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Steamboat Magazine

Local Business: Power Ice

04/05/2014 11:30AM ● By Christina Freeman

Grant Fenton, PowerIce president, displaying the company's hydrating ice pops. Photo by Aryeh Copa

One company in Steamboat Springs is revolutionizing the sports-drink industry by putting it on ice.

PowerICE®, headquartered in Steamboat, creates hydrating ice pops that provide vital electrolytes. Frozen products cool the core from the inside out, helping elite athletes increase endurance and recover faster.

But one of the best things about PowerICE is that the frozen bars taste good.

“They’re genuinely great tasting,” says Grant Fenton, PowerICE president. “People just love it.”

PowerICE comes in flavors like orange blast and grape score, and is caffeine- and gluten-free. Each icy bar has only 30 calories and no high fructose corn syrup.

Fenton and his team have worked to get PowerICE into the mouths of elite athletes across the country, from professional football players to Olympians. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“PowerICE is a great source of electrolytes and helps hydrate individuals and athletes,” says Heather Gollnick, professional triathlete and five-time Ironman champion. “The concept of frozen electrolytes is huge, as it also reduces core body temperatures, which helps in performance.”

Gollnick’s kids enjoy the frozen bars, which she considers a healthy treat.

Six-time Olympian Todd Lodwick is also a fan. “It provides a refreshing blast of recovery after exercise,” Lodwick says. “It’s a product like no other.”

The ice bar cools him down from the inside, helping Lodwick recover faster.

“It aids in my ability to become a better athlete,” he says.

PowerICE’s reach isn’t limited to athletes: the company is working to bring its innovative products to the health care field. Patients who are required to stay on a clear liquid diet can benefit by choosing natural products with electrolytes, rather than

traditional alternatives. Yampa Valley Medical Center distributes PowerICE, and other

hospitals – including the Miami Children’s Hospitals – are picking up the product.

PowerICE was started in New York several years ago, then moved to Steamboat Springs in summer 2012. Steamboat, Fenton says, is the ideal home for PowerICE.

“We think Steamboat is a great place to build and grow a company that is focused on benefiting the elite athlete,” Fenton says. “We have more Olympians in this town than any town in the country, and that’s important to us.”

With a core group of local athletes, researching and testing PowerICE is straightforward. Plus, other local outdoor businesses – like SmartWool, BAP, Honeystinger and Moots – all contribute to creating a distinctive business setting in a ski town.

PowerICE employees are encouraged to maintain a good work/ life balance and to enjoy the outdoor activities that Steamboat offers. “If it’s a powder morning, make sure you get out and make a few turns,” Fenton says. And all employees, including Fenton, enjoy the product. “Anybody would be hard-pressed to look in the freezer and find something that’s only 30 calories,” Fenton says. “It just makes a great 30-calorie snack, period. I eat it every day. And I love it.”