In November Backcountry will celebrate its 20th birthday, and the issues from the last two decades are lined up on my desk in descending order. From October 1994 through the most recent Gear Guide, the nearly 100 issues are taking up a lot of room, but an evolution is clear.
In the early years, the coveted cover shot portrayed free heels, bright colors and serious hop turns like that of Dan Schaefer on the Premier Issue’s cover. Then came an onslaught of new technology as AT gear rose in popularity. In Issue 65, a snowboarder, Taro Tamai, was featured on the cover, one of only five times a snowboarder appeared on the cover in the magazine’s history. The most recent cover, shot by Mattias Fredriksson, showcases Chad Sayers in British Columbia’s Selkirk Wilderness, and the deep snow and energy captures the untracked experience that has remained consistent throughout Backcountry’s 20-year evolution—whether freeheel or otherwise.
In celebration of our approaching birthday, here’s a crosscut of 20 years of Backcountry covers.
We’re working toward publishing our 100th issue and celebrating 20 years of Backcountry Magazine. Can you believe it? Well, since we all can’t put our beers together with celebratory cheer, we’ve unearthed early editions of the mag, dug through them and pulled stories, photos, quotes, gear relics and more for your enjoyment. —The Editors
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