PARK CITY, Utah (Dec. 7, 2023) — Backcountry, the leading specialty retailer for outdoor gear and apparel, renews its long-term partnership with Utah Avalanche Center (UAC), an organization known nationally for its ‘Know Before You Go” program. The announcement coincides with the fifth annual Avalanche Awareness Week, established to promote avalanche rescue skills ahead of the snow sports season. This partnership dovetails Backcountry’s gear expertise with UAC’s educational expertise to help individuals be safer in the backcountry this winter.
“Backcountry’s heritage in avalanche safety traces back to 1996 when we made our first online sale with the purchase of an avalanche beacon,” says Colby Black, Backcountry CPO. “Our commitment to safety is in our DNA and we’re privileged to work with a renowned organization like UAC to empower the broader outdoor community with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions and enjoy the backcountry responsibly.”
Content creation will be a pivotal part of the Backcountry and UAC partnership, which will leverage Backcountry’s channels and build upon its library of videos that educate consumers on choosing the right gear before heading into the backcountry. UAC’s educational authority on practices in the outdoors paired with Backcountry’s knowledge of the right gear and offering will help produce a half dozen long- and short-form videos accessible across various channels. Backcountry will dedicate an episode of The Backcountry Podcast to avalanche safety and the UAC partnership, while additional videos will be published on its website, YouTube channel, and various social media platforms, covering topics such as “know before you go,” avalanche safety drills, how to pack your bag and more.
“Whether backcountry skiing or hiking a local mountain, avalanche awareness is critical,” says Chad Brackelsberg, UAC executive director. “Avalanches claim an average of 27 lives each year in the United States. In an effort to slash this statistic, it’s our job to partner with passionate organizations, like Backcountry, that align with our values and can help amplify our voice. We’re excited to extend our partnership and create new, premium content that can help better promote avalanche awareness and education to help people come home safely each day they are in the mountains.”
Proper education paired with the right equipment will best prepare outdoor enthusiasts for mountain excursions. Backcountry is home to hundreds of premium brand partners that offer the newest technology and top-of-the-line avalanche equipment, including shovels, probes, beacons, and airbags. Backcountry, along with its team of Gearhead experts, is equipped to help customers find the avalanche safety gear best suited for their individual needs. For more of Backcountry’s full assortment, visit backcountry.com/avalanche-safety. For media inquiries and all other questions, please email Kevin McCormack at kevin.mccormack@rygr.us.
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About Backcountry
From the one-on-one expertise of Backcountry Gearheads to its epic selection of the best in both style and performance, Backcountry has been a leading outdoor retailer since 1996. Dialing in your gear closet, exploring your backcountry, recharging with après—Backcountry elevates the entire outdoor experience. In 2018, Backcountry began building its own Gearhead-inspired products; the fast-growing Built By Backcountry ski, bike, climb, hike, fly fish, and après lines include collabs with trusted brands like GORE-TEX, Pertex, and ALLIED Down. After 27 years as a successful online retailer, Backcountry opened its first brick and mortar location in Park City, UT and has since expanded its retail footprint to include nine stores from coast to coast, offering a seamless omnichannel experience for its consumers.
About Utah Avalanche Center
The Utah Avalanche Center exists to keep people on top of The Greatest Snow On Earth® by providing avalanche forecasting, education, and awareness throughout the state of Utah in collaboration with the US Forest Service. The nonprofit Utah Avalanche Center partners with the US Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center to provide avalanche forecasting, education, and awareness in Utah. The nonprofit Utah Avalanche Center was formed in 1990 to help bridge the gap between the available funding and actual expenses of operating an avalanche center and to protect the program from year-to-year Forest Service funding fluctuation. Today, the UAC is responsible for all avalanche awareness and education in Utah, as well as funding and strategic management of the partnership. About 80% of the total program funding is raised through the non-profit UAC, with the remainder coming from the Forest Service, State of Utah, and Salt Lake County directly to pay Forest Service partner expenses.
