Adventure companies merge to create more opportunities for travelers: epic the result of partnership between Chugach adventure guides and Sun Valley Heli-Ski guides.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa
• Position: TOURISM

For the true adventure addict, there are never enough opportunities to get outdoors. Whether it's skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho, catching salmon on the Talachulitna River in Alaska, or surfing big waves in Hawaii, there's a certain segment of the travel market that are always looking for the next epic adventure.

To meet that need, Chugach Adventure Guides recently merged with Sun Valley Heli-Ski Guides to launch a new international travel company, appropriately titled Epic. Through this new venture, Epic plans to bring together the world's leading athletes, one-of-a-kind destinations and truly unique experiences for this discerning clientele.

"It's an idea that's been percolating for a long time; we've known the Sun Valley guys for years, and we have tremendous respect for them and their company," explained Chugach Adventure Guides co-owner and general manager Chris Owens. "It seemed like a good, natural marriage that would allow both companies to feed new client and revenue streams while bolstering one another."

Sun Valley Heli-Ski Guides (SVHG) is the oldest heli-skiing operation in the United States. Founded in 1966, SVHG offers its clients access to incredible terrain throughout the country. As a leading adventure-tourism business based in Girdwood, Alaska, Chugach Adventure Guides (CAG) provides clients with skiing, rafting and fishing opportunities in the Chugach Range, Seward and the Tordrillo Mountains. Also known as Chugach Powder Guides, the company has become the largest heli-skiing operation in the U.S.

"We're excited to be partnering with CAG because it allows us both to offer our clients a new range of experiences and to extend our seasons," said SVHG lead guide Mark Baumgardner. "We're taking two legendary companies and creating a new team."

According to Owens, while both companies provide a higher-touch, harder-edged adventure product, their merger was about more than just providing multiple opportunities for the travel markets they serve. "It all comes down to trust," said Owens of their choice of partner. "We want everyone to come home at the end of the day. We have trust in our guides and our safety standards, as well as in the quality of amenities we offer our clients. In Sun Valley Heli-Ski Guides, we saw that same level of personal touch."

In addition to merging the two companies, Epic will also add new members to the team, including ski legends Tommy Moe and Jeremy Nobis. Dirk Collins, a founder of ski film and media...