Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin opens the show with his thoughts on the new running focused collaboration between Altra Running, Smartwool and REI. He and Producer Dave critique the decision to launch a collection that feels uninspired and overly safe, and also highlights how outdoor brands often fail to generate excitement around their products.
Then the discussion moves to the recent layoffs at Patagonia, where the hosts reflect on the harsh realities of corporate life and the expectations placed on brands like Patagonia to maintain a higher standard.
They close the show with their Parting Shots, where Producer Dave takes aim at another brand collaboration that missed the mark while Colin celebrates the 30 year anniversary of Expedition News.
Chapters:
00:00 - Hurricane Helene Update
01:42 - Altra/Smartwool Run The Winter
17:47 - Patagonia Layoffs
26:08 - Parting Shots!
30:12 - Celebrating 30 Years of Expedition News
32:00 - The Rock Fight Fight Song with Chris DeMakes
Hurricane Helene Relief Links:
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Episode Transcript
Colin
00:00:00.240 - 00:01:37.054
All right, before we get going today, I just want to check in on the relief efforts from Hurricane Helene. If you look at the show notes for this episode, you'll find resources for ways to help and to make donations.
And one thing of note, I was included on an email chain this past week by Chuck Millsaps from the Great Outdoor provision Company, who's helping to lead some of these efforts in the southeast. It also included folks from like the Grassroots outdoor alliance.
And while many of the specialty dealers in the southeast were largely able to weather the storm, so to speak, one shop in particular, Bubba O'Leary's out of Chimney Rock, North Carolina, was destroyed in the flooding, and a GoFundMe has been set up for rebuilding and to support the O'Leary family. So if you have the means, please consider giving a little either to that GoFundMe or to support other relief efforts that are still ongoing.
Thank you. Welcome to the Rock fight, where we speak our truth, slay sacred cows, and sometimes agree to disagree.
This is an outdoor podcast that aims for the head I'm Colin Shrew. It's Monday, and I'm here with Dave for your weekly dose of outdoor industry commentary.
But before we get to that commentary, we got a few housekeeping items for you. Please follow and subscribe. That is the same thing, actually.
And rate the Rock fight wherever you're listening on your favorite podcast app, which presumably is the one you're using right now. Leave us that five star rating and follow the show, please. If you like the Rock fight, you probably like gear and beer.
So please check out our other podcasts on the Rock Fight podcast network called Gear and Beer. You can find that show on the app you're using right now. And lastly, we want to hear from you.
Send us your feedback by sending an email to myrockfightmail.com. all right, let's start the show.
Producer Dave
00:01:37.142 - 00:01:41.130
Welcome to the Rock Fight. Rock fight. Rock fight.
Colin
00:01:42.270 - 00:07:30.870
All right, in 2015, Boston boutique retailer concepts collaborated with ASiCs on a special edition of their gel Light V. It was called the Blow or the eight ball edition of the Gel Light V, and it was based on the life of Boston George Young, who's a criminal.
He was also based on.
That person was the basis for the movie blow, and the shoe represented its cocaine and crime fueled origin by being off white with red highlights, including little blood droplet graphics on the inside of the shoe.
And the launch of the shoe was done inside a pop up trap house in New York City, where those in the know the launch being only advertised in places where sneaker enthusiasts would find out about the product, would come up to a shady looking structure, pass cash through a sliding drawer, and then someone on the inside would slide back a pair of shoes nearly ten years later. Now, a used pair of eight balls can get upwards of a used pair can get upwards of dollar 120 on eBay, while unused pairs are fetching north of $350.
And in a world that is filled with more and more running shoes worn mostly for casual purposes, a pair of ten year old used running shoes that can demand more than a comparable new pair of shoes is kind of amazing.
So the exclusive and limited sneaker drop, which is a brand effectively creating larger demand than it ever intends to fulfill simply to increase the value of their own brand, is not a new thing.
But I was reminded of this collab with concepts and Asics this past week because I was reading about a new collaboration that has just launched between smartwool ultra running. So it's called we run winter or run the winter, something like that.
In a press release about the collaboration, it describes it as a team up to conquer cold weather, featuring apparel, socks, accessories and footwear that will be exclusively available at REI in store or online from October 1 until November 1. So I saw this and I'm like, all right, I get it.
