Jessie Simms | Caroline Martin | Mary Lawhorn

Table of Contents Background 3 Industry 5 Competitors 6 Challenge 7 Audience 9 Objective 10 Strategy 1 11 Strategy 2 12 Strategy 3 13 Strategy 4 14 Evaluation 15 Supporting Documents 17 Contact 67

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Background Never Summer got its start in a garage in Fort Collins. Two brothers Tim and

Tracey Canaday began making snowboards in their high school woodshop class with their friend Scott Rolfs. They named the company “Swift Snowboards” and got to work. Tracey and Scott were in charge of the business operations, while Tim was in charge of the assembly and the actual snowboards themselves. The business failed to pick up, as snowboarding was not nearly as big of an industry as it is today, so the company eventually died out.

Wondering what to do next, the Canaday brothers moved to California and

took up surfing. Only 7 years later however, the snowboarding industry began to pick up, after being recognized as an official sport in 1985. Ski resorts began to allow snowboarders access to ski mountains and the snowboarding industry was essentially born.

Seizing this opportunity, the Canaday brothers moved back to Colorado and

rented out space in the Summit Snowboards factory located in Silverton. And in 1991 Never Summer was officially born. As to be expected, the company had a bumpy start. The Canaday’s had to reach out to friends and family for money to keep the business afloat and even had to go door to door to sell their boards at one point. They soon realized their biggest problem with getting off the ground was going to be the fact that they were a known company and had no industry connections. (entrepenuer.com 11/22/11)

The brothers soon realized that in order to really break into the industry they

were going to have to change it. They decided the best way to attract people to their boards is to make them more high quality than some of the others on the market. Never Summer makes “bomb­ proof” boards that come with a 3 year warranty and are some of the most durable in the market. They’re also designed and produced here in Colorado, which makes the boards even more appealing because they are manufactured right in your own backyard, rather than overseas.

The Canaday brothers moved to Denver in 1993 and have been proudly

working away there ever since. One of the most important factors of staying local and producing their own boards rather than outsourcing to China, like many other competitors, which sets the company up for success no matter what, because even if the company were to one day close its doors, they could still produce boards in their factory for other companies. This also ensures that they maintain complete

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control over their boards and makes it easier for them to implement changes and new ideas.

One of the reasons that Never Summer has remained so successful for over

two decades now, is that they create demand for their boards. They focus on the quality of their product and only sell it with specific partner stores, rather than making it available to everyone. They value their dealers and understand that they would not be anywhere without them so they protect them and their business relationship. Never Summer doesn’t go for the big chain stores like Dick’s or REI or sports authority, in turn bringing more business to smaller stores they partner with because people are willing to go out of their way for a higher quality product.

In 2008 the company changed the industry again with it’s perfection of the

“rocker and camber” design. They had just come back from a snowboard trade show where they unveiled their lineup for the upcoming season but after their new innovation, they scraped the whole line and replaced it with boards with the Rocker Camber design making the boards easier to control and more fun to ride. (Entrepreneur.com 4/20/16) Never Summer patented the design, and soon after, every company was trying to make boards like theirs. By 2010, 45 percent of all new snowboards made were using the rocker camber design.

Another important aspect that makes Never Summer successful is their long

boarding line. Most other snowboard companies compete with each other year round. During the winter they compete for snowboarding sales and during the summer they compete for surfboard sales. Never Summer however, has chosen to tap into a different market with long boards.

Long boarding is a growing trend, especially on college campuses and with

six major college campuses in Colorado, full of long boarding students, Never Summer has more than enough people to sell too and a market that is almost completely untapped. This gives them an extra source of revenue in the off­season and keeps the company plenty busy.

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Industry One of the fastest growing sports in the world is snowboarding. While the

season usually lasts only about 4­5 months, it is a 4 billion dollar industry with more than $6 million being spent on just equipment. (snowsports.org 4/16/16) The technology is ever changing; with new innovations being made every season, companies are in constant competition. It is always a race to see who has the best new technology, and who can make the strongest, lightest, sturdiest board.

In a growing industry worth $4 billion dollars, it is no surprise that public

relations are a big success factor amongst growing competition. Big names like Burton, Volcom and Saloman keep their competitors on edge, but the industry is changing. 28% of snowboarders are now between the ages of 25 and 34 and they are starting to buy their boards for quality and customer service, rather than brand name (Snowsports.org 4/16/16). This means that consumers are turning to the Internet and their friends to find the best new brands that give them the best riding experience available. Consumers want to buy their gear from companies that are reliable, and offer a high quality craftsmanship board, but also come with great customer service. Because of this, consumers are beginning to turn to smaller companies that produce fewer boards but higher quality. This has lead to a rise in smaller board companies making a name for themselves and being able to compete with the big guys. One of the most popular companies on the rise in the industry that follows this business model is Never Summer.

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Competitors As to be expected, there is plenty of competition in the snowboarding

industry. One of Never Summer’s biggest competitors is snowboarding giant Burton, based out of Vermont. Burton began in 1977 after founder Jake Burton had experimented with making snowboards with surfboard materials and designs. From there, the brand grew and expanded with Burton’s goal of “creating the best snowboarding equipment in the world.” While Burton is well known, and pretty generally well liked, they’re not known for their innovation and continuous growth. Not to mention, that being such a big company, they don’t have as much time or need to value their customers. Burton focuses on sponsored snowboarders to get their name out there, and traditional print advertising, and they have been known to sponsor big athletes like Shaun White and Mark McMorris which puts the brand into the spotlight and gains media attention.

While Burton vs. Never Summer is a case of David and Goliath, the two are very different companies. Burton is the big player, holding a 55% market share in the industry (statisticbrain.com 4/20/16) and Never Summer is a small mostly local to Colorado Company. Burton has the business mission statement, “to innovate the sport of snowboarding and pioneer new ideas and ideals. Also promote individuality, and above all provide quality gear suited for progression and comfort.” (Burton.com 4/18/16) And Never Summer’s is “Focusing less on excessive promotion and hype, and more on using the highest quality materials, craftsmanship, and customer service.” (NeverSummer.com) 4/18/16Even in the two mission statements you see the major difference between the two companies. Burton wants to be first at everything and pioneer the industry to leave a legacy; while Never Summer hopes to give their customers the product they deserve and only produce boards that the owners themselves would want to ride.

