Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2017 - 54

54 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ Winter 2017

seen a slow decline in revenue over the last few
years, according to the nonprofit Snowsports
Industries America (SIA). And while downhill
equipment sales have seen a decrease, SIA has
reported a more than 200 percent increase in
sales of uphill, or backcountry equipment.
The sport of ski mountaineering (or 'skimo') and backcountry skiing are still far more
popular in Europe than they are in the United
States, but we're catching up-more than 70
American ski resorts now have uphill skiing
policies listed on their websites.
"There are more races every year," said
Francis. In 2013 there were 42 skimo races
in the United States; last season there were
more than 60. Colorado's COSMIC Series,
for instance, has seen steady growth and now
includes 13 races running from November to
April. The American classic, however, might be
the Wasatch PowderKeg, which was originally
started by prominent ski mountaineer Andrew
McLean in 2003. And, just this year, the sport
was recognized by the International Olympic
Committee for possible inclusion in an upcoming Winter Olympics.
The Wasatch mountains are full of top-level
athletes that compete on the international skimo stage, and Borro makes a point of getting
out and skiing with many of them. Though he
works closely with athletes like Andy Dorais,
a member of the US Skimo National Team,
Borrow is an evangelist for the everyman. "A

Center photograph by Greg Von Doersten

race scene, he began looking to lighten up his
as boot and binding finders, that use heuristics
kit. The problem? He found it nearly imposto match customers to the product that's just
right for them. It also allowed Borro to autosible to get his hands on the best and lightest
backcountry-skiing gear on the market. This
mate many of the internal processes like shipwas the very same equipment
ping, returns, and accounting.
he knew European racers were
Taken as a whole, these innovaUPHILL UPTICK
Borro sells products
using, but he couldn't find anytions allow Skimo Co to be more
you can't find anywhere
efficient and compete on price
where in the United States. That
else (left). The lure of
the
sport
is
that
it
and fulfillment speed with the
put him at a severe disadvantage
delivers
big,
humanin a sport where the right equipbigger retailers.
powered thrills (center).
ment can cut hours off your day,
Burro called the store Skimo.
Skimo Co. prides itself
on technical know-how.
co and launched the website in
whether in the backcountry or on
a race course.
2012. He now carries everything
"I think it's a cultural thing," said Borro. "On
and anything light and fast for ski mountainthe U.S. retail side, bloggers and Backcountry.
eering-all the gear he wanted but couldn't find
com all sort of gravitate toward the freeride
on this side of the Atlantic. "Because we target a
scene where everybody comes out of the resort
niche, we are able to carry all related products,
thinking they're Glenn Plake and they need to
which gives us an advantage over a ski shop that
make films and wear GoPros." That dynamic
might have one line of race boots," said Borro.
seemed wrong to Borro. "It should be less ag"We are more likely to have a boot that matches
gressive in the backcountry, unless you want
a skier's foot, versus forcing folks into the one
to have a really short [skiing] career," he says.
model in stock with custom work."
The need was there. Someone had to make
Borro is skinning over a track that was laid
this lightweight equipment available to the
down by its "big brother" in Park City, Utah:
American market. So Borro sat down and startBackcountry.com was the first website to sell
ed doing what he does best: He wrote some inoutdoor recreational equipment online way
back in 1996. Skimo Co is at the forefront of
novative code. Rather than jump into the ona new niche in the very same trend that Jim
line game on someone else's software, Borro
spent a year developing his own custom enHolland and John Bresee tapped into two deterprise platform for his business to run on-
cades ago when they sold the very first product
highly unusual for a retailer his size. This allows
on Backcountry.com, an avalanche transceiver.
Skimo Co to offer unique online features, such
The $2.5-billion snowsports industry has

http://www.Backcountry.com http://www.Backcountry.com

Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2017

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