Sean McCoy

Title: Editorial Director
Email: sean@gearjunkie.com
Location: Denver, CO
Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-mccoy-4ba26043/, https://twitter.com/seanmccoy18

Expertise

• Topics of Expertise: Hunting, fishing, skiing, sailing, trail running, camping, hiking, outdoor gear
• Years in This Expertise: 20+
• Number Of Products & Number Of Hours Expert Has Tested: 2,000+ products, 10,000+ hours

Education & Certifications

• Education: Bachelor’s of Journalism, University of Minnesota
• Years of Writing: 20+
• Certifications: STCW (expired), CPR (expired), Avalanche 1
• Club or Association Memberships: Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Pheasants Forever
• Awards or Recognitions: Editor of the Year 2020, Outdoor Media Summit; Story of the Year 2020, Outdoor Media Summit; Elevation Outdoors Best of the Rockies “Dirtbag” 2020; Colorado’s Resident Badasses Wild Card Runner-Up, 2019
• Previous Publications: The Virgin Islands Daily News

Experience

Prior to his promotion to Editorial Director at AllGear, McCoy was editor-in-chief of GearJunkie.com, where he worked with Regenold (a former college roommate) to build the premier outdoors gear website on the internet. But that just tells part of the story.

McCoy’s experience as a genuine GearJunkie goes back to the 80s. He grew up in Wisconsin, an was an avid angler and bike racer as a child. In college, he worked at the iconic Minneapolis outdoor store Midwest Mountaineering at the climbing counter. He sold rock climbing gear and taught basic climbing skills in the shop.

After college, he moved to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands to work at the Virgin Islands Daily News. There, he honed his skills as a sports reporter, photographer, and news reporter. He also avidly learned sailing, diving, and surfing skills, which he practiced at every opportunity.

Upon returning to the mainland, McCoy rekindled his love of the mountains. He moved to Colorado, where he lives to this day.

As Editorial Director, McCoy oversees the creative direction for content initiatives at AllGear sites including GearJunkie, BikeRumor, ExporersWeb, iRunFar, and The Inertia. He strongly believes in fairness and transparency in journalism, particularly in gear reviewing, and applies many lessons learned in newspaper reporting to his leadership style at AllGear.

Career Highlights

• Completing the Trans-Rockies Run, including a third-place finish
• Completing the Leadville 100 Trail Run
• Completing the Grand Canyon 100 Trail Run
• Skiing in Niseko, Japan
• Participating in 19 Outdoor Retailer conventions as a reporter
• Placing third in the Patagonian International Marathon
• Running multiple remote offices from high mountain locations

A Word from Sean McCoy

As a writer and editor for GearJunkie and Lola Digital Media, I employ two of my greatest passions — the outdoors and journalism. I started a rock climbing magazine called Vertical Jones with GearJunkie founder Stephen Regenold in 1995 or 96. The rest is history.  My personal interests include trail running, camping, mountain biking, skiing, dogs, and music.

And while I genuinely enjoy the work I do as a writer and editor, I am most proud of the teams that I have helped build at AllGear. Our company represents the best reporters, editors, and gear experts in the business. They represent diverse communities and activities that span the outdoors. And while we are still a small, growing company, we work every day to tell the most important stories in outdoor recreation, exploration, and conservation.