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Business in the great outdoors

If you want a career in adventure sports, this just may be your lucky decade.

Many outfitters who got into whitewater rafting during its 1970s boom are retiring and selling their businesses — paving the way for a new generation.

And even if whitewater rafting isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other outdoor enthusiasts who look to guides and outfitters to help them plan and gear up for their trips. We talked to the experts to find out what you need to know to carve out a second career in creating adventures.

Know your market

The adventure-sports industry isn’t a fast-growing market, so it pays to do your research before taking the plunge.

David Brown is executive director of America Outdoors, a trade association for outfitters and guides.

Brown hasn’t seen a definitive study on whether the adventure-sports industry is growing, but said he gets the sense that business is rebounding since tourism plummeted following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“It’s a little bit like the auto industry. It’s not a very high-margin business,” Brown said. “I don’t know if there is tremendous growth potential. It’s going to be in areas where a market has not been developed.”

A notable exception: Flat-water kayaking is on the rise in the U.S., particularly in coastal areas, likely because it’s inexpensive and accessible.

His No. 1 tip for getting into the adventure sports business is to buy an existing company if possible.

With an established company, Brown said, “You already have a market. You don’t have to start from scratch.”

Cross your Ts

Bill Bernt spent nine years working for other outfitters before opening his own business with wife Peggy — Aggipah River Trips on the Middle Fork of Idaho’s Salmon River — in 1978.

States regulate their outdoor sports industries — Idaho is one of the best in the country, Bernt said — so it’s important to be in compliance with the rules wherever you’re hoping to set up shop.

That’s why you can’t just float a boat out onto any river in Idaho and start selling rafting trips. The state won’t allow too many businesses to operate in one area, and some places, such as the Middle Fork of the Salmon, are saturated.

“We don’t want to get to where we’ve got a zillion people overusing an area,” Bernt said.

Ask for help

Given the number of regulations, getting started in adventure sports isn’t easy to do on your own.

It’s a good idea to look to organizations such as America Outdoors for help getting started