Famed Climber Ueli Steck Coming to Outdoor Retailer

Suunto athlete and all-around global speed climber/mountain goat Ueli Steck is headed for the Americas and coming to Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2011 next week in Salt Lake City.
Mountain Hardware is also a big Steck sponsor and hosting a Ueli event at its booth on Friday, August 5th at Outdoor Retailer from 4-6 pm backed with refreshments.
Ueli will be signing posters in front of the Mountain Hardware booth and then raffling off some prizes that would be included in a Ueli "gear kit." You could win raffle items that are similar to what he wears while running up mountains in the Himalayas. Within this sick raffle will be a Suunto Core!
So, if you will be at Outdoor Retailer next week, be sure to stop by the Mountain Hardware booth (#26001) see the Swiss Machine and enter to win a Suunto Core!

The 'Queen of Pain' Claims National Title

The "Queen of Pain" has done it again.

On July 16, for the first time ever, Suunto athlete Rebecca Rusch competed in the single speed division of the 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Cross-Country National Championships ... and won. She won it by a long shot, too, pedaling past the finish line with a time of 1:31:43 -- more than nine minutes ahead of the next competitor.

The Ketchum, Idaho native was thrilled to race on her home turf, and was ready as ever to tackle a new challenge. In this pre-race video, Rusch discusses the choice to race single speed and the 22.25km course that involves "...a lot of climbing -- it's either up or down."

Well, the Queen has definitely earned some big ups -- way to go, Reba!

For a breakdown of Rusch's race activity, check out her Movescount profile ... 100 percent motivation guarantee.

The New Suunto Quest Watch is Here!

Newsflash! Suunto just launched a new outdoor training watch! As an increasing number of athletes of all levels take their training outdoors, Suunto, a global leader in sports precision instruments, is unveiling the Suunto Quest—a wristop package featuring smart solutions for better performance in the outdoors.
The next generation of watches from Suunto includes the robust Suunto Quest, available in two colors: orange and black. The Suunto Quest Pack includes a Dual Comfort Heart Rate Belt, Foot POD Mini and a Movestick Mini to help accurately track speed, distance and calculate cadence for efficient training. The Quest Black and Quest Orange are also available with just the Dual Comfort Belt and Movestick Mini.

“Suunto Quest is made for people who are passionate about training outdoors and value advanced planning, training, and analysis tools, but also want a sleek design combined with ease of use,” says Nora Stowell, Suunto North America Vice President and Business Director. “This new Quest series is the perfect solution for athletic quests in the outdoors.”

Combined with a Foot POD Mini, the Suunto Quest Pack calculates a highly accurate and responsive measurement of speed, distance and running cadence, bringing runners another physiological tool to help run consistently at an optimal cadence. The tiny, nine gram (0.3 oz) Foot POD Mini, using accelerometer technology, reacts instantly to actual changes in speed, which is particularly useful during interval training and when running on an uneven terrain.

“Running cadence is a tool that many runners in the outdoors will utilize to maintain an efficient, sustainable pace. This means that over longer distances you will run more consistently and that helps you run more efficiently,” says Jonathan Wyatt, six-time winner of the World Mountain Running Trophy.

The Suunto Quest Pack allows users to personalize, download and create training programs from Movescount.com. Essential training tools include real-time heart rate monitoring, interval timers, and a stopwatch with laps that can be recorded by tapping the display. Users can accurately calculate speed, distance and cadence in real time by using the Suunto Foot POD Mini. The Suunto Quest is user-friendly with a three-button interface and multiple language options. Watch displays can be customized through Movescount.com and prompts the user of the next workout’s duration and intensity. Post workout benefits include a recovery time recommendation, wireless transfer of workout data to Movescount.com with the Movestick Mini and a deeper understanding of workouts with advanced performance analysis including full heart-rate and speed graphs in Movescount.com.

A Big Day On Big Water: Kayaking Big Kimshew

Well, we've definitely got kayaking on the brain today. We just got an update from Suunto athlete and kayaker Ross Herr, and no kidding, we can't stop looking at these pictures!

Ross and his crew just reached the end of a wild ride down the roaring waters of California's Big Kimshew Creek, and we have to admit, we're a little jealous ... it sounds like it was an awesome day to be in a kayak!



"I was so pumped to finally be in the magic of Cali where you can go bigger, slide longer, and stay smiling for miles," writes Ross.

The Colorado-born kayaker is currently on a mission to raise $50,000 for First Descents, an organization that puts on adventure camps for young adults who are fighting cancer. To reach his goal, Ross will spend six months traveling the nation, kayaking a combined 50,000 vertical feet.

You can read more about the Big Kimshew trip here, and be sure to keep watching our blog for more updates on Ross' next adventure!

Support the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Enter to Win a Suunto M5!

Win a new Suunto M5 for supporting a great cause? That’s a pretty awesome thing, if you ask us.

Sports photographer Rich Cruse thinks so and that’s why he’s including this exclusive prize giveaway in his “Raising $5k for CAF to Celebrate Turning 50” fundraiser.

Rich turns 50 in July, but in lieu of party hats and candles he’s raising money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation -- an organization providing athletic opportunities to those whose physical challenges might otherwise prevent them from participating.

“I want you to join with me in support of an organization that means so much to me,” Rich writes in his blog. “CAF changes lives. They truly do amazing work.”

Rich encourages a minimum donation of $10, and “$50 for Rich’s 50th” definitely has a nice ring to it, especially since it's being put toward such an incredible foundation.

To enter the July 17th drawing for a Suunto M5 watch, just Tweet the following: Giveaway thru 07/17! Win a Suunto M5 Watch, follow @CrusePhoto @SUUNTOUSA & tweet. Support CAF & Donate here. http://bit.ly/kSE9Sg #RCSU

You may Tweet as many times as you wish, but only one tweet per Twitter name will be counted. You must follow @SUUNTOUSA and @CrusePhoto to be eligible to win.

OPSGEAR is Giving Away a Core All Black

One of our wonderful retailers, OPSGEAR, is hosting a Suunto giveaway! This week OPSGEAR giveaway is a Suunto Core All Black. You can enter through OPSGEAR's Facebook page or OPSGEAR.com page, and you can enter once a day. The contest ends on July 5th. Just enter your email address. If you get your friends to enter, you get an additional entry! Check out this video from OPSGEAR about the Suunto Core All Black and the contest.



OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES:

Prize for June 27 - July 5 sweepstakes includes:

• Suunto Core All Black
  

1. Sweepstakes is open to entrants 18 years of age or older only.
2. One entry per person per day.
3. Must be a fan of OPSGEAR on Facebook to enter.
4. Sweepstakes ends Monday at noon MST. The following week's sweepstakes will begin at or before 4 p.m. MST.
5. Winner will be chosen at random from all entries received.
6. Prizes awarded at OPSGEAR's sole discretion.
7. By entering this sweepstakes, you may receive promotional emails from OPSGEAR.
8. Sweepstakes is void where prohibited.