Another competitor of both Burton and Never Summer is Volcom. Having a revenue of $332 million in 2013 while burton made $100 million and Never Summer made $10 million, those numbers have only grown since then. (therichest.com 4/17/16) Volcom got its start in 1991 when founders Richard Woolcott and Tucker Hall took a snowboarding trip to Tahoe, California to visit friends. Tahoe saw record snowfall over the four­day trip and they decided to quite their jobs and start a company based around their three main passions: snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing. The company began selling clothes and in the first year only made $2,600. Over time they’ve been growing with most of their revenue coming from skateboards and surfboards, but the transition into making snowboards wasn’t hard, since they had already established a name for themselves. Their business

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motto is to “always make decisions for the long term based on quality and integrity.” The challenge that Never Summer faces is that they are not very well known. They need to enhance their social media presence to attract new customers and keep current consumers interested. Never Summer has a strong customer base now, but they are a continuously growing company that needs to expand their marketing. Understandably so, they want to remain small because that is a part of the brand’s identity. They can maintain their small, sincere company feel, while reaching out to the rest of the Colorado market through simple inexpensive ways to get customers involved with them.

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Challenge To make the company more well-known, while enhancing social media presence to attract new customers and keep current consumers interested.

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Audience Never Summer has a broad market and they feel like they have a product and board for every snowboarder. Because of this we want to reach a population who is already into snowboarding as a sport but many not be aware of Never Summer, people who are new to the sport, and current customers. Current Snowboarders: These consumers live for the weekends. Early mornings they can be found driving up the mountains and as soon as the lifts open they are first in line. They enjoy the sport of snowboarding, and can not wait to “shred the gnar”. The also see snowboarding not just as a sport, but a social gathering, they live the laid­back lifestyle. There skills are basic to mature and they are confident on the mountain. These people typically range from 18­35 in age and visit the mountain 8­15 times a season. They stay up to date on all the latest snowboarding gear and trends. They are influential and spend the most money on snowboarding apparel and gear. New boarders: These consumers are interested in winter sports as they continue become more popular. They are intrigued by the carefree lifestyle and want to give it a try. They are typically on a trial basis with snowboarding to see if it is something they can do and make part of their winter routine. This demographic typically ranges from 12­25 years old and they make the trek to the mountain 1­10 times a season. Because they are trying out the sport they usually will rent their equipment, but they are considering investing in new gear. They provide an opportunity to capture them right in the beginning of their snowboarding career.

Current Customers: These consumers typically fall under the current snowboarders category. They are aware of Never Summer and are already avid customers purchasing the latest products that Never Summer has to offer. This demographic typically ranges from 16­25 years old and they make the trek to the mountain 3­15 times a season. These consumers are already sold on the brand, they provide the opportunity to re­engage in Never Summer via social media and act as brand advocates.

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Objective Our objective is to create more brand awareness using social media and print, while utilizing a smaller budget. Maximize results while minimizing the budget.

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Strategy 1 Never-Ending Summer Challenge and Hashtag

Tactic 1: Create and include flyers and stickers for every time a product is purchased that will promote the never­ending summer hashtag and encourage people to engage with it. Tactic 2: Host a competition to encourage people to tag company on social media with a reason why their summer is never­ending. Winner gets a free longboard or snowboard of choice. Tactic 3: If customers submit videos/ pictures of them using the never­ending summer line of longboards their name gets entered twice for the competition. This will be promoted through social media accounts.

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Strategy 2 Always Winter Showcase Demo

Tactic 1: Have info about new boards and products. These will be on brochures at the event. Tactic 2: A chance to win VIP Tickets to demo with every purchase that is made two weeks before the showcase. We will create social media to promote the contest, and we will create flyers that will be attached to productes six months beforehand. Tactic 3: Host a Never Summer SnapChat takeover. This will include a geolocation snapchat story participants can send snaps to, Never Summer’s personal account story will also be featuring snaps from the event, and there will be geofilters. The pros will also be featured on Never Summer’s personal account. Tactic 4: Press Release about the event Tactic 5: Press Release about Mayor’s Letter to Crested Butte Tactic 6: Promotion of the event on social media and through posters and flyers.

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Strategy 3 “Meet the team” Youtube series

Tactic 1: Do mini youtube series about snowboard team members. We will create the storyboards for three short videos. Tactic 2: Create LinkedIn profile and share videos and other blog content about industry. Include having team members writing blog posts through out the year to post. Feature influencers to write post and publish it on our monthly blog. Tactic 3: Host a documentary release party at the Boulder Theater. This will be a premier showing of our Youtube videos. Pop­up store will be there as well as meet and greets with some of the team. This includes press release for the event, invitation, social promotions

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Strategy 4 Create Media Coverage for Never Summer

Tactic 1: Write a story and press release about 10 Surprising Ways to Buy Local, featuring Never Summer as number one slot. This article will be sent out to The Denver Post, Daily Camera, Summit Daily, and Rocky Mountain News. Tactic 2 : Hold a press release about new technology and business strategies.This pitch will be sent out to The Denver Post, Daily Camera, Summit Daily, and Rocky Mountain News. Tactic 3: Sponsor Non­Profit United States Deaf Ski and Snowboard Association event in Breckenridge. Create a press release this sponsorship. This article will be sent out to The Denver Post, Daily Camera, Summit Daily, and Rocky Mountain News. Tactic 4: Write a story and press release featuring Never Summer’s co­founder. It will be a business owner profile. This article will be sent out to Denver Post Sports, Snowboard Colorado Magazine, Snowboarding town magazines (ex. Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, Aspen, Loveland, etc.), and Transworld Snowboarding magazine. Tactic 5: Partner up with a local Non­Profit Ignite Adaptive Sports and release a press release about partnership and what Never Summer is doing for the Non­profit. This article will be sent out to Denver Post Sports, Snowboard Colorado Magazine, Snowboarding town magazines (ex. Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, Aspen, Loveland, etc.), and Daily Camera. Tactic 6: Sponsor SOS Outreach’s SnowCore event in Vail. Donate snowboards for all of the youth in attendance to participate and bring the Never Summer Team to give lessons. Send out a pitch letter to the Denver Post sports features editor, snowboarding town magazines (ex. Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, Aspen, Loveland, etc.) Tactic 7 : Write a press release about new technology in the snowboarding industry. Article will be sent out to Snowboarder Magazine, Transworld Snowboarding magazine, Denver Post, Snowboard Colorado magazine.

