Is it ironic or by design that the two most popular roof rack manufactures - Yakima racks and Thule racks - come from two very similar cities on opposite sides of the world? Sharing extremely northern coordinates, foul weather, manufacturer-based economies and a dense population of outdoorsy recreationalists, Beaverton, Oregon and Malmö, Sweden are vying for the prize of the roof rack capitol of the world.
At first glance, this grudge match seems a little lopsided. With over three-hundred thousand permanent residents, Malmö out sizes tiny Beaverton by nearly three people to one. Their manufacture infrastructure is steeped in the ancient arts of ship building and concrete production, and they boast a primeval city charter that dates back to the 13th century. With credentials like these, Malmö certainly has the goods to crank out all the roof racks, bike racks and cargo boxes the recreational market can sustain.
But, never count plucky little Beaverton, Oregon out. Located in the United States' Pacific northwest, the new worlds' final frontier, Beaverton's population is made up of the descendants of frontiersmen, explorers, pioneers and on-the-lamb criminals seeking solace and a remote place to hide. Founded in 1893, Beaverton is barely a hundred years old, but its colorful history makes it one of Oregon's most legendary cities. Home to Linux, the legendary open-source operating system (ironically written by a Swedish speaking Finn who relocated to Beaverton) and footwear giant Nike, Beaverton also has what it takes to satiate the world's thirst for high-quality recreation gear in the form of roof racks and bike racks.
After much research and investigation, we conclude that the build quality and product offerings between Yakima and Thule are quite similar. In fact, to muddle the issue even further, most of their accessories work with the others' gear! So basically, since we can't decide between Yakima racks and Thule racks based on product offerings, all that's left to do is decide which city, Malmö or Beaverton, you most identify with.
So what's it gonna be? Brilliant Beaverton with its shoe factories, computer nerds, coffee achievers, and 4 seasons of rain, sleet and snow? Or, magnificent Malmö with its ship yards, post industrialists, glüg guzzlers, and 4 seasons of rain, sleet and snow? Well, this is one hot-button issue that is obviously too complex for this author's expertise or this article's depth, so the simple answer: the world and the outdoor recreational population may never know!
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