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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 KORE’s Catalyst 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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The KORE Outdoors Summit is Canada’s only conference dedicated to outdoor gear and the rec-tech manufacturing and product design sector that creates it. This year’s event is happening September 17-18, 2026 at the Kimberley Alpine Resort’s Conference Centre in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. Anyone interested in outdoor gear design and manufacturing is invited to attend.
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The KORE Re-Hub Program launched in 2025 with a mobile outdoor gear repair tour that offered free gear fixes and skill-building opportunities at 12 events across the region from May to September. The tour will again happen in 2026.
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Phase 1 of the project is the KORE ReHub Gear Repair Tour, which launched in 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.
Chris Schabow didn’t plan to run a manufacturing company — he was a nonprofit fundraiser with a sewing machine from Goodwill and a side hustle making backpacking gear. A chance conversation revealed that Enlightened Equipment, the brand he’d been reverse-engineering for years, was operating out of a hole-in-the-wall shop in his own town. What followed was a cold letter, a ghosted coffee meeting, and a leap of faith that cost him his salary, his benefits, and almost his financial stability. Nine years later, he’s CEO. This is the story of how you build your way to the top, one random mishap at a time.
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Find out the what’s, why’s and how’s about the burgeoning world of Kootenay-born outdoor recreational gear.