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Evaluation

Strategy 1 Evaluation: Social media: · Number of retweets · Number of likes · Number of followers · Number of submissions Press Releases: · Number of media placements · Number of media impressions · Number of outlets picked up story

Strategy 2 Evaluation: Social media: · Number of retweets · Number of likes · Number of followers Event: · Number of attendees · Number of brochures taken · Number of local vendors · Amount of money raised for USDSSA · Number of impression Press Releases: · Number of media placements · Number of media impressions · Number of outlets picked up story

Strategy 3 Evaluation: Youtube videos: · Number of views on youtube · Number of clicks on link · Number of videos shares Social media: · Number of retweets · Number of likes

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· Number of followers Event: · Number of attendees · Number of social check ins · Number of social media mentions · Number of impressions Press Releases: · Number of media placements · Number of media impressions · Number of outlets picked up story Strategy 4 Evaluation: Press Releases: · Number of media placements · Number of media impressions · Number of outlets picked up story

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Supporting Documents

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Strategy 1: Tactic 1: Flyers and stickers for social media competition Posters:

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Stickers:

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Tactic 2: Social media posts to inform consumers of competition: Twitter:

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Instagram:

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Facebook:

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Tactic 3: The chance for people to win a free snowboard or longboard, press release and social media post

Mary Lawhorn Three Blondes PR

303-333-3333 threeblondespr@pr.com

Never Summer Snowboards to host social media competition The local snowboarding company will pose a social media challenge to consumers this upcoming Wednesday, April 20, with the chance to win a free snowboard or long board of the winner’s choice. (Boulder ­ ­ April 16, 2016) Never Summer, a snowboarding company located locally in Denver is posing a challenge to their consumers: Starting on Wednesday they will create the hashtag “#NeverEndingSummer” on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and will ask participants to tag them on all forms of social media with a reason that their Summer is never ending. At the end of the submission period all entries will be placed into a drawing, in which the winner will receive a snowboard or longboard of their choice from the company. Never Summer got its start back in 1983 when two brothers Tracey and Tim Canaday started their snowboard company with friend Scott Rolfs in their garage in Fort Collins, then under the name Swift Snowboards. The two brothers, three years apart, had been introduced to the popular winter sport only a year prior, and Tim made their first snowboard in his high school woodshop class. Years later they changed the company name to Never Summer after the Never Summer Mountains in the Rocky Mountain National Park, and the company made its official debut into the industry. When asked about the upcoming competition, founder Tracey Canaday said, “We fell in love with snowboarding and started our own company only a year after learning, and we want to hear from our customers why their Summer is never ending, and how our products help them achieve that.” Tim Canaday agreed adding, “One of the great things about our job is that we get to help people find their passion for the sport just like we first did.” The company strives for high quality craftsmanship and overall performance of their boards, and their customers see that every time they purchase one of their snowboards or long boards. Customer Connor Martin said, “I go to Never for all my boarding gear because they’re local and I trust that I’m always gunna get a durable board and never have to worry if it’s going to break after my first run of the day.” Customer Samantha Roberts said, “I’m really excited for the competition. I’ve used their snowboards for years and I’ve always wanted to try one of their long boards so hopefully I’ll get the chance to win one.” Never Summer is a company that spends less than 2% of their revenue on marketing because they choose to focus

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“less on excessive promotion and hype, and more on using highest quality materials and craftsmanship,” so this competition is big for them. The Canaday brothers both agreed that they don’t believe in huge traditional print advertising because it can be obnoxious and that’s not what their brand is, adding “We like to hear feedback from our customers and listen to what they do and do not like rather than telling them what we’re doing.” The competition will run from April 20, to May 20 and at the end of that time the winner will be choose and announced on social media, along with some runner­ups who will receive t­shirts and stickers. Never Summer: The end result of our experience coupled with a close working relationship with the world’s leading raw materials manufacturers and engineers allows us to bring you the most durable, high performance boards on the planet! Each board is carefully handcrafted in our Denver, Colorado factory to precision tolerances. Our domestic manufacturing and our ability to improve upon existing technologies resulted in Never Summer being awarded the first patent on any type of hybrid camber technology. We allow only the world’s best snowboard shops to sell our products. http://www.neversummer.com/company/ Tracy and Tim Canaday: The founders and owners of Never Summer 3838 Eudora Way, Denver, CO 80207 USA info@neversummer.com ###

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Strategy 2: Tactic 1: Brochure for Always Winter on Snowboard Technology

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Tactic 2: Tweet about VIP Ticket Contest

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Facebook post about VIP Ticket Contest

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Instagram post about VIP Ticket Contest

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Flyer for purchasers two weeks before event

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Tactic 3: Geofilter for Always Winter Snapchat

Snapchat for Always Winter Event Snapchat for Always Winter Event on Never Summer Story with geofilter

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Tactic 4: Caroline Martin

Three Blondes PR 303-333-3333

threeblondespr@pr.com

For Immediate Release

Local Snowboard Company Hosts Always Winter Showcase in Crested Butte

Never Summer Snowboard Company Holds a Community Event to Showcase New Snowboards for Upcoming Season

(Denver, CO 2017­03­20) –Never Summer Industries, a Denver­based snowboard company, will be hosting the Always Winter Showcase in Crested Butte with local food vendors and a live DJ to show­off their newest line of boards, On April, 1st. The company hopes for strong community involvement in the event to emphasize their love for being local and show their customers their appreciation. The event is to be held at the base of the mountain from 5­9PM and will have four different local food and drink vendors. They will be partnering with local vendors such as The Last Steep, a local family­owned bar and grill, Butte 66 BBQ Roadhouse, Brick Oven Pizzaria, and Teocalli Tamle. The showcase will also feature a local DJ, John Smith, who is a Crested Butte native. Crested Butte Mayor, Aaron Huckstep, stated he was excited to partner with Never Summer. He said that, “Never Summer had a special place in the town of Crested Butte”, since many of their team members are from there.

