Today Colin is rolling solo! First he offers his comments and observations after attending the virtual launch of Arc'teryx's spring footwear collection earlier this week. While the launch itself was a leap forward in how outdoor brands should be engaging with outdoor media, it was also a good example of how brands could improve how they promote their products. (02:16)
Next Colin talks about how the outdoor industry needs to unite in order to fight for our public lands over the next four years. He looks at a story that was recently published on the DCReport by war veteran and outdoor advocate Stacy Bare as an example of how important our wild places are and can be. You'll hear how the outdoors helped save Stacy's life in his own voice. (08:46)
Lastly for The Parting Shot, for third year in a row on The Rock Fight, Colin makes his prediction for Best Picture at Sunday's Academy Awards. (15:40)
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Episode Transcript:
Open Container!
00:00:00.080 - 00:01:03.040
The outdoors is not a niche, it's way bigger than that. The outdoors is essential to our lives, essential to who we are as a species.
And as the world continues to get smaller, as new advances in technology push us to the limits of the planet, the outdoors is more important than ever. Open Container is here to explore this new idea of the outdoors.
We'll strive to uncover stories about creativity, adventure, conservation, politics, and the people who make the outdoor space so vibrant. The world is full of anxiety right now. Climate change, politics, cultural upheaval. But fear not, there are answers in the outdoors.
I'm Doug Schnitzpahn and on this show we will talk to people who are looking to nature to find the solutions we all need.
We will be having honest conversations about how the outdoors can change us, how it heals us, how we learn from it, and how we can build a better world from what we learn about being outdoors. So please join us, open the container and find out what's inside. Let's get some.
Colin True
00:01:08.140 - 00:02:11.506
Welcome to the Rock Fight where we speak out truth, slay sacred cows, and sometimes agree to disagree. This is an outdoor podcast that aims for the head. I'm Colin True and I'm rolling solo to hit on a couple of topics and send you off into the weekend.
But before we get to any of that, I hope you haven't missed an action packed week here on the Rock Fight. We hit on outdoor industry topics on Monday. On Wednesday we hit headlines that come out of our adventure community.
Go back and check out those episodes if you haven't yet. And hey, are you signed up for Rock Fight's newsletter? Because our newsletter, it's exploding if you haven't subscribed. What the hell man?
This is a real newsletter with real content, not just another outdoor link aggregator. Sign up today by heading to Rockbyte Co.
Click Join the mailing list or actually there's a little pop up that shows up when you go to rockbyte.com just send her your email address and you'll get the newsletter. It comes out next Tuesday. And while you're subscribing, have you subscribed to this podcast?
If not, click follow on whatever podcast app you are listening to us on. And of course leave us that five star rating. All right, let's start the show.
Chris DeMakes
00:02:11.578 - 00:02:15.630
Welcome to the Rock Fight. Rock Fight. Rock Fight.
Colin True
00:02:16.730 - 00:11:15.340
All right, I got two topics for you today. The first is earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend a virtual launch of arc'teryx's spring footwear line that they put on for the media.
Those who attended also got a pair of shoes which was great, a pair of the shoes that are being featured and I took the ones I got out for a little stroll on some local trails yesterday. And we don't really want to be in the business of gear reviews here in the rock fight.
We've dabbled in that in the past obviously, as some of you know, but it's not really in our future. So I'm going to give you my thoughts on the shoes and how they felt.
But mostly I want to take this opportunity to talk about how brands talk about their products because the presentation itself was really well produced. It ended up basically being a, I don't know, 15 or 20 minute video from Arc'teryx and the Arc'teryx footwear team.
I clicked a link and joined a group of other media folks where we watched the video and had the option to submit questions. Afterwards, our good friends over at Jam Collective, which is arc'teryx's PR agency, they reached out to answer my questions.
So overall, first thank you to arc'teryx for doing something like this.
Using video to deploy your message in a hard hitting quick shot was great and this is a great way for brands to get their products and message in front of those of us with a platform in the outdoors. And I would welcome more of this type of brand interaction in the future rather than having to wait for the next event which might be months away.
The one thing I do want to comment on is the content itself because we have to get past selling new products based only on features and benefits and the behind the scenes of creating products and the influence of athletes.
