OR Roundup: The World's Largest High School Reunion

No one can deny that there are some fine-looking specimens at OR. And that's just the people watching. As Drew Simmons from Pale Morning Media told me, “This is like the world’s largest high school reunion. You never know exactly who you’re going to see or what you'll do.” Right on, Drew. In the 30 seconds I had to OJ Simpson my way from one end of the hall to the other between appointments, I saw Jimmy Chin’s People-magazine-approved-most-beautiful profile as he chatted with an editor, Lynn Hill explaining the underparts of a pooch to her toddler son Owen, and Dave Hahn coolly taking it all in, as if OR were a welcome change from his life as an über guide on Everest.

As for gear, OR is the worst kind of window shopping—you want it all, but in a mere four days, you’re never going to see it all, which causes serious anxiety for editor types like me. That’s why at Outside we blitzkrieg, sending an army of editors to divide and conquer. (A shout out here to Megan Michelson, former Outside Assistant Managing Editor who masterminded the appointments and Dennis Lewon, Gear Maestro, who oversaw Operation Outside Editorial.)

My beat at the show was mostly travel and women’s style and gear. I could go on for pages listing the many attributes of all the products from Eagle Creek to Prana but, frankly, the specifics of each are still melting together in my head like one giant stew of style. A few quick standouts: Keen’s new Harvest Series recycled rice bags and backpacks, the buttery texture of Contourwear’s tops, the Manhattan-meets-ashram style of Ailin, the superhero look of Kaylands’ Ice Dragon ice-climbing shoe, the innovation in Moving Comfort’s sports bras, and the graphics on Mission Playground’s line of custom surfboards. Stay tuned for Spring Buyer's Guide 08 for full disclosure on these and more.

My number-one all-time most coveted item at the show? A custom paddleboard by Joe Bark. Good thing I live high and dry in New Mexico because that behemoth would have been a beast to carry home on the plane. —Stephanie Pearson

Comments

[Baute]

Um... your Keen link is incorrect, s/b http://www.keenfootwear.com/

[Bill Mikesell]

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