Meet The Open Airists

This week’s Open Airist is scuba diver and general outdoor enthusiast Kaisa. Hi I am Kaisa, I come from Sweden and I am a PE and English teacher as well as working part time in Open air. My outdoor adventures have been many many all over the world over the years. I really like snorkelling, scuba diving, and horse riding. I’ve also done a bit of hiking, trekking and skiing. Last time I hiked was in Ambleside in the Lake District. It was great! I did 5 day trips in... Read More

This week it’s all season climber and backpacker Ashley. Hi my name is Ashley, I am a 6 year veteran of the British Army and now a student. I’ve been working at Open Air for only a little while, but during that time I have been trying to adjust to my new job in retail and learning all the knowledge about the products in store. During the warmer months I mainly rock climb, but also try to do a lot of hiking to get my sweat on. In the winter... Read More

Let’s get on with it! This week we introduce snowboarder and hill walker Robin. Hi, My name is Robin. I’ve been working at Open Air for one year now and have worked in outdoor retail for four years previously. You’ll likely find me working with the team on the shop floor where I enjoy getting into the nitty gritty of product details; especially technical clothing. In the outdoors I especially enjoy putting myself outside my comfort zone; be it reaching new speeds on my snowboard or jumping into a cold... Read More

The intros must go on! This week we bring this Open Airist centre stage: hiker and skier Kristine. Hello! My name is Kristine and I am new in the Open Air team! I have been working here for a month and if I’m honest I have never seen this much outdoor equipment and outdoor clothing in one place before! Do not misunderstand, I am familiar with outdoor leisure and I do enjoy camping and hiking. There is one simple explanation – I am from Latvia. In Latvia, we take a... Read More

Presenting our fifth Open Airist, boot master Brett. I have been working for Open Air overseeing the Footwear Shop since 2007, coming from previous employment with an engineering company. Within that time, I have seen quite a few changes! Footwear brands and models have come and gone, and so have staff members; some of the pleasure I derive from this job comes from meeting people, and I have had the pleasure of working with some wonderful, enthusiastic staff over the years who have gone on to have varied careers both... Read More

Another week, another Open Airist; our telemark skier and bike junkie, Gus. G’day, I’m Gus. Australian, gear head, photographer and employee of Open Air since early 2017. When I’m not daydreaming about cycling, bushwalking and telemark skiing adventures, you’ll typically find me at the receiving end of a phone or internet inquiry as part of Open Air’s Customer Services. I’m also charged with running Open Air’s social media and marketing channels bringing to you the happenings at Open Air via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For someone that spends quite a... Read More

Third time lucky! Meet our next staff member; mountaineer Marta. Hi, I’m Marta – I’ve been working at Open Air since August 2019. I’m usually found up on the shop floor helping out customers, downstairs putting together parcels for our online store or sprinting along Green Street to grab items for one of the stores. I’m a keen climber and walker; I’ve mostly spent time exploring here in the UK or in the US. My specialisms generally lie in mountaineering apparel and equipment – I particularly like to get into... Read More

The series continues! Second on the stage is Tom, an enthusiastic flyer and canoeist. Hi, my name is Tom, and I’ve been working at Open Air since September 2019. I started in the main shop, where I learned about waterproof materials, rucksacks, walking poles, sleeping equipment, and how to care for equipment. I more recently migrated to the footwear shop, where I learned the basics of fitting customers with walking shoes and boots. One of the early lessons for me at Open Air was that there is an extraordinary depth... Read More

Each Monday, we’re going to be bringing you a series of articles in which you can get to know our staff team and learn what makes them tick. First up, it’s our hairy climber, Will: Hi, my name is Will. I’ve been working at Open Air for almost two months and have been getting to grips mostly in the main store and the footwear store. I rock climb on a regular basis and during winter I try to ski and ice climb as much as possible. Therefore my area of... Read More