Archive for the 'Events' Category

A great kickoff to the 2010 Good Life photo contest

Winning the Gregory Drift with 90 votes, Ayelet Niv’s photo, shot on the Israeli National Trail with her Gregory Electra, places first in January’s Good Life photo contest.

The winning snapshot resulted from a few too many minutes of shut-eye, one too many granola bars and, unfortunately, a hike down a crater in the dark. Ayelet Niv and her fellow backpackers ended up a little behind on their trek from the Red Sea to the Syrian/Lebanese border due to a extended lunch and nap break, which forced them to finish their long trek in the dark. Thankfully they completed the journey safely despite the minor setback and Ayelet was able to share this amazing photo with the Good Life community.

If you think you have the next Good Life photo winner, post it on our website for the chance to win a Muir 24 or Imlay daypacks shown below.

Published
by
Lauren
 on February 5, 2010
 in Adventure travel, Events, Gregory world and Share Your Story
. 0 Comments

What do you get when you combine RSN TV with Outside Magazine?

The most badass channel on the tube!

…and yet another resource to keep you in the know about outdoor lifestyle as well as offer local advice for what to do in resort towns.

On June 1, 2010, Resort Sports Network TV will debut as Outside Televsion Network, reaching RSN’s previous 61 million viewers annually.

The rebranding is the result of a partnership between RSN TV and Outside Magazine, which will reach outdoor enthusiasts across all mediums, including print, broadcast, and digital. Outside plans to complement RSN’s traditional coverage on resort towns with content like ‘Best Towns,’ ‘Best Jobs,’ and ‘Best Gear’ (ehem Gregory Targhee pack).

So in a sense, the collaborative effort between Outside’s editorial team and RSN producers means bringing one of the most revered outdoor magazines to life, which is RAD.

Unfortunately, for those who don’t live or travel to resort communities, the program won’t be available to you come June. However, online segments are available on RSN’s website and will most likely be available after the rebranding. Hopefully, with success, Mariah Media (Outside’s parent company) will be able to expand their reach down the road.

If not, there’s always rioting and we do happen to know how to use paddles and ice axes pretty well. I’m just saying…

Published
by
Lauren
 on December 18, 2009
 in Adventure travel, Events, Hiking resources and Media
. 1 Comment

Did you know today is International Mountain Day?

After the UN named 2002 the International Year of Mountains, the decision was made to declare December 11th International Mountain Day from 2003 onwards to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life. The day also focuses on highlighting opportunities and constraints in mountain development and building partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands.

The theme of this year’s International Mountain Day is ‘Disaster Risk Management in Mountains,’ recognizing the hazardous nature of living in the mountains due to the threat of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, landslides and floods.

The meaning of the symbol for the day is as follows: three equilateral triangles representing mountains, the blue on the first ‘mountain’ representing snow and ice, the orange on the second representing mineral resources, and the green on the right representing crops.

While the day is considered a global observance and not a public holiday, use it as an excuse to escape work a little early and celebrate the mountains in whatever way you can. We know we will!

Other Holidays or reasons to celebrate today:

Hanukkah Begins at Sunset

National Noodle Ring Day- no information found on this, big suprise!

UNICEF Anniversary

Published
by
Lauren
 on December 11, 2009
 in Adventure travel, Events and Hiking and backpacking
. 0 Comments

The award-winning Targhee supports avalanche awareness

As ski season gets underway and riders look for those big storms to lather their mountains in snow, avalanche danger once again becomes a humbling reality. The need to educate and create awareness about the dangers are increasingly important as more and more skiers/snowboarders access the backcountry.

So, in support of Avalanche Awareness Night sponsored Skinny Skis, a Jackson Hole ski shop, Gregory donated the award-winning Targhee ski pack. One lucky raffle winner will walk away with Outside Magazine’s Gear of the Year Award pack, perfect for lugging avalanche safety gear.

The night will hold presentations, a killer gear raffle in which all proceeds support Jackson’s Avalanche Hotline, and keynote speaker, Dr. Ian McCammon. Dr. Ian McCammon is an avid backcountry skier, NOLS instructor and speaker on the cutting-edge developments in the avalanche field.

