2008 Backcountry Film Series

Join us in Fall 2008 for your local screenings of the Powderwhores' newest film, The Pact, and Sweetgrass Productions' first feature length film, Hand Cut. Each event will benefit the Backcountry Snowsports Alliance and our mission to preserve backcountry areas for human-powered users.

Film premieres across Colorado benefiting BSA

Hand Cut - Sweetgrass Productions
Sept 12 Aspen - Wheeler Theater 7:30p
Sept 17 Fort Collins - Lyric Theater 7:00p
Sept 18 Denver - Oriental Theater
Sept 20 Boulder - CU Boulder Chem room 140 7:00p
Sept 24 Breckenridge - The Breckenridge Theater 7:30p
Sept 25 Leadville - Provin Grounds Coffee Shop 7:30p
Sept 28 Telluride - Fly Me to The Moon Saloon 6:30p
Oct 1 Glenwood Springs - Glenwood Community Center 7:30p
Oct 4 Crested Butte - Center for the Arts
Oct 7 Silverton - Mobius Cycles
Oct 8 Durango - Abbey Theater 7:30p

The Pact - Powderwhore Productions
Nov 6 Boulder - Location TBD
Nov 8 Golden - American Mountaineering Center


Trailer for The Pact
Trailer for Hand Cut

We hope to see you there!

Brian

Outdoor Retailer Day 2

Things have gotten off to the usual furious start here in Salt Lake City. I always seem to need a day to adjust to the pace!

After a good meeting with Nick Waggoner of Sweetgrass Productions yesterday, I can announce that BSA will be partnering with Colorado Springs-based Sweetgrass on their upcoming Colorado premiere tour for their first feature length film, Hand Cut. The tour will touch every corner of Colorado, following the mid-September world premiere in Aspen, including the Oriental Theatre in Denver, Boulder's CU campus, Silverton, and Leadville.

With top notch riding and camera-work, Hand Cut centers on the rugged railroad and mining cultures that gave birth to many of our favorite winter playgrounds in Colorado, British Columbia, and Alaska, and features voice-over from long-time BSA member and San Juan Huts owner, Joe Ryan.

Look for more details on the tour soon.

Following yesterday's show, Rusted Root played a free concert outside the Energy Solutions Arena, while Life is Good hosted the largest recreational badminton tournament I've every seen (and, later presented the largest badminton trophy I've ever seen).

Now onto day 2. Today, I should run into the boys from Powderwhores, and meet with many of our current and potential industry partners.

Brian

Outdoor Retailer and the Fastest Summer

Hello,
This summer has been fast and furious around BSA and Fort Collins. On the advocacy side, we've been keeping tabs on the Eclipse Snowpark near Idaho Springs, the Dry Gulch snowcat expansion near Loveland Ski and Snowboard Area, and awaiting the release of the White River NF Revised Draft Travel Plan, which was recently delayed (again) until mid-September.

We've also distributed a number of fundraising and membership appeals and have seen good response. Many of our large donors have stepped up to bat with large, advancing donations, while many of you have contributed very generously at various levels. Thank you very much for your financial support - we need your help to keep this train rolling!

In our spring newsletter, I wrote about improved member services coming down the pike. Those changes are beginning to surface, with the introduction of new business membership benefits, new special gift rewards, and the adoption of a new database system, or CRM. The latter of these new developments comes through the August donation of more than $11,000 in software licensing from the Salesforce.com Foundation, the charitable arm of top CRM provider, Salesforce. This new CRM will help us better manage informmation related to you, our members and contacts. We will be better equipped to bring you the information you need to stay up-to-date on all of the developments and events taking place in your backcountry world. Look for this new system and its improved features to surface soon.

On a personal note, I married my best friend and companion, Tracy on June 28th, in a bicycle-centric celebration in Bellvue, Colorado. After a 2.5 week respite on bike tour in California, I returned recharged and ready to tackle the important issues facing all of us in Colorado's backcountry.

I'm writing this from the 800 South Guest House in Salt Lake City, where I am attending the Outdoor Retailer Show. OR, as it is known, is the biannual event for backcountry gear producers, retailers, and geeks. Board members Greg Mears and Tom Gordon are also here, selling their wares and spreading the BSA word.

In a step toward improving our industry partnership program, I am here to introduce BSA to industry members from around Colorado and the United States. Additionally, OR provides great opportunities for training, with grant seeking, management, and marketing seminars held throughout the week.

I'll check in again during the show with any big news in the backcountry world. Until then, enjoy the heat - the snow will be here soon!

Brian