The video that we saw at the arc'teryx event spent most of its time focused on the folks behind the creation of the products as well as the credibility of the shoes themselves. They detailed what these shoes are capable of and the pedigree of those who influenced their creation, such as the arc'teryx trail running athletes.
And I'm not bagging on arc'teryx here. They are simply doing what I feel like everyone else does from a messaging standpoint.
Credit to them for how they delivered the message, which was different and awesome. But there was not a lot to be learned about what makes these shoes better or different from their competitors.
Because one of the problems here is that Arc'teryx just became a $2 billion brand, right? They announced that they are now a $2 billion brand. So I expect them to create a competent and good looking shoe.
They already have the resources and credibility and we know that arc'teryx products are premium and they perform. So you don't need to sell me on your ability to make a sho with your marketing.
And I'd like to see brands, especially established big brands, take opportunities like this to dig into what makes them different from everyone else. Now, I'm sure that arc'teryx would make the argument that by digging into the details of the shoes that that's what they did with this event.
But that's, that's not really what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about, because when it comes to trail running shoes, we've never had more options.
Broadly speaking, arc'teryx is an incredible outdoor success story. They've achieved consumer credibility among the hardcore outdoor and also with the fashion techwear crowd.
But if you show up to your average running event, you're not going to see a ton of their shoes in the crowd.
In fact, after you get past the Hokas, Altras, Topos, Salomons of the world, you'd probably see more Nordas and Speedlands before you start counting how many arc'teryx shoes you would find. So arc'teryx in this particular case is in the market share acquisition game like everyone else.
And since I already trust them to make a great product, the story that I would want to read or watch or listen to from those who had a chance to attend this virtual session would be about what arc'teryx is doing to become the player in trail running. Like, what's the market strategy?
What should consumers expect from arc'teryx to get them out of their Hokas and into a gorgeous shoe from the darling outdoor brand of Canada? I mean, we can read about features on a tech sheet or experience it when we wear the shoes.
Those things will eventually be available for anyone in the public who is interested in learning about them. But there is really very little difference between arc'teryx's footwear creation story and anyone else's.
So tell us how you're planning to knock off the brand standing in your way to becoming the dominant trail running shoe brand. That, to me would be newsworthy. Like I said, this isn't an arc'teryx problem. This is an outdoor brand problem.
When it comes to new products, brands are all just happy playing it safe and playing the hits. But those hits don't quite hit like they used to. As for the shoes themselves, the model they sent me is called the no van and it's fucking gorgeous.
Like, I seriously considered not taking it out on my local trails because it looks so good. I thought that maybe I should just wear it when I travel and stuff. Like, you know, maybe this is my new trade show shoe because it looks so good.
But I did. I took it out on the rough trails up the little mountain behind my house, and my initial reaction was that it was confidently made.
It was lightweight, had great traction with the Vibram outsole. I guess my only gripe is that it's narrow, kind of fit me more like a Salomon does.
And for a guy who's been in Altras and topos for more than a decade, not really my fit in terms of what, I want to spend all day in this shoe out on the trails. But I have no doubt there will be big fans of these shoes out there, and I'll definitely continue to wear them around on either small hikes or.
Or maybe I wash them off and they become that. That daily driver when I go to trade shows and stuff like that. And by the way, the look alone will make them stand out on the footwear wall.
Like if arc'teryx footwear is entering the kumite, which listeners of a certain age will remember from the movie Bloodsport. And the end goal of them is being the champ of trail running shoes.
I think their first opponent here is probably up against Norda because there's an aesthetic that both brands share. So overall, great job by arc'teryx and Jam Collective on this event. It was a great way to spend 15 to 20 minutes.
I'd encourage other brands and PR agencies to follow suit. I loved the format of the event, and this is the kind of innovation that we need in the outdoor industry.
All right, everyone, before we get started today, I need to tell you about our amazing teammates at Darby Communications.
If you run an outdoor, an endurance or an active lifestyle brand, there is no better PR or digital marketing, belay partner or drinking buddy than Darby. They can help your business reach new heights, and, you know, they might just keep you from falling on your ass.
