Dec. 21, 2020, 4:27 PM UTCAmerica’s backcountry, aka the road traditionally less traveled in the winter sports world, has soared to new heights during the pandemic — along with a boom in equipment and accessory sales.
“When Covid-19 hit and all the resorts closed [at the beginning of the pandemic], there was a mad rush to load up on backcountry gear,” Sargent told NBC News. “Since we had another eight weeks of snow, people wanted to get outside, and they had a lot of time on their hands. So, what better activity when you have time, and you've got snow, to get out into the backcountry?”
Splitboards, the snowboard’s backcountry sister, saw a 151 percent increase in sales since last year, according to the same NPD data. “The closest thing to that in our industry is splitboards, because you're not limited by the resort. It’s the same way with biking, you can go ride wherever so that you’re not in total lockdown,” he told NBC News. “By the end of the summer, you couldn't find a bike if you wanted one. Just as snow is starting to fly, it's going to be a matter of weeks before, it's like, you're going to be lucky to find a splitboard.
More than 80 percent of what Outdoor Gear Exchange sold during that first week of September was backcountry-capable, he said. “It's a long, slow process. It's something you learn with mentorship. It's something you learn with experience,” said Cody Townsend, a professional skier and athlete for French sports equipment manufacturer Salomon. “Learning to backcountry ski in a safe manner takes a lot of time and to just go out and get the gear and expect to go to the top of the biggest peak in your local range and ski down it, I think is really dangerous.