By this point it should be pretty obvious that I love the outdoors and if you haven’t checked, about half of the people I follow are somehow related to outdoor-oriented sports.  Blending my passions of the outdoor industry and social media is amazing; since I can’t be outside 100% of the time what better way than to interact online with a global forum of people who share the same passions?
I’ve received a few questions about who to follow in the outdoor industry so I’m going to make an attempt to list some of my favorites. Of course I’m going to leave a few people off by accident but if you follow me just keep an eye on who I frequently RT and interact with and you should get a good idea of who my favorites are.
So here goes, in no particular order…
Clothing & Gear Companies:
- Arcteryx – I’ll admit that I’m a huge Arcteryx fan boy. Like your best sport coat, I save my Arc’teryx for only the best occasions. Probably to their despair.
- sundayriver – Part announcements, part promos & deals… it’s pretty easy to follow them and get a quick ROI.
- ChrisPolarUSA – Chris, from Polar heart rate monitors, does a great job interacting with followers and providing customer service. I’ve potentially exchanged more direct messages with him than any other user.
- backcountrycom – They made SteepandCheap.com so why wouldn’t you follow them? “SAC†is amazing – In my opinion it’s like Woot without the crap.
- cleanestline – Patagonia. Expect a pretty even mix of company and environmental news. For more focus on the company also check out PatagoniaMaine and PatagoniaBoston.
Media:
- MeatheadFilms – Vermont based.
- BicycleDreams – Great film on cycling.
- TetonGravity – Nice site, too. They do a good job promoting avalanche education and awareness.
- mspfilms – My favorite film company who is now taking advantage of BluRay. They’re also the creators of “Ski Movie†which remains of my favorite ski-flick to date.
Athletes:
- ingridbackstrom – It’s Ingrid.
- LeviLeipheimer – Lance’s muscle & teammate. On Twitter he’s the cycling-version of @LanceArmstrong.
- SteepSkiing – Chris Davenport; The “old guy†who reminds me that being in your 30’s isn’t an excuse to ski soft.
- Charlotte Moats – …wait, she’s not on Twitter yet. (…And barely on LinkedIn)
Other:
- chinesedownhill – a social media company targeting the ski industry [Kara, remind me; where do I send my application? :)]
- nick_lambert – Nick is the Brand Manager for Sunday River & Sugarloaf. (“Lucky!”)
- NatlParkService – Yes, the National Park Service tweets. Follow them for quick updates on park news.
- WickedPhil – This is my account for WickedPhilanthropy.org, which I use to post on the topic of philanthropy & fundraising. We’re working to raise money for New England causes focused on environmental protection.
Beer (it counts!):
- newbelgium – Not served east of the Mississipi, but you have to follow the Fat Tire Festival founders.
- WachusettBrew – One of the few breweries that is successfully trying out social media. I recommend their Winter brew.
- ShipyardBrewing – From Maine, another good brewery that’s working at embracing social media (and are doing so successfully).