I mean, since we started working with Darby, more and more people have been reaching out to us here at the rockflight because of that messaging. Look, guys, if they can help us, they can help anybody. Hit them up@darbycommunications.com do it today.
All right, second thing for you today, Are you getting sick of all the talk around public lands yet? Well, I hope not, because this story is going to keep going. Right now. It is the story as it pertains to the outdoors.
So we're going to keep talking about it on the show. And today I want to highlight an aspect of public lands that maybe you haven't considered, and that's the deeper power that they can wield.
Anyone listening to this podcast likely understands the healing power of the outdoors. But for some, that healing is needed more than others. Now, some of you may know the name Stacy Baer.
If you listen to Doug Schnitzbahn's Rock Fight podcast Open Container, you definitely do.
He's been a guest on that show and Stacy lives in Michigan where he is working to make Grand Rapids the next great outdoor destination for outdoor enthusiasts. He has an invested interest in awe inspiring places like parks and public land.
And the reason for that is that Stacy was once a soldier who served in the US in places like Bosnia, Iraq and the Republic of Georgia. When Stacy came home from that time serving our country, like many of those who served, he struggled with depression and thoughts of suicide.
A friend helped him discover the outdoors. And thankfully we still have Stacy in our lives and that is in part because of the outdoors and public places.
And when it comes to what's happening right now, we got a taste of what's coming for the best parts of the US from the first time Trump was president. And this time it's not going to be just bears ears, right? The actions in the past few weeks have shown they're coming for all of it.
And I want to be clear that I think all the topics we're critical of and comment on here on the Rock Fight when it comes to the outdoor industry are valid. Our brands need to do a better job when it comes to sustainability and circularity.
We need to provide more equitable opportunities for those who aren't just the straight skinny white guy on top of the mountain. But for right now, the fight for our public lands and wild places is on our doorstep.
And if we truly want to act like a trillion dollar industry, this is our chance.
The leaders of our industry at the brands, the trade organizations, policy advocates, conservation groups, all of them need to go from five mini lion bots into one big badass Voltron super robot pretty damn quick. So to help inspire that to happen, I want you to hear Stacey's voice.
Last week he wrote a column for DCReport.org telling his story and encouraging all of us to take action to the mounting threat to our public lands. I asked him to send me a voice memo reading what he wrote and I'm going to play that for you right here, right now.
Stacy Bare
00:11:20.280 - 00:15:25.030
Army war vet found healing in public lands that are now threatened by doge cuts. I found hope, resilience and a reason to keep going by me Stacy Baer February 23, 2025 in the D.C. report I came home from a tour with the U.S.
army in Iraq in 2007. Things got dark quickly.
I shoved myself into graduate school for an easy identity shift, but was weighed down by unresolved trauma from the war that played out in heavy drug and alcohol use, suicidal thoughts and me being a real asshole in relationships.
I was racked by guilt for leaving my fellow service members and the Iraqi people, believing that if I stayed, perhaps things would be better for everyone.
I also lived with a fear that I took somebody's place on the flight home, that it would have been better, certainly easier if I had come home in a flag draped box and someone else I can give you their names could have made that flight back to the States. Two plus years at home confused and angry. A friend encouraged me to get outside with him and I began to get healthy on public lands.
An hour walk in a city park learning to climb in a USFS forest. A weekend overnight in a national park. A multi day trip on a wild and scenic river flowing through property managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
It was out there, in landscapes as diverse as the American public, that I found hope, resilience and a reason to keep going. I made a community first with veterans, then with non veterans.
I met so many people who were willing not only to lend a hand or point me in the right direction, but who were willing to listen to my stories and share their own. I made a career of taking others outside with me. Together with Dr.
Dacher Keltner and his team at the Greater Good Science center at UC Berkeley, we worked on the foundational research that proves the benefit of time outdoors for physical and mental health.
We showed that time outside results in dramatic downshifts and stress increases pro social emotions and feelings of curiosity and connection, improves sleep, and makes one feel more connected to the people they are with and the environments they move through. Our system of public lands, our greatest health asset, managed across multiple agencies from municipal to national, are now all under threat.