Presenters include, Don Sharaf from the American Avalanche Institute, Jim Woodmency from Mountain Weather, Jamie Yount from Teton Search and Rescue, and Mike Rheam from Bridger-Teton Avalanche center.

The event will be held from 6-9:30pm and costs $5 to enter, which goes to Teton County Search and Rescue.

Published
by
Lauren
 on December 1, 2009
 in Events, Sponsorships and Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Reel Rock Film Tour ready to rock Sacramento

The Fourth Annual Reel and Rock Tour kicked off September 3rd in Crested Butte and will be in Sacramento this Saturday, the 17th. So what’s better than watching climbing films this weekend? Watching climbing films and winning an awesome Gregory pack.

Being that we’re headquartered in Sacramento and in the ‘mountain products’ biz, our support for the film tour is only natural. Three Gregory packs will be raffled off at film even at Pipeworks, so if you happen to be in the area make sure you attend for the chance to win a Z35-R, Muir and Imlay and see some of the world’s best climbers do their thing.

The film tour features the best new climbing and adventure films from around the world. The two films being showcased at each tour location are ‘Progression’ by Big Up Productions and ‘First Ascent: The Series’ by Sender Films and National Geographic Adventure.

In addition, two winning short films were chosen form each genre category (Action/Inspiration and Humor/Spoof) by viewers and Reel Rock Judges. You can view the winning segments HERE.

Published
by
Lauren
 on October 15, 2009
 in Events and Packs
. 0 Comments

Jason Mraz, recycling, Gregory packs and how it all ties together

Have you heard the song “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz? If you haven’t, you either A. live in a cave B. don’t listen to cheesy music or C. don’t listen to cheesy music.

I personally like the song, but I’m also a twenty-something girl who lives vicariously through ridiculous love songs like this little gem. So, why are we discussing Jason Mraz’s hip song when we should be writing about more important topics, like, say, backpacks?

Well, it just so happens that our very own Z55 merited a silver screen appearance in the song’s music video. So, no matter how lame you think the song is, you have to admit, Jason has pretty great taste.

On a different, but not completely unrelated note, the Outside Lands Music Festival held in San Francisco this coming weekend (28th-29th) will feature, among others, drum roll please…Jason Mraz. Now, by this point you should be savvy enough to guess we’re not just updating you on the pop singer’s status (that’s what twitter’s for @jason_mraz).

No, more importantly, Gregory is partnering with the recycling program at the festival called TRASHed Recylcing. The program aims to keep the festival site clean by picking up compostable cups and plastic bottles in exchange for some sweet prizes like 5 classic series Gregory day packs.

So, if you happen to be grooving to Jason Mraz at the festival this weekend, pop on over to the TRASHed recycling booth with compostable cups and plastic bottles and cash in on Gregory swag and other awesome prizes.

Published
by
Lauren
 on August 27, 2009
 in Events, Packs and Sponsorships
. 0 Comments

Got photos of you with lights on your noggin?

Exploring the outdoors and photography pretty much go hand in hand. When you spend most of your free time outside, it’s hard not not to snap a I-should-get-paid-for-this picture.

Well, now it’s time to cash in on those still frames and win a Gregory pack. In support of Princeton Tec’s “Got Lights On Heads” photo contest, Gregory has added 4 packs to the prize pot: Z 55, Z 35, Z 25, and a Wasatch. Sweet!

So here’s the deal. Come up with the best shot you have of anything involving lights on your head while playing outside. “On the trail, in a cave, on the water, cooking at the campsite, cranking at your local crag, runing singletrack, startgazing, map-checking…it doesn’t matter, you choose the medium - just make sure there are lights attached to a noggin!”

The categories include: Best Overall image, Best Action, Best Cooking, Best Climbing, Most Dramatic and Most Creative. The top three photographers will be chosen from each category and given awesome prizes, including the Gregory packs listed above.

