Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show

CJ Riggins
Founder/CEO
Rsport


After 25 years in the apparel industry, 16 spent in outdoor performance apparel, C.J. Riggins noticed a recurring theme. The apparel industry was making a lot of beautiful product for a very narrow segment of the population. Graduating from The Ohio State University in Design and Merchandising, Riggins worked for a number of well known companies like A&F, adidas-Salomon and Pearl Izumi in Design, Technical Design, Sourcing, Product Development, Management and Materials. One key learning she took from all of them was that they used their selling history to determine future buys, always. Simple enough, but the one missing element was their inability to know what they missed selling. Though there isn’t a perfect way to determine this, she knew from her experience on the job and as an adjunct professor at Colorado State University that you always bought to the sizes that sold the most. Ironically, they weren’t. So, she asked, “If we know that the national average female is a size 16/18, why have we not shifted to include her in our apparel offerings?” The answer was blunt and telling; It’s not our market. Riggins realized she had been waiting for something that wasn’t coming and had to create the change she sought, the inclusion of all athletes. She realized it was time for a new conversation. This was the birth of Rsport, a performance athletic apparel brand tailoring their fit, function, quality and build to the Athena athlete’s needs. Rsport is starting that new conversation by building performance product so more Athena athletes can participate. Since 1990-2013 the % of race finishers for 5K’s-Marathon running events has increased 904% (statistics from State of the Sport – Running USA). Building for multisport activities, the goal of Rsport is to be inclusive by building performance athletic apparel for Athena athletes so more women can enjoy the outdoors and the activities they love. Ultimately, allowing more to Roar!

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