New South Wales, Australia (August 26, 2009) - Following an intensive search for motivated outdoor enthusiasts, W. L. Gore & Associates has announced the team of nine who they believe have got what it takes to be GORE-TEX® product Gear Testers. Selected from more than 1000 applicants, these everyday people will put a range of the latest GORE-TEX® clothing and footwear to the test in their outdoor adventures over the next three months.
Reporting from the frontline of adventure, each Gear Tester will post news, updates and product reviews at the GORE-TEX® brand website gore-tex.com.au.
In addition to their regular activities, the Gear Testers have also been tasked with a monthly challenge. With the first challenge already underway, their mission is to be the ‘…est’ – be it the ‘highest’ they climb, the ‘driest’ they can be, or any other ‘…est’ their outdoor spirit can muster. The public will vote to decide who wins.
The stakes are high but the reward is an enviable one. At the end of October, the man or woman with the highest total number of votes across each challenge will walk away with an AUD $4000 Peregrine Adventures travel voucher. Those voting will also have the opportunity to go into the draw to win a limited edition GORE-TEX® Paclite® Shell Test Team jacket. Vying for the ultimate prize, the 2009 GORE-TEX® product Gear Testers are:
- Simon Morris – Tasmania (Australia): A senior emergency nurse and volunteer of the Search and Rescue team for the State Emergency Service, Simon is a regular trekker, bushwalker and mountaineer. Having taken on a range of Tasmania’s most challenging terrain, Simon has also trekked in the Himalayas and southern Turkey.
- Beth Masser – South Island (New Zealand): Working in National Park management, Beth has both a professional and personal interest in staying warm, dry and comfortable! Her outdoor adventures range from mountain biking to mountaineering, trekking, skiing and a range of watersports.
- Brent Johnson – New South Wales (Australia): Having been actively engaged in outdoor pursuits for more than 15 years covering many corners of the globe, including Australia, Nepal and Canada, Brent is a keen ice/rock climber, alpine ski tourer and mountain biker. Brent is a registered nurse, while also studying environmental science.
- Brian Furze – New South Wales (Australia): A professional sociologist who specialises in community-based approaches to conservation, Brian combines his personal outdoor passions of bushwalking, mountain biking and camping with his profession. His work sees him involved with communities in the Himalayas, the tiger reserves of northern India and the Aegean Sea of northern Greece.
- Jordy Hendrikx – South Island (New Zealand): A snow and ice scientist, Jordy spends a lot of time in the mountains of New Zealand, North America, Europe and Antarctica conducting tests and collecting snow and avalanche data. He is a keen mountaineer, skier and rock climber along with a range of other outdoor pursuits.
- Malaika Davies – North Island (New Zealand): An outdoor instructor at the Sir Edmond Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre, Malaika works and plays in the outdoors. She has undertaken adventures in a range of countries from her homeland to Nepal and South East Asia, and loves any outdoor pursuits that involve mountains from mountaineering to abseiling, skiing and whitewater kayaking.
- Marilyn Moore – Victoria (Australia): Marilyn’s outdoor pursuits range from cycling to bushwalking, camping and skiing. Having spent more than forty years conducting fieldwork as a geologist, in addition to her travel pursuits in the Himalayas, Tasmania and beyond, her appreciation of the outdoors and rugged conditions are second to none.
- Ross Bidmead – North Island (New Zealand): An adventure organiser, Ross’ outdoor quests include sailing, kayaking, rogaining, mountaineering, trekking and more. From Antarctica to the Amazon jungles, Ross is also very familiar with the vast outdoor adventures available in his backyard of New Zealand’s North Island.
- Sean Coleman – New South Wales (Australia): A keen rock-climber, skier and mountaineer, Sean is a student who spends as much time as possible conquering the great outdoors from ice climbing at Blue Lake to rock climbing in the Blue Mountains.
GORE-TEX® products and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates.
Contact
Corrina Frankham or Megan McKay
Write Away Communication + Events
P: + 61 2 9978 1410
E: corrina@writeaway.com.au; megan@writeaway.com.au