To enter, upload your pics to Flickr (if you don’t have one it takes two seconds to sign up) and drop them in the ‘Group Pool’ on the Princeton Tec Flickr page  ”Princeton Tec: Got Lights On Heads Photo Contest“.

The contest runs from July 8-August 14.

Published
by
Lauren
 on July 13, 2009
 in Events, Hiking and backpacking and Sponsorships
. 0 Comments

Walking is great, but it’s even better when it involves raising money for a good cause

When it comes to giving back, the outdoor community has no shortage of helping hands. Gregory’s participation in and support of the Sacramento Walk-A-Thon for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation is another example of just that.

Luckily, here at Gregory, we consider ourselves pros at walking (and carrying things while walking). So when there’s a good cause that also happens to involve walking or hiking, it’s a natural.

On May 16th, 500 people, including a number of volunteers from Gregory, showed their support for advancing awareness and treatment of Angleman Syndrome by participating in the Sacramento Walk-A-Thon for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. Along with participating and raising $1,250, Gregory sponsored the lunch after the three-mile walk just around the corner from our offices.

Angelman Syndrome is a little known and often misdiagnosed disease that causes developmental delay, lack of speech, seizures, and balancing and walking disorders. The Foundation seeks to raise awareness of the syndrome through education, research and support for people with the disorder.

Including Sacramento, the Walk-A-Thon was held in 24 locations across the country.  Over 5,800 people gathered to walk in support of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation and raised a total of $780,000. Donations for the 2009 walk will still be accepted through September 30, 2009.

Published
by
Lauren
 on June 3, 2009
 in Events, Gregory world, Hiking and backpacking and Sponsorships
. 3 Comments

Did you know June 6th is National Trails Day AND National Doughnut Day?

Nowadays, there’s a holiday for practically everything. Like this Saturday, June 6th. I guess no one noticed when they named the first Friday of every June National Trails Day, that it was also named National Doughnut Day. Whoops. But, just because these two worthy causes don’t seem to go hand in hand, it doesn’t mean there’s not enough time on June 6th to celebrate both.

Here at Gregory, we celebrate any day we can get outside and put our boots to trail. This June 6th marks the 17th year that we will officially celebrate our National trails. More than 1,500 events around the country including trail maintenance, hiking, paddling, biking, horseback riding, and running will take place to celebrate.

It all started in 1987 with Ronald Reagan’s President’s Commission on Americans Outdoors, which, according the American Hiking Society, stated that “all Americans be able to go out their front doors and within fifteen minutes, be on trails that wind through their cities or towns and bring them back without retracing steps.” Sounds nice, right? Well, in 1993, the American Hiking Society built on Reagan’s idea and launched National Trails Day.

As you know, trails don’t just appear out of nowhere. It took some serious planning and labor to create our 200,000 miles of trail. So, this Saturday, say thanks, and get out your front door to explore the trails that wind through your cities, towns, countrysides and mountains. And, if you’re into it, grab a doughnut along the way.

Published
by
Lauren
 on June 2, 2009
 in Events, Gregory world and Hiking and backpacking
. 6 Comments

Into the Big Blue yonder

With a new series of hydration packs out this spring and a relatively new location in Sacramento, we thought it’d make sense combine those things and get involved with a local community race or two (local being the Bay Area up to Tahoe, the beauty of being in between the coast and the mountains).

Thus, Gregory is now a sponsor of the Big Blue Adventure Series, a group of 20 multi-sport races and events in central/northern California, Oregon and even Idaho that started last month and run through September (OK, we’ve got a loose definition of local here in the Western U.S.).

These kinds of races are great motivational tools, whether your goal is to get out there and get in shape by training for an event, or whether you’re a more serious competitive athlete. Either way, regional events like these are awesome outdoor community builders. And they’re a great way to train for a goal. More than anything, though, they’re a great way to combine fun, exercise and being outdoors. And that’s always the point, right?

Big Blue’s even posted some training tips for people looking get into multi-sport racing, so there - no excuses not to get out there.

Published
by
Dave
 on May 13, 2009
 in Events and Sponsorships
. 1 Comment