Utah
Tariff uncertainty looms large as Outdoor Retailer returns to Utah
SALT LAKE CITY — A collective giggle erupted in a Salt Palace Convention Center conference room when the T-word made its first appearance at this year’s Outdoor Retailer.
That T-word? Tariffs.
Outdoor Retailer is back in Utah this week, and it was immediately clear from the first scheduled event on Tuesday that tariffs are the latest uncertainty looming over the outdoor recreation product trade industry. It follows other drastic challenges over the past few years, like new consumer habits, natural disasters and — of course — the supply chain.
“They’re the elephant that everybody has to deal with in the industry at this point,” said Sunny Stroeer, owner of Dreamland Safari Tours in Kanab and founder of the mountaineering adventure group AWExpeditions.
The outdoor industry supported about 5 million jobs in the U.S. alone two years ago, as well as $1.2 trillion in economic output and 2.3% of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. But the impact of tariffs — a tax on imported goods — remains unclear for the people who manufacture outdoor products and the people who sell them.
President Donald Trump raised tariffs for certain countries not long after taking office in January, and he imposed even more widespread tariffs as part of his “Liberation Day” plan unveiled in April. It featured a broad tariff of 10% for all countries, with even steeper tariffs on various items brought in from countries like China, Canada and Mexico in an attempt to handle the U.S.’s trade imbalance.
There have been pauses, court cases and trade negotiations since then, but some are still in place, and others are slated to take effect later this year, per the law firm Reed Smith and its “Tariff Tracker.”
It’s become a logistical challenge for manufacturers, many of which still rely on a global supply chain. One of the companies that Joleen Ong — senior director of brand and retailer membership at Cascale, formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition — works with relayed a story to her about how a truck carrying supplies from Mexico arrived in the U.S. hours before a tariff changed.
“If that truck driver had just stopped to get a coffee or take a break, they probably would have saved like $4 million,” she told an audience of growing companies gathered at Outdoor Retailer.
Some companies, she adds, have rushed to get products into the U.S. as soon as possible because they don’t want to deal with the possibility of tariffs being reinstated later this year. Others are concerned that additional tariffs could come down the road beyond what’s been introduced.
Many are trying to figure out what costs they can absorb and what costs end up going to the consumer, while many are also looking to see where they can be more efficient with their supply chain to avoid this dilemma.
In short, she says it’s become a “really big deal” because the potential tariffs are “quite sweeping” globally as compared to the past.
All of this comes as the supply chain has become decentralized over the past several decades, explains Jenni Staudacher, vice president of supply chain of Salomon, a French sports equipment manufacturer whose North American headquarters are located in Ogden.
That means goods might be stored, processed or transferred across different facilities to cut costs, increase flexibility or improve customer service. One problem with the tactic is that it also puts companies at risk when tariffs change the cost of shipping between facilities between countries.
What complicates this for outdoor retail companies is that they do source from many different countries. When pressed by a concerned business in the audience, she explained that the best approach to deal with the uncertainty is to review operational logistics and prepare for every possible outcome.
“When it comes to tariffs, we really don’t know what the future is going to hold,” she said.
This year’s Outdoor Retailer features about 300 brands from dozens of countries, many of which are displaying the latest and greatest versions of gear, materials, and ideas in outdoor recreation products. Executives at other companies described how they’re handling the situation, such as trying to stick to a strategy that works and ride through the uncertainty.
“Despite the industry going through the ups and downs, people are going to find a way to get outside,” said Peter Labore, CEO of winter sports gear retailer Christy Sports, pointing to a range of popular outdoor activities. “How we participate in that, how we help enable people (get outdoors), there’s a role for us. … It’ll work out. This too shall pass.”
Utilizing newer tools
While tariffs could be this year’s boogeyman, experts say artificial intelligence could be a major barrier-breaker in the industry. A panel discussion focused on how AI can help companies in many ways, ranging from operational efficiency to trimming advertising costs.
Content creation — another trendy subject — also shows little signs of stopping as businesses seek to woo customers.
For businesses like Park City’s Skullcandy, content creation now accounts for nearly a quarter of the sales budget. It uses tools like CreatorIQ to find the right people who might best amplify its products, said Evin Catlett, the company’s global vice president. It mirrors what other companies like Utah’s own Cotopaxi are doing to drum up an audience.
These types of trends, on top of the demand for outdoor recreation, are why Outdoor Retailer director Sean Smith remains optimistic about the trade industry despite its newest challenge.
