Registration for this year’s Outdoor Nation Challenge is happening now, and early registrants are eligible to win gift cards from REI.
HSU is one of about 90 colleges and universities from across the United States participating in the challenge. The champion wins bragging rights and $3,000 worth of gear from The North Face.
The goal of the contest is to encourage people to get off the couch and into the wilderness, and also help the HSU community understand that the outdoors is for people of all backgrounds and abilities. The challenge is also part of a larger effort to cultivate a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts and stewards of the environment.
In the 2016 challenge, HSU established an early lead, eventually beating Prescott College and Texas Woman’s University, and winning $3,000 worth of gear from The North Face, which HSU’s Center Activities rents to students at no cost. Using the Outdoor Nation app, participants earned points for HSU by running, camping, skateboarding, gardening, and even stargazing.
Student Jordan Johnson, HSU’s highest scoring participant, earned more than 2,000 points doing up to five outdoor activities a day, making him among the highest individual point earners in the country. His win highlights HSU’s unique location among redwood trees and along the Northern California coast.
“During my time competing in the Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge, I was having a blast spending quality time in Humboldt’s amazing environment and it fired me up! In other words, it was too lit to quit!” Johnson said last year.
In addition to the 2017 National Outdoor Champion award, there are more than 30 individual and regional awards up for grabs. Top earners will receive gear from REI and The North Face. Each sponsor will also host a weekly challenge, giving students even more opportunities to score free gear.
To learn how to participate and qualify for prizes, download the app on iTunes or Google Play, or sign up online. For more details, visit the HSU Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge website.
About the Outdoor Foundation & Outdoor Nation
The Outdoor Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring and growing future generations of outdoor enthusiasts. Through groundbreaking research, action-oriented outreach and education programs, the foundation works with partners to mobilize a major cultural shift that leads all Americans to the great outdoors.
In 2010, the Foundation launched Outdoor Nation, a pioneering initiative that aims to empower young leaders to champion the outdoors on campuses and in communities across the United States. To learn more about the Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge, visit oncampuschallenge.org and OutdoorFoundation.org.