Like, REI is trying to do more in the run space, and here are two brands with a lot of fans in the outdoor space, but also the run space. So let's see what this collection is. And my expectations were pretty low.
I thought there would be some merchandise collection of tops, bottom socks and shoes. Maybe a discounted price if you bought some of everything, or a combined deal, even if you just bought a pair of shoes and a pair of socks.
And yeah, it was not that at all.
Like right now, if you go to rei.com, i assume this is still up when you're listening to this, the homepage is a link to the collection, and when you click it, it pretty much just brings back anything from Ultra and Smartwool 546 products, to be exact, though it does call out the products that are exclusive to REI members, which is also kind of confusing because I guess those are the ones that are actually a part of this collection.
But anyway, the only unique items are a version of the ultra Escalante, which has been made to include merino wool in the upper, which apparently, according to the website, improves thermal comfort by three and a half whole percentage points.
And I believe that there is also a specific color and design for the collection in one of the smartwool socks but the whole thing is just the softest approach to a promotion that I can think of.
Two brands who share corporate ownership and crossover in a category with a couple of maybe unique, but definitely not interesting products putting themselves front and center at a big retailer, and then they're really being no payoff.
There's no indication to the consumer of what these brands really want them to buy, nothing that would create a buzz with the consumer to talk about the cool thing that they just bought. I mean, you could call this safe, but I would call it barely an actual collaboration.
And it just made me realize I'm not here just to kind of shit on these brands, because this whole thing just really made me realize that the out that outdoor brands largely do not know what the hell they're doing when it comes to creating buzz and excitement around their brand or products. Is something as subversive as the ASiCs trap house necessary with every launch at every brand? No, of course not.
But when is the last time you heard of something even close to that happening?
The predominant move by the majority of our key players is to cast the widest possible and typically try to create buzz on a color or a technology while also selling it at REI.
I mean, think about how much cooler it would have been for a smartwool and ultra collaboration to take a collection of those products with limited inventory of an exclusive winter running collection to specialty dealers to truly create some buzz around the products and brands, because the stuff would be hard to get. And maybe, just maybe, we would also sell.
We run winter around Thanksgiving because here in early October, it's still pretty hot, pretty much everywhere and even take specialty out of it, right? Let's say Rei is the retail partner.
So what if when I clicked on the link to rei.com comma, the brand creative and the product collection, like blew my mind that the limited and specific collection of goods that made up this collaboration made it so hard to ignore. Man, I just had to get something. What is there right now is driven by a website algorithm.
It is not smart merchandising and also largely speaking right now, everyone has complaints about the state of retail and issues surrounding inventory. So doing something like this is a great idea.
But the lack of imagination and originality is disappointing and shows that we don't have many who are willing to stick their neck out too far without there being a guaranteed return. The ceiling of our category here in the outdoors is so high in so many ways.
Whether it's manufacturing or circularity or philanthropy or inclusion, the outdoors is this kind of perfect sandbox to solve problems and simply just do cool stuff. But too often we just choose boring and safe. And right now, the path of the outdoor industry, it really can be best described as middle of the road.
So let's bring in producer Dave, who I have a feeling has some thoughts on this topic. What's up, Dave?
Producer Dave
00:07:30.990 - 00:07:33.690
Well, we all know what happens to middle of the road brands.
Colin
00:07:34.230 - 00:07:35.294
What happens?
Producer Dave
00:07:35.462 - 00:07:36.374
They get run over.
Colin
00:07:36.422 - 00:07:40.050
Colin, I think it was Mister Miyagi who said squish like grape.
Producer Dave
00:07:40.470 - 00:09:16.796
That's right. Yeah. I think you actually did put your finger on it there right at the end.
And full disclosure, I currently do work for creative work for a sock brand.
So these opinions are mine and mine alone and possibly shared by a little bit by Colin, but maybe not too much, probably, but so I definitely have an opinion on this. And one I think what we have here is what I. It's the bare minimum effort corollary, right? Right. That's what we see here.
And this suggests that when minimal effort is applied by all parties, the collaboration loses its potential to create something meaningful or lasting and simply caters to a basic consumer demand rather than elevating the brand or the image. Right. And so what you get from that, it's a transaction of convenience because it's, you know, at the big box is based on transaction of convenience.
