The Pitch: Outdoors Product Makers Vie for Best in Show.

• Author: Kailus, Julie
• Position: STATE OF THE STATE

When the outdoors industry's biggest trade show sets up shop in town, innovation is sure to follow. That was the case at The Pitch, a "Shark Tank"-like event held at Denver's Wayfinder Co-op during the summer Outdoor Retailer week in July.

The Pitch brought together five finalists who had 5 minutes each to make a plea for supporting their inventions. The event was lead-sponsored by Gear Junkie, a digital publication covering outdoors news and reviews, which offices out of Wayfinder, a new coworking space for outdoor-inspired companies.

"The outdoors industry is ripe with innovation. But for many inventors and entrepreneurs, turning a revelatory moment into a product and then into consumers' hands is a daunting prospect," says Gear Junkie Editor-in-Chief Sean McCoy. "Our goal is for The Pitch to help small brands scale their innovations and reach consumers. Ultimately, this will make playing in the outdoors better while helping turn dreams into reality."

The Pitch panel of judges included investors, advisers and entrepreneurs who delivered feedback to representatives from Kokopelli Packraft; hybrid gear clip maker Heroclip; Mystic Devices terrain-adaptive lighting; Colorado Teardrops trailer inventor and renter; and Revel Gear camp lighting. Four finalists were from Colorado.

Following a Gear & Beer event in the Wayfinder parking lot, which...