America Outdoors announced the 2021 winners of the George & Pamela Wendt Industry Achievement Award and THRIVE awards during their annual business meeting held December 8, 2021.
Celebrating innovation within the industry, America Outdoors presented three unique industry awards at the annual Conference and Outfitter Expo. The awards were presented by the newly inducted Board of Directors President Dave McGlashan, owner of Adventure Treks.
The George & Pamela Wendt Industry Achievement Award is the most prestigious honor given in the outfitter industry. It is bestowed upon individuals who have shown exceptional innovation, achievement, and commitment to the field of outdoor recreation.
The 2021 George & Pamela Wendt Industry Achievement Award was given to the founders of Class VI, Doug Proctor, Jeff Proctor and Dave Arnold, also known in the industry as “The Boys.” The Boys founded Class VI, a whitewater rafting company in Fayetteville, West Virginia in 1978. They are known as a positive example of commitment to local community, to staff development & professionalism. They have also been instrumental in the development of The New River Gorge National Park and have shown the power of collaboration and relationship-building with local, state and federal officials.
The award was accepted by Doug Proctor. Upon accepting the award, Doug remarked, “This is a huge surprise. This is my 25th [America Outdoors] meeting. We have really enjoyed being in this industry. Thank you so much.”
America Outdoors also recognizes companies that show a high level of dedication in the areas of social media and website. This year the THRIVE award for Website Excellence was presented to Royal Gorge Rafting for their outstanding use of online-review building and clean navigation.
The THRIVE award for Social Media Presence was presented to Ace Adventure Resort. With over 18,000 followers, ACE has steadily built their social media presence with the use of video marketing, reels and a special focus on fun content, such as highlighting their ever-popular lake blob. The award was accepted by Kevin Terrel, the River Operations Manager for Ace.
America Outdoors thanks these winners for their commitment to excellence in the outdoor industry.