Never Summer, being a local company has always seen the importance in the community and buying locally. Tim Canady, co­founder of Never Summer, said “this event was in hopes to bring a community that means so much together” and to give their customers a sense that Never Summer cares. Since this is something so near and dear to their hearts, they are hoping that the town of Crested Butte will use this event simply as means to get together. This is so important to the company because they want their customers to know that they, unlike many of their competition, truly care about the community they are a part of. Mayor Huckstep also stated he “wanted this event to propose community involvement with the local vendors and hoped many locals would attend”. Since many of the Never Summer Snowboard Team Members are from Crested Butte, they are especially excited for the event as well. There will be a special VIP section, for those who win tickets in the contest Never Summer has put on in the past few weeks. Each person who purchases a product from Never Summer until March 30th will automatically be entered into a drawing to win VIP tickets. The winner of these tickets will get an exclusive look at the new

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boards Never Summer will be showcasing at the event and will get to hang out with the Never Summer Snowboard Team for the duration of the event. This was in an effort to make the Never Summer consumer­base feel as though Never Summer meant what they were saying about loving their customers. For more information on the contest go to www.neversummer.com/alwayswintervip. The company is hoping the event is a success and that they can get the word out about how important these things are to them. They are really trying to set themselves apart from the big competitors in the industry by keeping thing local and keeping their customers happy. The craftsmanship and quality of their products has always been so important to them and they want their customers to know that they matter too. Tracey Canady, co­founder, stated he “wanted the customers who were loyal from the start to know how much that means and for the customers who have never used us to know we care”. The town of Crested Butte seems excited for the chance to gather with loved ones and be with a company who truly cares about its customers. About Never Summer Industries Designing and building snowboards since 1983 has given us years of experience in testing and perfecting our snowboard designs and construction methods. We’ve recently taken this experience building snowboards and brought it to the world of longboarding. The end result of our experience coupled with a close working relationship with the world’s leading raw materials manufacturers and engineers allows us to bring you the most durable, high performance boards on the planet! Each board is carefully handcrafted in our Denver, Colorado factory to precision tolerances. Our domestic manufacturing and our ability to improve upon existing technologies resulted in Never Summer being awarded the first patent on any type of hybrid camber technology. We allow only the world’s best snowboard shops to sell our products. Tim and Tracey Canady 3838 Eudora Way, Denver, CO 80207 (303) 320­0170 ### To be released to: The Denver Post Summit Daily Daily Camera Rocky Mountain News Crested Butte News

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Tactic 5:

Caroline Martin Three Blondes PR

303-333-3333 threeblondespr@pr.com

For Immediate Release

Crested Butte’s Mayor Probes Community Involvement with Local Snowboard Company Mayor Aaron Huckstep Writes Letter to Town Hoping for High Community Involvement in Never Summer’s Local Showcase

(Denver, CO 2017­03­20) –“My fellow Buttites, I am here asking for you to come to the Always Winter Showcase on April 1 st . As many of their Snowboard Team Members are from Crested Butte, I am asking for your involvement and support to this team and company. The event will a great gathering for us locals and their will some of out favorite restaurants in attendance. Grab a brew from The Last Steep, a pulled pork sandwhich from Butte 66, a slice from Brick Oven, and some pork belly tacos from Teocalli Tamle. I would not be asking for your support of this event if it didn’t mean a lot to me and many community members. Never Summer has been a huge community booster in the past and has put on this event to give us the opportunity to get together with one another. I want you all to be as invested in this event as I am and as supporter as possible. It means so much that Never Summer wants to enrich our community. They will also be taking donations for a local non­profit, the United States Deaf Ski and Snowboard Association. We have several community members, whom you may know who participate in the programs that the USDSSA puts on each year. While Never Summer itself holds a special place in out hearts, the USDSSA also hold a special place. The USDSSA has enrich many community members lives and giving back to this amazing organization is a great cause. Once again, I ask that you join me in supporting Never Summer in their Always Winter Showcase on April 1 st . Thank you and I can’t wait to see you all there, Mayor Aaron Huckstep” The event is supposed to be a huge community involvement effort. Not only will there be local food vendors, there will also be a local DJ.

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There is also an opportunity for customers to win VIP tickets for the event. Each person who purchases a Never Summer product before the 30th will automatically be put into the drawing to win the tickets. For more information on the contest go to www.neversummer.com/alwayswintervip. About Never Summer Industries Designing and building snowboards since 1983 has given us years of experience in testing and perfecting our snowboard designs and construction methods. We’ve recently taken this experience building snowboards and brought it to the world of longboarding. The end result of our experience coupled with a close working relationship with the world’s leading raw materials manufacturers and engineers allows us to bring you the most durable, high performance boards on the planet! Each board is carefully handcrafted in our Denver, Colorado factory to precision tolerances. Our domestic manufacturing and our ability to improve upon existing technologies resulted in Never Summer being awarded the first patent on any type of hybrid camber technology. We allow only the world’s best snowboard shops to sell our products. Tim and Tracey Canady 3838 Eudora Way, Denver, CO 80207 (303) 320­0170 ### To be released to: The Denver Post Daily Camera Summit Daily Rocky Mountain News Crested Butte News

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Tactic 6: Facebook Post about Always Winter

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Instagram Post about Always Winter

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Tweet about Always Winter Event

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Always Winter Event Final Poster

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Strategy 3: Tactic 1: YouTube Storyboards

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Tactic 2: LinkedIn account for blog posts, YouTube series to be posted here. We will create a professional LinkedIn account where you can post blogs about industry news, the YouTube series will be featured on here, as well as blog posts written by the team.