“It’s always going to be something,” he said. “The recession is going to hit, there will be natural disasters — this industry is just resilient, and every brand that is still surviving today has been through it all.”
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
It’s on nights like these that I’m reminded of the ravine that divides the NBA from all other levels of basketball. This Summer League tilt was sloppy on both sides, and not many fringe players earned an NBA contract tonight, by the looks of it.
This matchup has always been about the number-one pick AJ Dybantsa and the number-two pick Darryn Peterson. Rivals since high school, these two are in an eternal struggle for the designation of being “number-one”. They wanted to be the best in their high school class. They wanted to be the first off the board in the NBA Draft. Rest assured, these two will be battling for Rookie of the Year honors by the season’s end.
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Both stars were fully aware of the magnitude of this game, and both wanted to be the first to strike in the Thomas and Mack Center.
Dybantsa took his first touch all the way to the basket and forced up an off-kilter shot that missed everything.
Peterson took the ball the other way and forced up a top-of-the-key three-pointer that missed badly.
Dybantsa quickly picked up the slack, flipping an under-and-around lay-in and following that up with a good leading bounce pass through traffic to find a cutting teammate.
From there, the 1-2 combo settled in and let the game flow around them.
For the first time in a Utah Jazz uniform, Darryn Peterson walked among mortal men as a commoner. He had a very slow start in his Las Vegas debut, opening the night 0-for-3 from the floor and even whiffing on his first all-or-nothing foul shot. His steps were hurried, and he stood unstable before his first trip to the bench. Not quite so infallible outside of the mountain air in Salt Lake City.
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AJ claimed the first quarter, dicing up the defense with fadeaways, dribble chains, and this vicious, inhumane slam that will dominate your social media feed for the next day or so.
Washington set the tone for some — should we say physical — defense out on the perimeter, and the officials gave the Wizards liberty to reside in Peterson’s chest for the majority of the game. The number-two pick couldn’t get himself into a rhythm as he’d step out of bounds, dribble off his foot, and sputter under the heat of the Wizards’ aggressive double-team scheme.
They were incredibly handsy from end to end, frustrating Jazz ball handlers as the whistles piled up at the other end.
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AJ Dybantsa lives at the foul stripe — that’s his superpower — and he has since his days at BYU, where he led the nation in foul shots taken per game. Perfectly within his idiom, Dybantsa was 6-of-7 from the foul stripe — keeping in mind the experimental do-or-die free throw rule. Considering how much more physical the Wizards played at the defensive end, it’s a mystery how the Wizards managed to reside in the comfort of the bonus for the entire first half.
Neither player was efficient from the floor, but Dybantsa won the first half of this marquee matchup.
Dybantsa finished the first half with 19 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
Peterson lagged behind with 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting and a pair of dimes.
The lead shrank to single digits, and what appeared to be a blowout in the first half — Washington led by as much as 20 — rapidly drew tighter in the second half. It had become a two-possession game before the clock hit 0:00 in the third quarter.
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Both stars lived up to the bill in this one, clearly displaying their individual talents despite their efficiency not leaping off the box score.
Peterson’s tendency to cough up possession has to get straightened out. He’ll be a target for his whole career, so learning to handle and exploit on-ball pressure will be critical to maximize his effectiveness and keep his teammates involved.
Cody Williams stole the show a bit for the Jazz, despite a rocky opening to the night. Though he struggled to stop Dybantsa on the defensive end, he notched 16 points on great efficiency (6-11, 2-3 3PT) plus 5 rebounds. He’s not a ball-handler, despite the Jazz’s wishes, but thrived on a newly added stepback mid-range jumper tonight.
Dybantsa had a strong night, finishing with 27 points on 7-for-18 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.
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The Wizards ultimately won this game behind the strength of their NBA guys, Tre Johnson and Will Reily, who combined for 41 to pair with Dybantsa’s 27. They also strongly benefited from Jamir Watkins, Darryn Peterson’s assignment fouling a grand total of 9 times (not a typo).
Peterson likewise fouled 9 times in this one, an ugly blemish on what was an unsteady night for the rookie. He finished with 24 points on 6-18 shooting and 2-7 from three-point land (thanks to a bank-shot heave at the final horn). Dybantsa will be crowned the winner of this head-to-head with Peterson thanks to better highlights and the team win, but neither player dominated, despite what X will likely tell you.
Washington defeats Utah with a final score of 92-88.
Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The man arrested for murder in the 2006 death of his wife at a Utah national park left behind a suicide note in his Las Vegas jail cell, according to a police report.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police released a public report on the death of David Vander Meer, 49, who was in custody on an out-of-state warrant.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office said in an affidavit that Vander Meer, a former youth pastor, was a suspect in the death of his then-wife, 28-year-old Bernadette Vander Meer, 20 years ago.
Bernadette fell to her death at Angels Landing in Zion National Park. Prosecutors said in their affidavit that they received new information implicating David, alleing that he began having a close relationship with a young girl when she was 14 and he was her youth pastor.
A fugitive task force took Vander Meer into custody in Summerlin, according to an arrest report, and he was booked into Clark County Detention Center on June 22.
In the report on his death, LVMPD said a corrections officer was conducting visual checks at about 9:30 p.m. June 24 when he noticed Vander Meer lying face down on the ground and unresponsive.
Several sections are redacted, but police wrote that the officer performed chest compressions until medical personnel arrived. Vander Meer was taken to UMC, where he was pronounced dead just after 2:36 a.m. June 25.
Investigators wrote that because of “the nature of his case,” Vander Meer was placed into protective custody. He was seen sitting upright and awake at 9 p.m., and he had no known medical conditions. He also did not mention being suicidal during a mental health screening.
Inside the cell, police wrote that Vander Meer “left a hand written suicide letter and a hand written will in his cell which has been photographed and impounded.” The following paragraph of the report was redacted, and no further details on Vander Meer’s death were disclosed.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office has not yet released its official rulings on his cause and manner of death.
Bernadette’s parents, Richard and Laura Gudenkauf, told News 3 they long suspected Vander Meer played a role in her death.
“Because of the girlfriend,” said Laura. “I found insurance policies months later that he had, lots of them.”
It has been a long time since the Jazz last played a meaningful game I desperately wanted them to win, and it is unhealthy how excited I am for this matchup. After a solid three games in the SLC Summer League, the Jazz head south to Las Vegas, and as hot as the desert sun is sure to be outside, on the court, the Thursday night primetime game featuring the top two picks in the draft will be much hotter.
How to Watch the Las Vegas Summer League?
Who: Utah Jazz vs Washington Wizards
When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 | 7:00 MT
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ESPN, Jazz+
Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa
Summer league games do not matter in the record books, but this game is a statement-making opportunity for both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. Given the historical nature of this draft class, especially at the top, there is some real juice to this game that is atypical of most Summer League games. AJ has the chance to silence the noise that has swelled after Darryn’s remarkable performances in the SLC Summer League. Meanwhile, Darryn has the chance to ratchet up the noise and take the NBA world by storm with another solid performance against the Wizards. Can you imagine the narratives if Darryn were to come out and dominate AJ as he has through high school and college? In the words of the great Charles Barkley, I have two words for you… Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, must-see TV.
Ace Bailey looked really impressive in his 2.5 quarters of play in Salt Lake before missing games with back spasms. It is unknown whether or not he will be ready to go for the Vegas opener, but if he is available, he will probably be the one checking AJ Dybantsa on defense. His combination of length and athleticism could not only make things difficult for AJ on the defensive end but also expose his lackadaisical defense on the offensive end. If Ace is able to go, he will be looking to show the Jazz and the NBA that he is ready to take a leap in year two.
Which Jazz Big Man Will Stand Out?
Which big man will step up this game? In Game 1, we saw a lot of Kylor Kelley, who was a little less than impressive. Against Memphis, Jaxon Kohler, the Utah native, showed up and showed out against Cam Boozer. In game three, although the number of NBA-level players was few and far between, Jonas Aidoo stole the show with his rebounding and ability to play his role. Will we see one of those same three guys seize their opportunity, or will another guy like Micah Handlogten or Eric Dixon steal the show? We saw how vital a big that can roll and catch passes is for Darryn Peterson as a lead guard, playmaking-wise. It will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate to relieve pressure when he is blitzed and double-teamed.
SIDE NOTE: Adam Silver is LAME
No one should ASPIRE to be as boring as Adam Silver. After much excitement was made about Keyonte George making his unofficial coaching debut on Thursday night, according to Sarah Todd, the league has nixed that excitement and won’t allow Keyonte to be coaching on the sideline because who knows why…? I guess they were worried about the Jazz circumventing the salary cap to pay Keyonte or something. Anyways, I guess Will Hardy’s coaching TREE will have to wait for more branches to grow. Adam Silver remains evil in my book.
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