But the idea of elevation of brand is not just an esoteric thought. Now what you're getting into is the delta of potential that you could have sold more longer, created a bigger deal.
So there is in a sense a potential sales loss based on the minimal resource or effort given to any kind of program like this. I think that's really what we're talking about. Like you said, collabs between partners like a smartwool and, and Ultra.
Makes sense having a poking at the corporate ownership.
Colin
00:09:16.868 - 00:09:21.564
But actually why not lean into that? We have these two brands, let's pair them up. It makes sense.
Producer Dave
00:09:21.732 - 00:09:29.868
That's right. You can absolutely see the interdepartment memo that just is so proud of itself that it figured out that these two things could be go together.
Colin
00:09:29.924 - 00:09:33.612
Did you know we own a running brand and a sock brand? Did you know that?
Producer Dave
00:09:33.716 - 00:11:17.164
No.
So I think that makes sense like you said too perhaps how to bubble things up, giving things time to breathe, bubble it up through specialty, create some demand, create some aura and then unveil it at your larger distribution points and then give it the kind of push into a wider audience that makes sense. But it is about lost potential. Right. And guarantee.
You can see though the metrics that they have for success here are probably so gerrymandered in the sense that it would take a catastrophe to not be successful with these two brands in ReI. Right. And so they're gonna point to it as success.
And you know, this minimum effort is, you know, probably comes back to budgets, come back to bandwidth. Everybody's challenging those things and that's. Right. There's definitely a correlation.
But in this case with these brands and what they're putting to it, that is not the case. I think the low bar comes into, it's a failure of imagination, right. And a real desire to be different. And that's what you have here.
You have all the pieces to make this thing glorious and what you get is a headline that is clearly AI derived. You managed to wedge the marketing brief into a headline. I got the word cold. I got the word run. I got it in the same sentence. Look at that.
And then I'm going to show people running in the dark and like, yeah, but there's no emotion, there's no sense. I want to belong to this. It's literally a brief. Hey, this is for running in cold weather. Let's show people running in cold weather.
Maybe they blew on their head when.
Colin
00:11:17.172 - 00:11:18.812
They were in produce in July.
Producer Dave
00:11:18.916 - 00:11:36.360
Right, right. Well, that's why they shot it at night too, so that you couldn't tell it was blazing sun. Right.
But again, here is, like you said, it's this lack, though, of differentiation. I don't think, I definitely don't think everyone needs to go to the illicit drug trade to make their edgy.
Colin
00:11:36.860 - 00:11:43.456
That's like the most extreme example, but it does work when you do something like that, but actually to that exact point. Right? Oh, go ahead.
Producer Dave
00:11:43.548 - 00:12:07.528
Edgy is not just things that are law breaking or antisocial in that way. Edgy can be something that makes me feel and it is emotional that makes me want to belong. Nike.
Genius has always been the ability to create things like that that don't necessarily have to play on the edge of decorum. Right? No, they're just emotionally packed and they.
Colin
00:12:07.544 - 00:12:17.320
Make, I would imagine part of their return will include stuff like, like the exclusive drops, like you can only get this here. They made their bones on that for years.
Producer Dave
00:12:18.660 - 00:12:58.708
Again, I go back. The bigger thing is that they made us all feel and think about similar things.
And this is where the challenge of brands, right, we have lost the four networks that deliver the same message to everybody and fracked for a long time, even to the eighties and nineties, advertising has become or certainly was one of these defining group experiences that we had. It's not just the tv show, the water cooler tv show, right.
Which now sports events are pretty much the only thing like that anymore, but it was the ads in between them that also created this kind of connection. And so we could talk about those. And so we're losing that because of our, you know, what is it? Fractured. Kind of fractured.
Colin
00:12:58.764 - 00:13:00.516
Now it's customized based on what you click on.
Producer Dave
00:13:00.548 - 00:13:15.776
That's right. That's right.
But that doesn't mean that brands still don't have a responsibility to meet that threshold or that bar of storytelling that really build that sense around the brand. And that's what I see here is just kind of the same old.
Colin
00:13:15.968 - 00:14:48.100
And listen, I do understand the extra distance you have to go to try something. The trap house thing is an example, again, to your point.