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Mock Blog Post Topics:

1. New products and boards 2. Team Bios 3. Never Summer’s favorite mountains to board 4. Opinions on new technology in the snowboarding industry 5. Recap of Winter X Games 6. Any events that Never Summer is hosting

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Tactic 3: Invitations for the event and list of influencers:

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Social Media Promo: Facebook

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Social Media Promo: Twitter

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Press Release/ Email/ Pitch Letter: Email to John Meyer Sports Writer at The Denver Post. jmeyer@denverpost.com Subject: Snowboarding Documentary Premiere Screening Dear John, Your recent articles about winter sports is right in with Never Summer’s Documentary release party. Your readership would be interested in this exciting event and the opportunity to meet Never Summer’s snowboarding team. The attached press release includes all the information about this event. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Jessie Simms Three Blondes PR 303­333­3333 threeblondespr@pr.com

John Meyer Bio John covers Olympic sports, endurance sports, and winter sports for Denver Post and Denver Post Sports. In his free time he is a runner, cyclist, skier and mountaineer.

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Jessie Simms Three Blondes PR

303-333-3333 threeblondespr@pr.com

For Release 2016-05-15

Take a Visual Journey and Relive Winter at Never Summer’s Documentary Release Party The shredding season doesn’t have to end just yet, This exciting event will take place at the Boulder Theater May, 21 2016. Boulder, Colo. (2016­05­15) –Never Summer announced today that they will be hosting a YouTube documentary release party next weekend at the Boulder Theater. Join Never Summer and relive this past season with a three­part YouTube series release viewing party. The entire Never Summer snowboarding team will be there and following the screening a question and answer will take place. The series features three videos that showcase Never Summer’s team talent, personality, and favorite gear. The event is free to the public and the doors open at 6 pm. Never Summer is excited to showcase their products and talent to consumers interested in snowboarding. Andrew Buergin, a snowboarder on Never Summer’s team said, “we had a lot of fun filming these videos. I am excited to see how they turn out and see how the local community reacts to them. It has been a fun ride this season and I love getting to talk to people in the community about the thing I love to do.” Guests will get a chance to meet the entire team and take photos after the screening. The event will fully immerse you in Never Summer’s brand. There will be a pop­up shop featured so any attendees can purchase new boards on sight. Attendees will get to see Never Summer’s products up close and get to see them in action. Never Summer wanted to do something local for the local community and Boulder Theater was the perfect venue. Guests will come in and hang out. Joe Blow, executive at Breckenridge states, “It’s been fun having the team on our mountain this season. I’m excited to see how this series shows off their talent.” The question and answer portion will be lead by Never Summer’s founder Tim Canady and will feature questions taken from Never Summer’s twitter. Tweet at Never Summer your question that you have for one of our team members for a chance to get it answered at the event. The team will be sticking around after the question and answer to talk with the community on a more personal note. They are willing to sign any Never Summer products and take pictures with guests. Food and drinks will be available for purchase at the event, but each person in attendance will get a free bag of popcorn to enjoy. Sit back and relax and watch

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some awesome videos all shot with GoPros of Never Summer’s team as they enjoy what they do best; Snowboarding. About Never Summer Industries Designing and building snowboards since 1983 has given us years of experience in testing and perfecting our snowboard designs and construction methods. We’ve recently taken this experience building snowboards and brought it to the world of longboarding. The end result of our experience coupled with a close working relationship with the world’s leading raw materials manufacturers and engineers allows us to bring you the most durable, high performance boards on the planet! Each board is carefully handcrafted in our Denver, Colorado factory to precision tolerances. Our domestic manufacturing and our ability to improve upon existing technologies resulted in Never Summer being awarded the first patent on any type of hybrid camber technology. We allow only the world’s best snowboard shops to sell our products. Tim and Tracey Canady 3838 Eudora Way, Denver, CO 80207 (303) 320­0170 ### About Andrew Buergin: Andrew Buergin is on Never Summer’s Snowboarding team his home mountain is Crested Butte. He has been snowboarding for 20 years and grew up in New Boston NH. He is currently living in Crested butte CO. When He can't ride, I like to play drums, skateboard, golf, and camp in the mountains. About Breckenridge Breckenridge is apart of Vail resorts: With five huge peaks spanning 2,908 acres, Breckenridge skiing has something for all abilities and interests. Every beginner and intermediate trail is groomed nightly so you can enjoy endless turns throughout your day. Or, ride North America’s highest chairlift, the Imperial Express, up to the high alpine bowls for unforgettable views and steeps. If you’re looking for terrain parks, Breckenridge has four—one for every skill level. Joe Blow Toll Free: 1­800­789­SNOW (7669) Local:(970) 453­5000 Email: breckinfo@vailresorts.com To be released to: The Denver Post, Daily Camera, Snowboard Colorado

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Strategy 4 Tactic 1:

