Brand Drops Pro Climbers for Community Leaders
To reach a wider audience, Eddie Bauer has built a team of inspiring community leaders
Who a brand uses to spread their message and promote their products varies from company to company, but for decades most in the climbing space relied on the best climbers and professional guides. Times have changed, and brands that once relied on cutting-edge climbers are rethinking who they support.
Eddie Bauer is a popular company that was started in 1920 by a Seattle-based climbing guide named Eddie Bauer. For the past 15 years, they had a team of elite climbers and guides. In January, that team, known as Guide Built, was terminated. The team included 11 athletes, of which several are well-known climbers, such as Caroline George, Carla Perez, Paige Claassen and Adrian Ballinger. They were replaced with community leaders, activists, and influencers who work to improve access to the outdoors.
Eddie Bauer released this statement: We have discontinued the Guide Built program and our formal guide-based product development relationships in order to reach a broader audience and wider distribution opportunity for First Ascent – our most technical outdoor product. First Ascent is evolving to a more comprehensive collection of technical, premium outdoor products for all mountain experiences, informed by over 100 years of product-development know-how.
Eddie Bauer’s Community Leaders program includes several inspiring individuals who work to improve access to the mountains and outdoors. Mikah Meyer is an adventurer and LGBTQ+ rights advocate who became the first person to visit all 419 US National Parks in a single road trip. Sonya Wilson is the founder of American Sign Language Climbing Network. And Roy Tuscany is the CEO of High Fives Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps athletes recover from life-changing injuries and return to the sports they love. To learn more about the team of nine, visit here.
Old Guide Built Program
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