Doesn't have to be that, but to do something in that model, I understand that that's a little bit more of a stretch. If it doesn't work, your head's on the line, your job is probably on the line. All of those kinds of things.
But even just the lack of a merchandise collection. So just literally, I was preparing this this morning. Steo had a press release last week about some new stuff they had coming out.
I'm not typically a Steo fan, personally. I'm like, eh, it's fine.
But I went on their website, and they were advertising a collection for some new snow sports category collection on their homepage. And you click on it, four items, right? Two jackets, a bib, and probably a towel. Another top.
I forget what it was, but there was, like, three or four items on this thing. And it's like, right there. That's it. This is it. This is the collection. Here are the items.
It's like, oh, okay, if I'm interested in this collection, and here are the items. Wow. Does this suit me? I can shop within this small collection. It's not that far.
Hard for me to go find the other stuff that maybe I'm interested in as well.
And in this case, with this was the kind of secondary, my big picture thing of, man, I really like to see somebody do something more bold in the outdoor space. But even then, when I click on reid.com quote s homepage, what's the collection?
When it's like, I got two shoes and then, like, six tops and then there's a sock and then there's a glove and then maybe another shoe that isn't an escalante. And it just. It was an algorithm driven thing. No.
Thought about what the actual collection is so that a consumer can look at it and say, oh, I understand what the run collection from ultra and Smartwool is.
Producer Dave
00:14:48.440 - 00:14:58.496
Well, to your. I mean, what you mean by the algorithm based is that they have their items clustered at the top, but it's not exclusive.
There is no storytelling as to a landing page.
Colin
00:14:58.528 - 00:15:00.472
About 546 of them.
Producer Dave
00:15:00.656 - 00:15:24.548
And that's the, that's, again, the direct to consumer side, maybe leading the cart here a little bit in the sense that we can't put anything up in front of our purchasing. You know, barriers. Like, we have to, we have to get you purchase, purchase, purchase, as opposed to take this in. Right.
And I think that's you need a moment to tell your story and to set it up, and perhaps that will lead to stronger sales.
Colin
00:15:24.644 - 00:16:29.398
Yeah. Look, I don't think neither you or vibe in the REi in the last 24 hours. So maybe in store it presents better. I don't know.
Or how they're merchandising it in store. Maybe that's not fair. Maybe we should go see it. And you know what?
I'll make an effort to go see one this week and the report back if I have to eat some crow here.
But the other thing I do want to touch on before we move off of it is the specialty opportunity, because back in the day, as we say when we're old, we started with specialty. You said it in your remarks like it is. It was this. We take this stuff to specialty and we make it exclusive at specialty.
And it's badass because you can only get it in these shops and in these regions, and people are jealous. And then eventually, either the whole thing or a version of the thing will roll out to more national accounts.
And I don't really begrudge the opportunity here, especially if it's a broader thing. I understand the allure of going with an Rei, especially on something like this.
And maybe that was part of the conversation, but I do think it was also a miss to not also have a specialty store component to this that was different, or at least a program that specialty stores could buy into. And as of yet, I've not heard that that has been the case.
Producer Dave
00:16:29.534 - 00:16:30.046
Yep.
Colin
00:16:30.158 - 00:19:55.040
No notes from Dave on that one. Nailed it, guys. Nailed it. Well, all right. That means it's time. Time for our weekly segment to make sure you are getting more out of the outdoors.
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Because whether it's making new, amazing garments or just staying warm and safe out on the trail, you can do more with thermore so the other story I wanted to touch on this week is the layoff that happened at Patagonia's headquarters last week.
In a post on LinkedIn, CEO Ryan Gellert gave the reasoning behind 41 employees being let go, including details on the severance that they would receive. The post by Gellert was pretty self aware. It was a pretty self aware move by either him or the brand, or both.
I guess when you've built a reputation for going beyond simply being in business, it makes it harder in the court of public opinion to make a move like this, as evidenced by the multiple critical posts I saw on LinkedIn. I had multiple people message me asking for my take, and this is the thing our industry has to get over, right?
Outdoor brands are companies, and sometimes hard decisions have to be made even if the company is healthy. If you're coming at this as a brand like Patagonia should never have to fire someone or have a layoff.