Caroline Martin Three Blondes PR

303-333-3333 threeblondespr@pr.com

For immediate release

10 Surprising Ways to Buy Local Supporting local businesses is the best way you can support the economy and some of their products are too bad either 1. Never Summer Snowboards If you’re a boarder the easiest way for you to buy local is buy supporting Never Summer. They are located in Denver and all of their boards are handcrafted there. Each one of their boards are made with the Carbonium Laminate Technology, which combines an advanced top and base carbon matrix to maximize torsional response and strength where it’s needed most. Why not support your local board shop so they can support you down the mountain? 2. Bio Green Clean The first 100% natural household cleaning product is made right here in Colorado. Bio Green Clean is a, heavy­duty, non­toxic, multi­purpose cleaner that actually outperforms other cleaning products, even those with harsh chemicals. This company gives you the chance to purchase cleaning products that aren’t harmful for your family, as well as supporting a local business. 3. Coors Brewing Company Whether you want to try one of their newer craft beers or keep it classic with a Coors Banquet, supporting a local business is easy with Coors. Founded and brewed here in Colorado, Coors is one of the most famous icons of Colorado’s history. You can even take tours of their breweries and do taste testing if you’re 21 or older! 4. Justin’s Nut Butter Peanut butter is perfect for a school day lunch or a protein packed treat so why not support a local company while you’re at it. Not only does Justin’s have many different nut butters, they are all also organic and natural and made with only three ingredients. Jiffy can’t compare when Justin’s offers better nutrients and better taste! 5. Frontier Airlines Headquartered in Colorado, Frontier Airlines offers a great flight experience at affordable prices. Not only are you getting a bang for your buck, you’re supporting

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a local company too! Nothing feels better than a $49 flight to Tucson and some help to your local airline. 6. Core Power Yoga Started in Denver, Core power yoga offers plenty of classes for newbies and the yogis alike. Their classes are now in over 140 studios nationwide and offer an incredible workout experience. Not only do their classes kick ass, they offer a free week to those who are hesitant to begin. Check out your local Core Power for the workout of a lifetime. 7. Smartwool Everyone knows Coloradans love the outdoors and with 300+ days of sunshine, who can blame us? Smartwool is most famous for their socks, crafted for the activities you love, but they also offer a wide variety of clothing from pullovers to sports bras. Support your local Smartwool and stay warm on those 50 sunshine­free days. 8. Celestial Seasonings Nothing beats a warm cup of tea on a cold Colorado day or a chilled iced tea on warm summer day. Celestial Seasonings has everything a tea lover could dream of and more! Started in Boulder, they’re only a hop and a skip away from Denver and have free tours. Stop in today and try some of their famous brews! 9. Chipolte Even though Chipolte may have had a slight E­Coli break out, they still have the best burritos around! Started by three CU Boulder grads, Chipolte has over 2,000 restaurants in the United States. Each one of their restaurants has hand­crafted burritos made with local ingredients. And no, you’re not going to get E­Coli. 10. Otterbox If you’ve ever dropped your phone, you know how annoying and costly it can be to replace it or the shattered screen. Otterbox, made locally in Colorado, can fix that problem. Their cases, for phones and tablets, are designed to take the shock of a fall and protect your phone from damage. Keep your phone safe and keep your purchases local. ### To be released to: The Denver Post Daily Camera Summit Daily Rocky Mountain News

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Tactic 2: Caroline Martin

Three Blondes PR 303-333-3333

threeblondespr@pr.com

Dear _________, It was great meeting you the other day! Did you know there are only four local ski and snowboard industry leaders? Of these four, Never Summer Industries is by far the local leader and is a popular brand locally and semi­nationally. They are reached this position by the interesting business tactics including adding more attention to the quality of their resources and craftsmanship of their products. Never Summer, unlike most brands in its realm, has risen to fame from their excellent products and presentation. Burton, being one of their competitors, is a more well­known name in the snowboard industry. This is simply because of the amount of promotion and hype they put into their production and sales. Never Summer’s dedication to their brand and movement with new technology has given them a significant leg up on their competitors. Each one of their boards are specially handcrafted in their factory in Denver. There will be a special press conference at their factory in Denver for the unveiling of Never Summer’s newest board technology. I would love to give you the exclusive story if you are interested. Here are some quick facts: Designing and building snowboards since 1983, Never Summer has years of experience in testing and perfecting their snowboard designs and construction methods. They recently took their experience with building snowboards and brought it to the world of longboarding. The end result of that experience coupled with a close working relationship with the world’s leading raw materials manufacturers and engineers allows them to bring consumers the most durable, high performance boards on the planet! Here are some things we can offer you: ­ A special tour of the Never Summer Factory along with VIP access to the Special Guests tent ­ Exclusive before and after interview with Tim and Tracey Canady (Co­founders of Never Summer Industries) ­ A special interview with Never Summer’s Snowboard team I look forward to hearing from you and I will call Monday to check in. Have a great weekend! To be released to: The Denver Post – John Meyer (Olympics/Skiing) Daily Camera – Matt Sebastien (Editor) Summit Daily ­ Kevin Fixler (Ski industry) Rocky Mountain News – Editor

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Tactic 3: Caroline Martin

Three Blondes PR 303-333-3333

threeblondespr@pr.com

Dear _________, It was great meeting you the other day! Did you know that over 200 Deaf Community members gather in Breckenridge, Colorado, every year? The United States Deaf Ski and Snowboard Association hold an annual convention in Breck and this year, Never Summer Industries will be sponsoring the event. This event is held in order to encourage young deaf skiers and snowboarders to participate by providing them the opportunity to train, race, and eventually go to the Winter Deaflympics. One of the ways Never Summer will be sponsoring this year’s event is by giving away 5 free snowboards to attendees. There will be a special presentation to those who win the snowboards. I would love to give you the exclusive story if you are interested. Here are some quick facts: Founded in 1968, the United States Deaf Ski and Snowboard Association (USDSSA) provides a means for deaf people to get together and share their love for skiing and snowboarding and sponsor races for deaf skiers. The Deaflympics are held every four years, and are the longest running multi­sport event excluding the Olympics themselves. Never Summer will be sponsoring this year’s event and will be sponsoring the upcoming Winter Deaflympics Snowboard Team. Here are some things we can offer you: ­ On the stage access for the presentation along with VIP access to the Special Guests tent ­ Exclusive before and after interview with Ellen Roth (President of USDSSA) ­ A special interview with past Winter Deaflympics Snowboard Team I look forward to hearing from you and I will call Monday to check in. Have a great weekend! To be released to: The Denver Post – John Meyer (Olympics/Skiing) Daily Camera – Matt Sebastien (Editor) Summit Daily ­ Kevin Fixler (Ski industry) Rocky Mountain News – Editor Tactic 4:

