Name: Jarda Zaoral
Company: Freelance Photographer, Writer and Blogger at www.thebestviewpoints.com

Favourite outdoor activities:
Hiking and climbing mountains around the world and basically all winter sports, especially nordic skating and all kinds of skiing
 
What’s your main contribution of being in the Jury do you think?
I started testing outdoor equipment during my project European Peaks which I brought me to the highest peak of every European country between 2018 and 2019 so I will be looking at the products how they can handle tough mountain conditions. For me, it’s important to find balance between light weight and durable material.

 

Name: Astrid Schlüchter
Company: PERFORMANCE DAYS functional fabric fair (Design & Development GmbH Textile Consult)
Title: Senior Communication Manager Country: Germany

Favorite outdoor activities:
Snowboarding, Mountainbiking/Downhill, hiking, general outdoor sports, running and fitness, climbing

What’s your main contribution of being in the Jury do you think?
I have been deeply rooted in the outdoor- and fashionindustry for over 15 years. After studying at ESMOD in Munich, I built a reputation as a freelance journalist specializing in sports, lifestyle and fashion, following my most recent role as editor-in-chief of the B2B magazine SAZsport. Perhaps that’s why I’ve had the opportunity to contribute my expertise as a jury member for the ISPO Awards, as well as a member of the “she is outdoors” Awards and the SAZsport Newcomer Awards Startrampe. The field of performance and sportswear has always been my primary interest. Whether it’s fabrics and their composition, exciting new technical solutions, innovative design approaches, or developments in insulation and membranes, it’s a passion that ultimately led me to support the sustainable sourcing fair for functional fabrics & accessories PERFORMANCE DAYS in my new role as communications manager. I’ve always sought balance from everyday life in the mountains—preferably through mountain biking, hiking, or snowboarding. Having appropriate equipment and clothing by my side is essential. Primarily, my focus is on defining the utility of a product and then, of course, in a second step, whether it offers a benefit for the active athlete. In the future, it’s crucial for brands to constantly question whether introducing a new product to the market is worthwhile—considering factors like production methods, location, and the ability to fully recycle garments back into the cycle.

 

 

Name: Nadine Regel
Company: Freelance sports journalist for Süddeutsche Zeitung and outdoor/mountaineering media such as bergundsteigen, outdoor-Magazin, magazines of the German alpine association and many more. Topics: expedition mountaineering, climbing, trail/ultra running, skimo, focus on female athletes/adventurers. https://nadineregel.com @nadineausnahme
Location: Munich, Germany

Favorite outdoor activities:
Thru-Hiking, mountaineering, trekking, trail running, ski touring and experiencing outdoors with my dog Ralfi and my friends. Since 2020 mostly traveling Europe with my camper van to find new places and stories.

What’s your main contribution of being in the Jury do you think?
My heart belongs to the outdoors. Over the past 20 years I have traveled the world and experienced several continents mainly through my activities in nature. Trekking is one of my biggest passions as it gives me the most profound feeling of freedom. I’m super happy to share my experiences and knowledge with a broad audience through my publications. On my (research) trips I always have equipment with me for testing purposes. Currently, I’m writing a book about my alp cross that I did with my dog Ralfi in 2023. Also for this year we have planned a big trip – this time we are trekking with tent. What I value the most about gear is versatility and durability. When I’m in the outdoors I want to trust my equipment 100 percent and try to make use of most of it for different purposes. Rating and recommending products that I have thoroughly tested is just what helps other people to have wonderful experiences in the outdoors. That’s why I’m super happy to be part of the jury fall/winter 2024.

 

 

Name: Fredrik Ekström

Company: Above the Clouds & Scandinavian Mind
Above The Clouds: Founder, Brand Strategist and Consumer Insight Specialist. Creator of two annual insight reports, The NXT Outdoor Consumer Report and The NXT Sustainable Consumer Report. Based on 2500 nordic respondents.
Scandinavian MIND: Editor-at-Large Outdoor & Sustainability
Founder of: Explorers Run Club Trailfulness running Chamonix, and Freelance Strategy Days, ski touring and freelance network co-creation in Engelberg.

Country: Sweden

Favorite outdoor activities:
By far my greatest passion is mountain trail runnig, long slow distances, not to win any race, but rather as explorative journeys with a mix of running and mindfulness – Trailfulness. That is also the focus of the Explorers Running Club. However, I just love to be outdoors and I always have a lot of activities as ongoing projects and trips, it’s a lot of hiking, climbing, back country skiing and ski touring. Probably the usual mix of adrenalin and connecting with nature.

What’s your main contribution of being in the Jury do you think? 
My main contribution is probably the deep knowledge I have in outdoor consumer behavior, outdoor trends and lifestyle context, linked to branding, products and sustainability, but also how this could merge into more of a lifestyle usage and place the products in a wider context, that is increasingly important for outdoor brands today when entering new markets or addressing new consumer groups.