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KORE Outdoors is a grassroots, non-profit organization based in the Kootenay region of British Columbia that supports makers, creators, and the supporting ecosystem involved in the outdoor gear sector. We’re also helping drive investment, foster innovation, and strengthen the unique cultural and economic landscape of the Kootenays, and the country for that matter.
Get out of your silo and join our network of like-minded people via our regular in-person events, online outreach, and the annual KORE Outdoors Summit.
Tune in to our bi-weekly podcast, our monthly Speaker Series, and join the KORE Outdoors Pathfinder program to get, and give, beta about working in the outdoor gear industry.
It ain’t all about the work: we’re just as excited to play hard with the gear being designed here. Get galvanized by your peers as well as by some of the biggest names and companies in the outdoors sector.
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Join us at Western Canada’s only conference dedicated to outdoor recreation gear manufacturing and product design. Hosted at the Kimberley Conference Centre on October 2-3, 2025, the Summit brings together industry leaders, innovators, and professionals across British Columbia, Alberta, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. If you have a stake in the outdoor rec-tech industry, whether through creating, promoting, managing, or dreaming, this is a must-attend event.
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The KORE Re-Hub Program launches this summer with the mobile outdoor gear repair tour that’s offering free gear fixes and skill-building opportunities at 12 events across the region from May to September.
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Phase 1 of the project is the KORE ReHub Gear Repair Tour, which launches Summer 2025.
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In Phase 2 we will collaborate with Selkirk College to explore the scope and needs of outdoor hard goods repair.
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Phase 3 is establishing the Kootenay region as an epicentre of outdoor recreation gear repair in the world.
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Whether you’re prototyping skis in your garage, running a gear brand, or just dreaming big, our network can help you thrive via business support, manufacturing connections, testing opportunities, and a collaborative space to grow ideas into impact.
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The KORE Outdoors Speaker Series is a free monthly webinar featuring trailblazing designers, makers, and industry leaders who are reshaping the future of outdoor gear and apparel.
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Through conversations with outdoor gear-related business owners throughout North America, the KORE Outdoors Podcast delivers actionable insights and new perspectives for entrepreneurs working in the outdoor industry.
In this episode Cristina Ashbaugh, co-founder of Yardsale, shares how she and co-founder Kelly McGee reinvented the ski pole by adding magnets and modular design, starting with taped-together prototypes in her San Francisco apartment. With no industry experience the duo launched their business unconventionally: through NYC subway ads, cold-calling ski shops as a “student researcher,” and a rehearsed Shark Tank pitch that secured an investment from Kendra Scott. Cristina discusses tactical strategies, including DIY PR that landed Fast Company coverage, managing wholesale complexity with customizable products, why they’re running their own fulfillment instead of using a 3PL, and expanding beyond ski poles into bags and technical apparel for the “90% of skiers.”
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Find out the what’s, why’s and how’s about the burgeoning world of Kootenay-born outdoor recreational gear.