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Jessie Simms Three Blondes PR

303-333-3333 threeblondespr@pr.com

For Immediate Release

Designing and building snowboards since 1983, Tracey and Tim Canaday found their passion. We caught up with Never Summer’s co­founders and learned what a day in the life of looks like. Denver, Colo. (2016­04­24) –Tim and Tracey Canady began making their own snowboards while taking a high school wood shopping class. They now are the co­founders of Never Summer. The company is named after the Never Summer mountain range in Colorado, where snow can be found year round. Their motto is focusing less on excessive promotion and hype, and more on using the highest quality materials, craftsmanship, and customer service. They have created the world’s premier independent board company. We were able to catch up with the two of them and learn what it is like to be the co­founders of Never Summer. * Q: How long have you two been into snowboarding? A: Tim: “I’ve always enjoyed snowboarding. I really got into it when I was in high school. But that was when snowboarding was not as big of a sport as it is today.” Tracey: “Yeah, We have both been big into winter sports and I am an adrenalin junkie so I think I have been boarding for over 20 years.” Q: What was a big break for you guys as far as for the company? A: Tim: “I think a big turning point was when snowboarding was officially recognized as a sport in 1985, it allowed us to turn our hobby into a business. We launched in 1991.” Tracey: “I agree with Tim, but also in 2010 we were awarded a patent for our Rocker & Camber design. That was a big moment for Never Summer as a company.”

Q: What sets you guys apart from other snowboarding companies? A: Tim: “We knew that outsourcing production would be cheaper but we truly believe in having durable quality products so we keep our production local so we have full control.” Tracey: “We also are always looking at new designs and new ways to be innovative. Q: What’s your favorite part about living in Denver? Tim: “I love the Colorado culture. It truly is unique, and being able to drive up to the Mountains to shred on the weekends is amazing!”

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Tracey: “Being outdoors you can not beat the 300 days of sunshine. It actually is an amazing place to live.” Tim and Tracey enjoy the outdoors and when they are not working you can find them outside in the mountains. Both brothers started building snowboards in their teens and before they established Never Summer they established Swift Snowboards with their friend. Both Tim and Tracey love what they are doing and are true entrepreneurs. About Never Summer Industries Designing and building snowboards since 1983 has given us years of experience in testing and perfecting our snowboard designs and construction methods. We’ve recently taken this experience building snowboards and brought it to the world of longboarding. The end result of our experience coupled with a close working relationship with the world’s leading raw materials manufacturers and engineers allows us to bring you the most durable, high performance boards on the planet! Each board is carefully handcrafted in our Denver, Colorado factory to precision tolerances. Our domestic manufacturing and our ability to improve upon existing technologies resulted in Never Summer being awarded the first patent on any type of hybrid camber technology. We allow only the world’s best snowboard shops to sell our products. Tim and Tracey Canady 3838 Eudora Way, Denver, CO 80207 (303) 320­0170 ### *all quotes are made up and if hired we would interview and get real quotes To be released to: The Denver Post Summit Daily Snowboard Colorado Magazine, Transworld Snowboarding Magazine

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Tactic 5: Pitch Letter; Release to The Denver Post – John Meyer (Olympics/Skiing), Daily Camera – Matt Sebastien (Editor), Summit Daily - Kevin Fixler (Ski industry)

Jessie Simms

Three Blondes PR 303-333-3333

threeblondespr@pr.com Dear ________, I hope your week is going well. It was nice talking with you the other day. Did you know there are hundreds of kids in Colorado do not have the same opportunity to learn how to snowboard because of disabilities they have? There is a program called Ignite Adaptive Sports that helps these kids get to experience the thrill of winter. Never Summer is teaming up with Ignite Adaptive Sports. The Never Summer snowboarding team will be volunteering with the program next season and we will be hosting an event to kick the season off. The kick off event will be in January 2017 and there will be activities for the family. The team will be hosting meet and greets and also will be interacting with the participants in Ignite Adaptive Sports. The event will also feature a demonstration by our team. Your readers will enjoy learning about this local company's outreach to their local community. Never Summer is giving back and making an impact in Colorado’s own community . Some quick info: Ignite Adaptive Sports provides instruction in alpine and cross­country skiing and snowboarding to people with cognitive and physical disabilities. This program aims to enhance people with disabilities quality of life. The Never Summer team will be volunteering and giving lessons to people with disabilities and will be on the mountain snowboarding with them to ensure safety. Here are some assets we can offer you: ­ Tickets to our event ­Early access to our event ­Interviews with the Never Summer team and Interviews with the participants ­Spotlight story on Mary, one of Ignite Adaptive Sport’s students who has a vision disability. ­Photos of our events, team members, and participants ­Statistics about Never Summer and our products ­Statistics about Ignite Adaptive Sports and their services ­Exclusive access to the demonstration ­Interviews with Never Summer’s co­founders

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I look forward to hearing your thoughts and will follow up with a phone call this Friday. Sincerely, Jessie Simms Three Blondes PR 303­333­3333 threeblondespr@pr.com The Denver Post – John Meyer (Olympics/Skiing) Daily Camera – Matt Sebastien (Editor) Summit Daily ­ Kevin Fixler (Ski industry)

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Tactic 6: Release to: Denver Post sports features editor, snowboarding town newspapers (ex. Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, Aspen, Loveland, etc.)

Mary Lawhorn Three Blondes PR

303-333-3333 threeblondespr@pr.com

Hello _____, Did you know that SOS Outreach has helped over 36,282 at risk youth develop crucial leadership skills and foster self­confidence since 2013? Did you also know that they are headquartered in Avon Colorado and have a huge network of volunteers to help host events and companies to sponsor them? This upcoming weekend, on December 13, SOS will hold one of their signature events, “SnowCore” at Vail Resort Mountains. SnowCore is an introductory winter program that provides the at risk youth that the non­profit serves with a 1­2 day ski or snowboard trip. Sponsors donate all the equipment necessary for the day, eliminating the cost of clothes, gear and the actual ski’s or snowboards. This year SOS has a special sponsor, Never Summer, the snowboarding company headquartered in Denver. The company, founded and owned by brothers Tim and Tracey Canaday, will donate over 200 snowboards for the event, and will be sending some of their sponsored snowboarding team to give lessons to the youth in attendance. The event is expected to host 400 at risk youths that would not have had such an important opportunity without SOS. The Canaday brothers said, “We’re really excited to get to sponsor such an awesome event like this. We were both around some of these kid’s age when we found our passion for boarding and we hope that by helping make this day exciting that maybe some of them will find their passion too.”