I don't know what to tell you other than take the blinders off, man, because this is what happens in corporate America. Corporation, not America. This is what happens in corporations.
You know, over the past couple years we've seen layoffs at places like outside Nike, Wolverine just a few weeks ago at backcountry after their acquisition. It's an unfortunate reality.
It happens, and without seeing the numbers to like to justify the reasoning behind the layoffs so we can maybe be critical about something like that.
It's honestly silly to weigh in with some sort of moral authority just because you don't like it or you don't want Patagonia to be like those other companies. I prefer a glass half full point of view, you know, Ryan Gellert didn't need to offer up half of any of the information, frankly that he did.
And their severance packages, here's the real headline, folks. Their severance packages started at 22 weeks. That number is fucking amazing.
The accepted norm for most companies when it comes to severance is one to two weeks of salary for each year of service. And Patagonia just gave the most junior person in their layoff nearly half a year of payrol.
So instead of getting mad about something that's just a reality of everyday business, I think we should at least give them credit for doing it better than anybody else. That's kind of their mo. So Dave, what are your thoughts on the Patagonia layoff?
Producer Dave
00:19:55.080 - 00:23:11.186
Yeah, I think also too that package included a year of healthcare coverage on that, right? So I think you're spot on.
Let's the unrealistic expectations for a brand like Patagonia in our space, let's just say those are the expectations of Patagonia in our space, is to be better. And so we talk about that too. So they constantly have to meet that level. But let me go back, just a spot.
Look, mass layoffs, any kind, are a failure of management. That is poor foresight, that's planning strategy. Whatever it is, you failed at doing what you're supposed to be doing.
Now, of course the other scenario is like I would say, predatory conditions. Like in an acquisition, you're going to be merging organizations. That's not necessarily a failure of management in that case.
That is just absolutely putting two organizations together and kind of removing some of the repetition. So that does make sense. Like I said, the idea and some people will talk about, well look, you're achieving some goals with these kind of things.
Like you're reducing your cost to maintain your profitability, you're responding external conditions. Those are results. Be the reasons for if you have to cut your way to profitability, you have already done some things wrong to get there.
Growth by subtraction is not a long term strategy in any case. It just shows that you're out of ideas and you have the nobility to create or generate demand or innovation or profitability.
I think when you think about what's going on here with, with Patagonia by itself, this is not really a signal. I mean, it does not show that their business is in a bad state, doesn't show that they are not meeting the demand or meeting creation.
I think we know when you maybe put this on the heels of the layoffs they did in last June or June, July, they let go a big portion of their customer service or they reorganize, and I say forced with air quotes, because to have people move closer to their hubs, again, people are like, surprised. I think what this really does is it helps clarify the reality that Patagonia is a corporate entity. Right?
And corporate is gonna corporate, like, that's just what they do. And they expand and they contract. And so kind of getting off that idea that they're immune to those kind of forces is a must.
But at the same time, when you've got to create that kind of disruption, I mean, look, morale is the issue that people's questions, what's going on? I mean, all of these kind of questions come up from that.
But at the end of the day, management needs to look, okay, so what did we do to get us to this spot? What can we change? I mean, look, all of that. But like you said to me, the story here is not so much 1% of the workforce.
It is absolutely how they've done it in a way that I think totally exceeds what, what is the norm in business today. And, I mean, what else can you say about that that's good for them. Good for them and unfortunate for those that definitely lost their jobs.
Colin
00:23:11.298 - 00:23:33.878
I don't know if this is like our more Gen X or cynical point of view. I mean, I spent most of my career, even if I got a good review, just like, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Like, I just sort of expected, you know, at some point, whether I think I'm doing a good job or not, it could definitely happen. You're working in this environment.
I didn't, you know, I wasn't sitting, like, in fear all the time, but to kind of think that this just can't happen or shouldn't happen, it's like you just kind of have your head in the sand about the way things work at corporations, generations.
Producer Dave
00:23:34.054 - 00:25:14.680
Well, absolutely. And I think that's. I don't think that's necessarily just Gen X. I think that, that.
