Working with the Gear Fund Collective, SCARPA effort aims to help provide gear to help broaden participation in outdoor sports.
BOULDER, Colo. (July 29, 2021) – At the upcoming Big Gear Show in Park City, Utah, SCARPA, manufacturer of high-performance footwear for mountain sports, will contribute to an effort to help distribute high-quality used outdoor equipment to athletes among historically marginalized communities.
During the show, SCARPA will provide and promote a dropoff location for used equipment, lending a hand to The Gear Fund Collective, an organization that collects used gear from the outdoor community in an effort to help eradicate financial barriers that prevent people in historically marginalized communities from taking part in outdoor sports.
Access to affordable outdoor equipment and apparel is often a barrier for many, although it’s just one piece of the puzzle in helping make the outdoors a more inclusive and accessible space, according to Melanie Hood, Marketing Manager at SCARPA North America. Easy access to typically expensive gear, climbing shoes or ski equipment, for example, could be the difference between someone picking up a new sport or avoiding it altogether, she said. Redistribution of lightly used or new apparel and hardgoods is also better for the environment and helps prevent waste.
“SCARPA Athlete Marina Inoue was a key figure in the creation of this gear collective and SCARPA just wanted to help,” Hood said. “SCARPA has spent the better part of the last year spearheading the SCARPA Athlete Mentorship Initiative that is designed to help create more access, support and opportunity for outdoor athletes from historically marginalized communities. We understand that there are so many factors involved when approaching such an important area, and we’re committed to supporting growing outdoor participation to the best of our ability in every way that we can. We have been able to pass along some SCARPA gear to the fund, and we’re hopeful that the Outdoor Industry community will join us in doing the same in Park City.”
SCARPA’s booth number is 527, and The Big Gear Show will take place from Tuesday August 3rd to Thursday August 5th, 2021.
About SCARPA and SCARPA North America
Founded in 1938, SCARPA builds performance footwear for climbing, hiking, skiing, mountaineering, trail running and other outdoor pursuits from its headquarters in Asolo, Italy. SCARPA has been owned and operated by the Parisotto family since 1956. In 2005, SCARPA opened its North American headquarters in Boulder, Colo., staffed and directed by veterans of the North American outdoor industry, to oversee sales, marketing and distribution in the U.S., Canada and South America. For more information about SCARPA footwear, visit www.scarpa.com.
