemian-inspired, 112-square-foot ‘tiny home’ on wheels that they’ll be hauling behind a bio-diesel-powered Ford F350.
The three hit the road the week of Dec. 5. Their first stop was Powder Magazine’s 40th anniversary party in Sun Valley this past weekend. Next stop? Hard to say … where’s it snowing?
“Lots of companies organize road trips for ski shoots, but I haven’t seen anything as original as Sidecountry Sessions,” said Provo, who is Outdoor Research’s newest sidecountry athlete, and joined the OR team this fall. “It’s the dream set-up for every serious skier and snowboarder – simple living with only the essentials: friends, food, clothing, shelter and powder! This tour will hopefully inspire others to appreciate the simple things in life.”
Baker said she hopes the tour helps inspire others to follow their dreams.
“In many ways this feels like the most worthy project I have ever been a part of, since it combines so many aspects of my personality – gypsy, ski-loving, travel aficionado, wanting to live a conscientious and minimalist life,” Baker said. “It's the kind of life that people dream of, but making the final jump into it whole-heartedly is intimidating. Hopefully we show people that they can do it and that it might make for the best season of their life.”
Giffin, Baker and Provo will be on the road into February 2012, following the snow, and making a few scheduled stops at the Outdoor Retailer and SIA shows, and also at Outdoor Research’s VertFest Feb. 18-19, 2012, at Alpental ski area, east of Seattle. Follow their adventures over the next couple of months at outdoorresearch.com/scsessions.