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8 Inside Outdoor | WINTER 2021 Chamonix, France-based special- ty ski brand, ZAG Skis, announced a brand launch partnership with Colora- do’s Global Sales Guys (GSG). ZAG skis will be available in the U.S. this January via select specialty retailers and will launch nationwide in time for the ’21/’22 season. Since its inception in 2002, ZAG products have been designed, proto- typed and developed in the ZAG Lab at the heart of Chamonix, France, and the base of Aiguille du Midiand Les Grand-Montets. “At Global Sales Guys, we live by the responsibility to provide ‘specialty products for specialty shops,’ and ZAG is the perfect partner for us on this mission,” said Marty Carrigan, founder/CEO Global Sales Guys. “We believe the brands that choose to support specialty retail as a vital as- pect of their distribution strategy will enjoy long-term, sustainable success. Never before has the role of specialty retail been more important” “Retailers are faced with many challenges today, but one of the big- gest threats to their livelihood is that many of their suppliers are becoming their competitors as they shift into more aggressive direct-to-consumer busi- ness models,” said Sasha Dietschi- Cooper, vice president of brand and business development at Global Sales Guys. “ZAG has 18 years of heritage and proven success in the European ski market and yet is virtually unknown in North American. We’re excited to bring a brand with such rich history, progressive vision and established product line to market in the U.S.” PFD and footwear brand Astral added Stephen Seaton to its sales team to represent the brand across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. An independent rep for nine years, Seaton’s current portfo- lio also includes Free Fly, Siteline Provisions, Nautilus Reels, and Scott Fly Rods. “We’re excited to work with Ste- phen moving forward,” said Bryan Owen, sales manager for Astral. “His experience and passion for the out- doors will surely be a huge benefit to Astral and our customers in Texas and beyond.” Seaton can be reached at  stephen@ lonestarlobo.com  or 972-983-9530. ECCO Outdoor Adds Four Rep Groups Family-owned global footwear brand ECCO has added sales rep groups in four key territories to further expand its business in the outdoor and athletic specialty catego- ry. Having recently appointed Erik Walcott to global head of specialty sales, the brand said it continues moving toward furthering its commitment to growth in outdoor and athletic in the U.S. “The outdoor market is shifting and becoming much faster and more athletic, and we see a lot of potential for ECCO Outdoor as we offer our retailers a point of difference, newness and, most importantly, profitability,” said Thomas Dixon, national sales and product manager for outdoor for ECCO USA. Pat Davis will lead the Green River Sales group in the Rockies, with accounts existing and currently opening in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. With Green River Sales, ECCO joins other notable outdoor and specialty brands including Mountain Hardwear and the STANLEY brand. Stephanie Terrell Guth and Katie Woodruff of bettysport are taking on the South Central region for the brand, covering Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklaho- ma, Mississippi, and Texas, where they also drive sales for Eagle Creek, Outdoor Research and Prana. Paul Gerten of Gerten Outdoors will head up the Midwest states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wiscon- sin with proven sales for brands including Nemo and Primus. Cody Prudoehl of Outside Moves adds ECCO outdoor to its sales mix which includes bringing Howler Brothers, Mammut, Nitro Snowboards, Oakley, and Topo Designs sales and service to spe- cialty partners in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The new sales force joins current agen- cies in the Pacific Northwest and West Coast led by Bill Campbell of Strategic Sales Solutions, and in the Southeast, with Katherine Corbett of Venture Out Inc. ZAG Skis Partners with Global Sales Guys on U.S. Launch Astral Names Texas Region Rep Baptiste Barbot, international sales manager, Zag Skis, and Marty Carrigan, CEO/ founder of Global Sales Guys testing skis on the glaciers of Switzerland in fall 2020.