Carbondale, CO (Wednesday, July 17, 2002) - It is said that perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. With this in mind, two outdoor industry veterans have launched Indigo Equipment to pursue the development of the perfect backcountry gear.

Based in Carbondale, Colorado, Indigo Equipment is the brainchild of Steve Kropf and Jack Koehler, former Life-Link International employees and backcountry experts who are gunning for simple yet innovative solutions to age-old problems outdoor enthusiasts face with their gear.

"We are going to design products that we will use personally, that we've always had some sort of frustration with, in sports we have a passion for like backcountry and Nordic skiing and summer backcountry travel," says founder Steve Kropf.

"Our design team is a combination of artists and engineers that has developed products with a unique look and simple, intuitive functionality to them," says Kropf. "It is Jack's systems engineering philosophy melded with an artistic aesthetic to produce products that are very refined."

This less is more design philosophy will be debuted in Indigo's line of backcountry ski poles and packs that they will be showing to select dealers immediately following the Outdoor Retailer summer show. Production is already under way and the poles and packs will be in retailer's stores by October.

"Our first line of products meet and exceed all of the benchmarks in performance, durability and weight," said Jack Koehler founder and head product designer of Indigo. Absent from his list is price.

"Our manufacturing will be overseas," says Koehler. "We're very impressed with the technology, flexibility and commitment of our overseas factories. We are also confident that this approach will make our prices very attractive to dealers and to consumers."

Additionally, Indigo will be the U.S. distributor for Sinisalo gloves. Sinisalo is a Finnish company that has been making gloves since 1953. Sinisalo had previously been distributed in the U.S. by Reliable Racing and Kropf thinks it is a great product that is underexposed.

Kropf will rely on his many years of retail experience to give Indigo Equipment a unique perspective on what customers and dealers need. "After spending all that time selling on the floor I know what retailers need to sell the product through, and I know what key points customers are looking for when they are making their buying decisions," Kropf said. "All that background goes into every decision Indigo Equipment makes, from design tweaks to marketing initiatives."

Kropf will lead Indigo's sales and marketing efforts. He spent seven years at Life Link International where he held several management positions including product manager and national sales manager. Prior to working for Life-Link, Kropf held a variety positions in the ski industry including sales and marketing director and retail store manager. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1987 with a degree in Political Science.

Jack Koehler will head Indigo's product design and manufacturing. He was most recently a product designer and manufacturing engineer at Life-Link International. Prior to working at Life-Link, Koehler was the owner of Jack Koehler Bicycles; a small company dedicated to the design and fabrication of custom bicycles.

Koehler has lived in Jackson, Wyoming for the last 19 years and he has managed to ski and ride his bike in every corner of Teton County. He graduated from the University of California Berkeley, with a BA in Physics in 1980.

The company will continue to expand its product offering throughout the year and Indigo Equipment will exhibit at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, as well as regional reps shows. The company's web site (http://www.indigoequipment.com) will feature the entire line of Indigo Equipment and will be operational by September 3, 2002.