Outdoor Insight

*ULY s /UTDOOR )NSIGHT s OUTDOORINSIGHTMAGCOM On being a small town, West Virginia retailer "The bottom fell out on the coal industry here in the 1950s and this town went radio silent. The white water rafting business picked up here about 40 years ago. Then the climbing business moved in, too, and then mountain biking took off here. We started our busi- ness here about 25 years ago when the town was still pretty much boarded up. We have watched this town come back to life. It's Appalachia. The change has been slow and incremental, but also unmistakable. We are getting somewhere. It is gratifying to see and be a part of it. The outdoor community here has gone through a long process of assimilat- ing into the community at large. There are amazing outdoor resources in this area." On her own outdoor roots "I didn't grow up in a particularly outdoorsy family. Back then you just kind of were outdoors. I remember when I was little being in a state park in Iowa and running down a trail. You figure out early on what makes you feel good, even if it's not an articulated thought. I started hiking and backpacking and camping in high school. My husband and I started dating in college and he was a rock climber. I started rock climbing in 1981 and found this sub-community and was enamored with it. I loved being in the climbing tribe. Then I got into kayaking and whitewater and there's another outdoor sub-community that was just fabulous. In my teens and twenties I started identifying as part of that outdoor com- munity and we have built our lives around it." On women who inspired her "I had a poster of Lynn Hill, that classic Patagonia poster on the Insomnia route. I had it on my wall. She was such a badass and she always will be. I dreamed of climbing 5.11 and there she was on the jug grinning with her braids and her adorableness. I also read a lot of mountaineer- ing literature and there were a lot of super badass women. Arlene Blum's book about an all-women's ascent of Annapurna, that was one. There were always women on the forefront in the books and climbing literature I was reading." On being a woman in the outdoor community "I always felt it was welcoming. I trained as a raft guide and that company had a strong history of women guides. One of the reasons I love the outdoor community is I felt as wel- come as anybody." On outdoor brands catering to female consumers "We are way past shrink and pink it. The brands have gotten smart about it and are designing some terrific women's-specific product. I see it all as positive. I don't pick it apart. I have lots of issues with brands, but how they deal with women's stuff is not one of them." On re-thinking specialty retail "We are rejiggering our business model and doubling down on things that are hard to buy on the internet, such as footwear. Climbing shoes are our biggest category and we are doubling down there. We are shuffling our product mix and focusing on categories that customers need to try on and touch. We are also doing consignment now, which has been fabulous. Consignment makes sense and it feels good. We are not heavy consumers. We preach 'buy good stuff and wear it out.' And if you don't wear it out, let us consign it and let someone else wear it. That's how this community operates." On what her shop's mission is "We build community. It's so gratifying. We have come a long way in the last 25-30 years to creat- ing a new iteration of Fayetteville that is linked to our local history, but it's like Fayetteville 2.0. It is now very outdoor recreation-oriented and it is working. West Virginia is so special. There is so much affordable, family fun to be had here. It is a great place to turn tentative people into outdoor people. It is our job to reach our hand out and hold people's hands. Our tagline is 'quality gear and friendly advice.' It is our mission to create outdoor people." On the outdoor industry tribe "The Grassroots Outdoor community — that's where we go to find our people and talk about our issues. We love the outdoor industry. And it's been tough especially with the corporatization of outdoor brands. But we are finding our way. It is a different marketplace today." On championing smaller brands "It's the job of outdoor specialty to find the next generation of outdoor brands that value what we do. We will build partnerships with those brands that are looking to partner and work with brick- and-mortar specialty retailers. Brands like E9, Sherpa Gear and Rab — they are great to work with. You want to feel you are a partner with brands you are selling. Of course it has to start with superlative product. We are always looking for brands that meet our standards. I hold the outdoor industry to a high standard and I always will. " Q Located in a once bustling coal town, Water Stone Outdoors has been part of Fayetteville's revitalization since the shop opened its doors in 1994. Maura Kistler co-owns Water Stone with her husband, Jim, and their business partner, Kenny Parker. The shop is well known for its climbing expertise, quality gear and friendly advice in the New River Gorge of West Virginia. Here, Maura Kistler offers her perspective on the industry. The Water Stone Outdoors family living it up. MAURA KISTLER, CO-OWNER, WATER STONE OUTDOORS, FAYETTEVILLE, WV Grassroots Perspectives is a new editorial series in Outdoor Insight where we share Grassroots Outdoor Alliance retail members' stories, challenges and inspirations. Climbing Upwards

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