At the national level, agencies have been dealing with understaffed departments since at least 2010, even as visitorship, an American public thirsting for better health and deeper connection to one another and our nation has surged. City, county and state parks across the nation report similar challenges as millions of people each year go in search of awe.
The economic and environmental impacts are of course massive, but it is the possibility of severely declining access to mystery, beauty and health that worries me the most.
What we need now more than ever is that connection that happens on trail between two strangers when they witness the majesty of our natural world together. Take action.
Call your state and federal representatives today and tell them to restore funding to the United States Forest Service and Department of Interior, as well as the grant programs each agency manages. Get involved locally supporting your community in nearby parks, forests and bodies of water.
A local friends group, conservation district, or watershed group would love your help.
Nationally, you can engage and get action items from the Outdoor Alliance, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, National Parks Conservation Association, American Forests, or similar organizations. My name is Stacey Baer.
I serve as the Executive Director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, supporting the maintenance and improvement of parks, trees and trails in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I served in Bosnia and Iraq, worked as an explosive ordnance disposal technician in Angola and the Republic of Georgia.
I am a 2014 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and I've represented brands like the North Face, Trugear, Pret Helmets and Faction Skis. I led a team of fellow veterans to the first recorded ascent and descent on skis of the tallest mountain Foley in Iraq.
Mount Halgard, chronicled in the award winning film Adventure Not War. My latest film project, Champions of the Golden Valley, about the Afghan ski community, is currently making its rounds on the film festival circuit.
Colin True
00:15:28.010 - 00:17:48.282
All right, thanks to Stacey and to todd@dcreport.org for allowing me to share that piece with you. We are in wartime, folks. No more fucking around. Time to step things up.
And while I believe that with all of my heart, we also need times of levity when things are so serious. So as not to leave you on a heavy note, it's time for the parting shot. All right, today my parting shot is about the Oscars.
This is the third year I've predicted the Oscar best picture winner here on the Rock fight. So far, My record is 1 and 1. Two years ago, I thought that Everything Everywhere all at Once would win. And it did.
But my prediction on the show was that Top Gun Maverick would win everyone over in a post Covid Hollywood. Oh my God. Blockbusters are back. Let's reward Top Cruise and Top Gun and maybe they would just anoint an actual big budget movie as the winner.
They didn't. And I lost that bet. Even though I really knew that Everything Everywhere all at Once would win. But like, but I got that one wrong last year.
I got it right because everyone got it right. It was Oppenheimer from the get go from July of 2024. We knew that Oppenheimer was gonna win 23.
Excuse me so for this year, a few weeks back I said I thought that a complete unknown would surge and win. But except for our guy Timmy winning at the SAG Awards, that just doesn't seem likely anymore.
So today, Friday, February 28th, I'm predicting that Anora will take home Oscar gold on Sunday night. It's a bit of an odd year. It seems that Anora has the highest approval rating here. It's also my hands down favorite of the 10 nominees.
I loved that movie. It's such a great flick. If you haven't watched it before Sunday night, check it out. So there you go. My parting shot is Anora will win best picture.
We'll see what happens. And if I'm right, I'll take a victory lap next week. And if I'm wrong, I'll eat it as well. So we'll see.
Hopefully I'm two in one after Sunday night this week. And that's the show for today. And we want your emails, everybody.
Send them to myrockfightmail.com let me know what you thought about this episode and every episode of the Rock Fight. The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight llc. I'm Colin True. Thanks for listening. And here to take us out is Chris Demaikz.
He's gonna sing for you to send you into your weekend, the Rock Fight fight song. We'll see you next time. Rock fighters.
Chris DeMakes
00:17:48.346 - 00:18:44.300
Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight.
Welcome to the Rock fight Where we speak our truth Slay sacred cows and sometimes agree to disagree.
We talk about human powered outdoor activities and big bites about topics that we find interesting like pop culture music, the latest movie reviews, ideas that aim for the head. This is where we speak our truth. This is where we speak our truth. Rock fight. Rock flight. Rock flight welcome to the rock fight. Rock fight.
Rock flight welcome to the rock fight Rock flight Rock fight. Rock flight Rock flight Rock fight welcome to the rock side Rock flight rapide.
Colin True
00:18:46.800 - 00:18:51.200
Range.