In 2005, we were just a few guys building gear designed for hunting, worthy of mountaineering. Our small team was working around the clock trying to run a business and get product out the door, and we just weren’t hunting enough to do the kind of field testing that results in game-changing innovation. So we recruited a couple elite hunters to help us beat the hell out of gear in the most demanding weather and terrain imaginable, and to tell us what to change. The Sitka Athlete program was born.
This idea wasn’t new to the outdoor gear world, but it was revolutionary within the hunting industry. People joked. They asked how athletic a guy had to be to drink beer, shoot stuff, and talk to the camera.
But the Athletes have earned the badge. They have prepared, scouted, and executed with intense focus. They are not celebrities, and none of them have TV shows. They are remarkable hunters, passionate and authentic sages. Guys anyone would be lucky to learn from. They understand our mission of Turning Clothing Into Gear, of inventing tools that help them achieve their goals. And with that understanding, they give us bare-knuckle, laser-focused feedback that continues to push the boundaries of what we think is possible. They are the pinnacle of field testers, the subjects of some of our favorite stories. Great images and the remaining story at this link….