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The event will take place on December 13 at Vail Ski Mountain and both the program director of SOS outreach and the Canaday brothers will be in attendance for further questions. We would love to get you a day pass to ski or snowboard with some of the kids and get some more information on what the program is all about so let us know if you would be interested in this opportunity. I have attached bot SOS’s website and contact information as well as Never Summer’s. Feel free to email or call me with any other questions you may have. Hope all is well, I look forward to hearing from you, and I will give you a call this Friday. Thank you, Mary SOS Outreach: 450 Miller Ranch Road, Edwards, CO 81632 970.926.9292 sos@sosoutreach.org http://sosoutreach.org Never Summer: 3838 Eudora Way, Denver, CO 80207 Info@neversummer.com http://www.neversummer.com

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Tactic 7: Send to Snowboarder Magazine, Transworld Snowboarding magazine, Denver Post, Snowboard Colorado magazine.

Mary Lawhorn Three Blondes PR

303-333-3333 threeblondespr@pr.com

Local Colorado snowboarding companies bring new technology to market. Three of the biggest local Colorado snowboarding companies are bringing new technology and innovation to a national level. (Boulder, Colorado­­ April 12, 2016) Three of Colorado’s most influential snowboarding companies are changing the industry as a whole with their innovation and new technology in hopes of attracting more people to the sport than ever before this upcoming winter season. Snowboarding is an ever­evolving sport, with an even more evolving industry behind it. With Colorado being one of the premier snowboarding and skiing destinations in the country, it is no surprise that the innovation and new technology is coming from local companies OZ Snowboards, Venture Snowboards, and Never Summer. OZsnowboards is one of the most eco friendly boarding companies in the state, much less the country. Their factory is 100% powered by wind, they use USDA certified bio­renewable epoxy resin sourced from waste streams, and they even use recycled plastics in some of their snowboards. Their company strives to be more environmentally friendly and make their boards extremely durable. Founder Adam Browning said, “I had one goal in mind and that was to make a better snowboard.” One unique part of their snowboards, is that they use metal edges all around their snowboards to make them more durable, and their snowboards are made from full length tip to tail poplar stringers, meaning that their snowboards are all one piece rather than two which makes them less likely to break. This is one company that is definitely willing to spend more money to make a higher quality product for their customers and that shows in their reviews. Venture snowboards: Venture snowboard was founded in 1999 in Silverton and has a unique aspect to their company; “the ShapeShack.” While some companies have board meetings and brainstorming sessions, Venture has a room for experimenting where people essentially brainstorm every day. Employees and artists working for the company report to the Shape Shack every day to work on new shapes for boards, new artwork, and ways to make boards lighter, stronger, faster and more durable. This is where they came up with their Straight­line rocker technology, which is modeled after the style of a surfboard to provide a “playful surfy ride, but plenty of control and edge grip when you need it.” One of the unique things about Venture is that

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they manufacture their boards on a snow mountain, which means that their boards are made by snowboarders, for snowboarders, and can practically guarantee high quality. Never summer: Never Summer has already changed the game once with their Rocker­camber design that they patented and released in 2008, but this year they are rolling out an even bigger innovation with their “3 is better than 2 idea.” Never Summer is improving on their rocker­camber idea by introducing the idea of three pressure points instead of two. This is going to give snowboarders more pivot power and control than ever before. Never Summer is one of the most influential snowboarding manufacturers/ companies in the state, as they produce over 22,000 snowboards in their warehouse in Denver. This provides for improvements to be made much easier to their boards since they are produced here rather than overseas. Professional snowboarder and sponsored athlete Austin Gibney said, “ I had plenty of sponsorship opportunities from boarding companies but I signed with Never Summer because they’re one of the most innovative and growing companies and I prefer to buy local.” Perhaps the most important aspect of this innovation though, is that since Never Summer manufactures boards for other Colorado companies such as High Society Freeride, and many other Colorado companies, anyone who buys local will benefit from the new technology. OzSnowboards: 4880 Robb St Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (720) 204­ 1769 started in 1993 Oz snowboards is located in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and their motto is: “We are committed to building the highest quality snowboards using the best components available.” http://www.ozsnowboards.com/collections/splitboard­gear Venture Snowboards: The only thing our team loves more than building snowboards is riding snowboards. Venture was founded in 1999, beginning our lifelong pursuit of crafting unrivaled snowboards for maximum mountain enjoyment and performance. Every Venture is handcrafted by snowboarders in our Silverton, Colorado factory and tested in some of the most demanding terrain in the lower 48. The mountains dictate the design; countless hours of rider R&D go into every product. Fortunately for us, “R&D” in this case equals snowboarding. http://www.venturesnowboards.com/ Never Summer: 3838 Eudora Way, Denver, CO 80207 USA info@neversummer.com

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The end result of our experience coupled with a close working relationship with the world’s leading raw materials manufacturers and engineers allows us to bring you the most durable, high performance boards on the planet! Each board is carefully handcrafted in our Denver, Colorado factory to precision tolerances. Our domestic manufacturing and our ability to improve upon existing technologies resulted in Never Summer being awarded the first patent on any type of hybrid camber technology. We allow only the world’s best snowboard shops to sell our products. http://www.neversummer.com/company/ ###

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Contact Information

Jessie Simms | Caroline Martin | Mary Lawhorn

Email: 3blondespr@pr.com Phone: 303-333-3333

Jenna Malmquist Email: jenna@neversummer.com

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