I do think generations today, because we have lived through the last 30 years, I think that that shock was much greater in the nineties when the perception of business was that it was long term, that they did have your back and that you could stay at a company for these years and your retirement would be taken care of. And so when that, when that switch got turned, that contract was broken and it was much more disruptive, and people, people didn't see it coming.
Now it's the children of the children. They're all used to this kind of uncertainty.
So we've all seen that there is no loyalty at all in corporate America, and so they will cut you in that way and you're not going to see it coming necessarily. So it's upon you to kind of look for it and to be aware, having worked in both my own business for many years, having that where.
That's where you get to live the day to day warts of the business and you feel them every hour. Right. Is it going to happen? Going to happen? It's going to happen. It's not going to happen. You're just.
It's sort of where incorporation, you can kind of inoculate yourself from that because you don't see it, but it doesn't mean it's not there. Right. And I guess that's just kind of two environments, entrepreneurial versus a kind of employee status.
But no, I think, like you said, we hold them to a higher standard and we should. We absolutely should. And I don't think that they shirk from that at all. I think they take that on as part of their identity and good for him.
But yeah, there's a lot of opinions, including ours. That's right. That's right.
Colin
00:25:14.800 - 00:26:09.890
All right, one quick break and then we're going to get into our parting shots. This episode of the Rockfit is brought to you by the great Malden outdoors, an outdoor enablement campaign in the city of Malden, Massachusetts.
For far too long, the outdoor industry has struggled with how to address the topics of diversity, equity and inclusion. And the great Malden Outdoors is providing concrete action that outdoor brands and retailers can take to make a real difference.
Situated just outside of Boston, Malden, Massachusetts is culturally diverse with an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities, and they're seeking the assistance of outdoor brands and retailers. If you work in an outdoor brand or at a retail shop, they're looking for donations. Looking for your product, maybe your time.
Definitely some of your money. Head to thegreatmaldenoutdoors.com and click contact to reach out and start a partnership today. All right, time for the parting shot.
Producer Dave
00:26:12.870 - 00:26:20.890
This place that town forgot. Let's take our rock and head on home. It's time for our party shop.
Colin
00:26:21.230 - 00:26:22.740
Dave, I got the floor.
Producer Dave
00:26:23.440 - 00:26:24.632
Oh, me first.
Colin
00:26:24.776 - 00:26:25.500
Yeah.
Producer Dave
00:26:26.000 - 00:26:59.520
My parting shot. Actually, it's kind of related.
We're going to come back to what we just talked about with smartwool and Ultra and Rei and that kind of the minimum effort. Corollary looking through and saw the release for Danner. And Danner is doing a special collection of product to benefit the she jumps organization.
Yeah. A group. Yeah, a group that focuses. Focuses on getting women and girls to get outside and explore and discover.
Colin
00:26:59.900 - 00:27:01.204
Very cool organization.
Producer Dave
00:27:01.372 - 00:27:30.512
Yeah, very cool. Love what they do. They have alpine school and river School and snowpack School, and they get mentors to come in. Really great organization.
So let's just say organization. Good product concept execution. Meh. Right. And to me, this is another example of just doing the minimum basics.
So they have their collection of product. They're super excited to tell you that they built it on a women's last so that it actually fits a woman's foot. And I say, that is so fantastic.
Colin
00:27:30.576 - 00:27:31.632
It's never happened before.
Producer Dave
00:27:31.696 - 00:27:41.280
If this was 1992, I would just think that's amazing. The idea that we're still celebrating this as some form of achievement is just. Whoa.
Colin
00:27:41.400 - 00:27:41.984
Ridiculous.
Producer Dave
00:27:42.032 - 00:28:21.182
Whoa. And then I see the product, and it's just kind of like regular boots with Violet shoelaces. Right.
And they have a photo shoot that's obviously a stylist attended. It just doesn't feel very outdoorsy in that way. I mean, they are standing outdoors.
So what you have is kind of uninspired product that looks like it's kind of, you know, pink it and shrink it. Then they want you to, you know, they're promoting the she jumps organization, but only with a match.
You have to donate to the organization for them to match it. And only up to $10,000, let alone.
Colin
00:28:21.206 - 00:28:22.862
The shoe, or within the first two weeks.
Producer Dave
00:28:23.006 - 00:29:59.256
That's right. And the shoe is $170.
