Every week, we bring you five gear-related stories, from all over, that you won’t want to miss. Here are this week’s highlights:
Putty in Skis? A College Dropout’s Innovation
The Burlington Free Press reported yesterday on the latest innovation potentially “on the cusp of taking the ski industry by storm”—a non-Newtonian putty-like substance that “instantly stiffens into rock-like hardness” upon impact. After learning about this material in a classroom at Clarkson University, Cyrus Schenck, now 24, dropped out of college to develop skis that incorporate the material.
His company, Renoun, recently won a gold prize at an international trade show in Munich, Germany. Its skis, which retail for $1,099, are available online now and will start retailing in brick-and-mortar this fall at Outdoor Gear Exchange in Burlington, Vermont.
Get Paid to Ride Your Bike
As reported by Bicycle Retailer this week, the online retailer CompetitiveCyclist.com is offering Strava users a chance to earn up to $40 a month in store credit. Thanks to a new promotion titled “You Ride. We Pay”, you can link up your Strava account with your store account and earn $1 for every hour of riding you record.
“Strava at its core is about motivating athletes,” says David Lorsh, Strava’s VP of strategy and business development. “This is one more way we’re extending the power of Strava’s community to motivate athletes and help them improve.”
Happy riding and earning!
Or Earn $20,000 to Play Outside
In other get-paid-to-play news, gear company Woods Canada is looking to hire two “Woods Explorers”—a five-month dream gig this summer that entails exploring the Trans Canada Trail’s some 17,000 kilometers of trails and “producing compelling content” about the journey. Hiking, climbing, paddling, portaging and swimming are all part of the job description.
Other perks, in addition to the $20,000 salary, include: a $2,000 bonus for completion, all travel costs, accommodations, Woods branded apparel and a $300 weekly per diem to cover food, beverage and miscellaneous costs.
Ready to apply? The deadline is April 17.
A BBQ Grill That Fits in Your Backpack
Gizmag.com has the scoop on a brand new portable grill from GoBQ. Riffing off of foldable tents and chairs, the frame of the GoBQ is made of foldable, heat-resistant fabric. It purportedly cools twice as fast as metal for quicker pack-up and transport home. Gizmag points out that it isn’t necessarily the first light, packable grill, but it’s perhaps the best portable approximation of traditional charcoal kettle grills.
After successfully raising more than $30,000 on the crowd-funding site IndieGoGo, founders Eric Goeken and Todd Zaroban promise to begin shipping product in August.
Boulder Gear Store Caters to Glampers
5280 magazine profiled a brick-and-mortar Boulder gear shop, Grasshaven Outdoor, highlighting its focus on the glamping crowd. Think bright, decorative dishware, glow-in-the-dark bocce balls, and colorful pop-up tents.
“Don’t come to the store seeking super technical gear for your Himalayan trek,” states the article. “If you want a tent that has no poles and goes up in 60 seconds or if you’re in the market for a $1,400 handmade tepee, then Grasshaven’s the store for you.”
Grasshaven is run by Dawn Bitz, the daughter of a serial small-business entrepreneur. Always clad in heels and frequently compared to Martha Stewart, Bitz left the corporate world behind to launch Grasshaven in January 2013.
