Chasing Ponytails: February - Teddy Oram

Words and Interview by Allison Brew Kozar

Happy February everyone! This feature marks six months of Chasing Ponytail profiles. Today’s feature is Teddy Oram, SCOTT’s New England Adventure Specialist. Teddy travels throughout Northern New England working with existing and potential SCOTT dealers. Her passion for the job is based around product development. Teddy says: “it’s all about improving gear for the outdoor enthusiast.”

Teddy is originally from Lake Winnipesauke; however her mom, a former member on the US Ski Team, taught her and her sister, Katie, to ski at Sugarloaf. There is no doubt her mom is a huge role model. “She introduced us to people we should be looking up to, like Picabo Street.” Teddy had the pleasure of watching her mom present Picabo with the same award her mom had won years prior. “It was cool to have a role model who I looked up to admire my mom.”

Teddy graduated high school in ’04, spent the winter at the family’s place in Sugarloaf, and acquired a job in retail at the base of the mountain. That’s where she realized how much she loved teaching customers about products. “When the reps came I was always asking questions, because I wanted to be better at my job.”

After Sugarloaf, Teddy attended Saint Michael’s College near Burlington, VT and scored an amazing internship with Mammut Sports Group. The internship with Mammut gave her an opportunity to work for a company whose brand complimented her passion for skiing and rock climbing. She graduated in ’09 with a business degree, and went on a two year adventure to New Zealand. There she picked up a job in rentals at Treble Cone Ski Field outside of Wanaka.

In the middle of her stay in NZ, she traveled back to the US to pursue a position at Mammut. The thought of working for Mammut again excited her; unfortunately they ended up hiring internally. Hearing “’No’ was tough. It was my first true go at a career.” 

Teddy returned to NZ for another season before returning to the states again in October of ’11. In less than a week of her arrival she received an email about Peter Kidd - a sales rep from SCOTT Sports - looking for an energetic person to help grow SCOTT’s apparel and footwear. 

Before she knew it, Teddy was the new face of the SCOTT soft goods community. “I really enjoy being a sales rep. I’m on the road at the grassroots level. I look forward to see where this experience will take me.” SCOTT is best known for their poles, gloves, and goggles, “but over the years they have developed and positioned themselves as a cohesive brand for outdoor enthusiasts.” 

Her advice for those aiming to succeed is to “follow your passions, communicate your ambitions, and smile while you do it.”