So really what they're asking for their philanthropy, they want you to shoulder the cost to buy the shoe so we can use the profits from that sale to give to the organization that you also should donate to. Which it sounds more evil genius when you pop it up that way. But really, it's just kind of like.
It sounds a little bit more like an NPr pledge drive where they're having pledge matching, and I don't even get a tote bag with this. So my. What I'm. What I'm criticizing here is that great idea, that brand supporting this cause of getting people outside. Okay.
I think access is a fantastic effort to put your weight behind, but to do it in such a just kind of half handed way, I mean, $10,000 off of other people's matches. Lean into this. If you really want to get people outdoors, lean into it. Support local chapters. Create mentorships with your own core customers.
Get a way to get people into their boots, not just, here's this group of pastel laced shoes right there's so many ways that you could do meaningful work to get people outside and do it in a core and broader, kind of aspirational way that's just not leaning into it at all. And I just. I feel that's. That's what I saw from it. I just felt a sense of just kind of, oh, nice idea, guys.
But, man, that's just not the way to execute it. So that's my parting shot, is do better. Be more creative. Try. You can do this. We need this. We absolutely need this.
Colin
00:29:59.288 - 00:31:08.960
Yeah. She jumps could use it. She jumps is great. Go donate to she jumps today, everybody.
Regardless of Danner, they're doing amazing things, but, yeah, that's a good one. So my parting shot is a little. I am the optimistic guy this week. This never happens.
This is a big congratulations to Expedition News, who's celebrating 30 years of covering exploration and adventure stories. Every month for the past 30 years, Expedition News has covered notable accomplishments in outdoor adventure and exploration.
If you go to the website, you can actually look at an archive for all their issues back to March of 1995.
And in that March 1995 issue, they covered a franco british expedition that discovered the source of the Mekong river, an attempt of the first humans to power human powered circumnavigation of the planet. And then my favorite was a chinese expedition that was searching for biggest, like, really.
So at this point, Expedition News, you've outlasted everyone.
All of the ogs who cover the outdoors are either gone, sucked up by homogenized corporate overlords, or, in the best circumstances, died and came back to life. But expedition news, you just keep on ticking. So this parting shot is for you. Congrats to 30 more years to expedition news.
Producer Dave
00:31:09.380 - 00:31:11.640
And here's to finding Bigfoot.
Colin
00:31:12.220 - 00:31:16.896
I wish we would one day. If you could have bigfoot or Yeti, which one would you want to see?
Producer Dave
00:31:17.068 - 00:31:18.780
See, I think they're cousins.
Colin
00:31:19.360 - 00:31:22.888
That's true. But if you only have one, like, who would you. Who's your number one draft?
Producer Dave
00:31:23.024 - 00:31:38.736
I just want to go to the family reunion, actually. I think that would be fantastic. I think you'd have yeti. You'd have sasquatch, Andre the giant might even be there in a former time, right?
I mean, I think. I don't think that's out of the realm.
Colin
00:31:38.848 - 00:31:40.160
He was kind of yeti ish.
Producer Dave
00:31:40.280 - 00:31:42.610
Yeah. Or was he sasquatch?
Colin
00:31:42.800 - 00:31:44.330
Anybody want a peanut?
Producer Dave
00:31:47.430 - 00:31:48.158
Yes.
Colin
00:31:48.294 - 00:32:06.462
All right. That's the show for today. The Rockfight is a production of Rockfight llc. Our producer today, David Carstad. Art direction provided by Sarah.
She loves gluten Genshert. And I'm Colin Schrute. Thanks for listening. Here to take us out, it's krista makes. He's gonna sing the rock fight fight song. Will see you next time.
Rock fighters.
Producer Dave
00:32:06.526 - 00:32:14.204
Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock bite. Rock bite.
Colin
00:32:14.372 - 00:32:14.868
Yo.
Chris DeMakes
00:32:14.964 - 00:33:06.750
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 pick bites about topics that we find interesting, like pop culture, music, the latest movie reviews, ideas. This is where we speak our truth. This is where we speak our truth. Rock side. Rock fight. Rock fight. Welcome to the rock flight rock fight. Rock fight.
Welcome to the rock flight rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Welcome to the rock fight. Rock fight. Rock bite. Rock bite. Fight.
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