Good News or Bad News: The Latest Wins & Facepalms From The Outdoor Industry!
- colin7931
- Sep 29
- 41 min read
Today on The Rock Fight, Colin and Producer Dave break down the latest headlines in the outdoor industry with a game of Good News or Bad News. From new products to hilarious marketing campaigns (and one massive brand blunder in the Himalayas), they separate the wins from the fails in a wild week for outdoor brands. On the docket:
Retail updates: Sherman Outdoor Sports closes after 103 years, while Sherpers celebrates 90 years and Eau Claire Outdoors gets it going. (04:07)
Brand updates: Is Marmot showing signs of life? (07:38)
Good News or Bad news?
New Shells: Rab launches a PFAS-free Gore-Tex line. (08:36)
Collabs gone grocery: Nike x Kirkland shoes hit the internet. (13:04)
Athletes & influence: Does Killian Jornet’s 14er linkup land the way it once might have? (16:09)
Support those who support The Rock Fight! Today's partners: Ibex, Fjallraven, Royal Robbins, Lems, Conatus Counsel
Marketing done right: Mammut’s mockumentary-style campaign hits the landing. (27:08)
The big one: Arc’teryx’s fireworks fiasco in the Himalayas begs the question: how did this even happen? (33:03)
Lightning Round: Salt Life eyewear, Eastern Mountain Sports, and Huffy. (40:41)
Parting Shot: The X Games announce a new “league” with betting baked in. (43:15)
Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.
Sign up for NEWS FROM THE FRONT, Rock Fight's semi-weekly newsletter by heading to www.rockfight.co and clicking Join The Mailing List.
Please follow and subscribe to The Rock Fight and give us a 5 star rating and a written review wherever you get your podcasts.
Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your feedback, questions, and comments to myrockfight@gmail.com.
Click Here To Listen On Your Favorite Podcast App
Or Just Click The Player Below!
Episode Transcript:
Producer Dave
00:00:01.600 - 00:00:48.850
This just in. Breaking news from the Rock Fight. Rumors are swirling about a merger between two outdoor footwear titans.
While news blackout protocols are in effect, we are unable to name brands involved in the transaction. However, this hasn't stopped wild speculation from populating LinkedIn that a monster re release is in the works.
Plans for a potential collab were recently spotted near a local watering hole. Adding to the frenzy, the new item called Jungle Croc, comes in at 17ft long and contains nearly 900 pounds of proprietary closed cell resin. Fury.
Placing the new shoe has reportedly been difficult as floor models consistently eat their smaller trail ridding neighbors. With some Jungle Crocs even taking down the occasional 10 inch logger boot or small child who's touching things they were told not to.
Colin True
00:00:49.730 - 00:01:21.610
Alright, while that may not be true, you know what is true? Ibex Merino is as home in your shop as Dale's in a drag bag.
We're talking authentic heritage, real sustainability, privately owned and of course premium performance that has become legendary.
From everyday essentials like the goatee to expedition ready pieces like the mammoth hoodie, Ibex has a premium Merino lair ready to outfit any of your customers. Schedule some time with the Ibex team at Goa Connect in Kansas City this November. And Ibex Premium Merino. And that's not a croc.
Chris DeMakes
00:01:22.250 - 00:01:29.530
Rock fight. Rock Fight. Rock Fight. Rock Fight. Rock Fight. Rock Fight.
Colin True
00:01:30.810 - 00:01:48.730
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 True and joining me today.
If you're in Portland and see a big fireworks display over Forest park, don't look at Arc'. Teryx. You know it was producer Dave.
Producer Dave
00:01:48.970 - 00:01:51.750
Hello. Yes, you got me. You got me, Colin, you got me.
Colin True
00:01:51.750 - 00:01:58.710
Are you gonna issue, you know, a statement to the city of Portland for scaring all the, all the woodland animals of Forest Park?
Producer Dave
00:01:58.710 - 00:02:11.510
The thing about living here is that people won't even notice. They won't know if it's antifa. Is it an ice protest? Right, right. Is it maybe a fun run? Who knows? But there's all sorts of reasons for lad Booms.
Colin True
00:02:11.510 - 00:02:23.730
We are gonna obviously talk a little bit about the Arcteryx situation as it's come to be known. And coming up later in this episode. Before that though, we have some programming reminders for you. And also Owen, Anyone expecting to hear what?
Producer Dave
00:02:23.810 - 00:02:24.850
Yeah, what? He's not here.
Colin True
00:02:24.850 - 00:02:30.770
He's not here. Owen's off golfing with some buddies. Very outdoorsy of him, I see.
Producer Dave
00:02:31.890 - 00:02:34.530
But sand traps and water hazards.
Colin True
00:02:36.210 - 00:03:10.570
But some programming reminders before we get into what Dave and I are going to talk to. We never want you, the listener, to miss an episode of the Rock Fight, so please click Follow on the podcast app you're using right now.
Also tomorrow, Doug Schnitzpahn will be opening the container like he always does on Tuesday. And then on Thursday you'll get an all new episode of Gear Abbey with host Shantae Salibair, who answers all your outdoor burning questions.
Be sure to follow Open Container and Gear Abby on your favorite podcast app. And Dave, can you let our listeners know how they can get more from the Rock Fight and maybe even reach out to us if they feel so inclined?
Producer Dave
00:03:10.890 - 00:03:45.680
Well, certainly you can subscribe to the Rock Fight News from the front, our newsletter our weekish newsletter. Sometimes weekly, never meagly. Head to Rockfight Co and sign up today.
Or you can email me me just me@myrockfightmail.com you can reach out on LinkedIn, search the rock Fight, go to Instagram, which is Rock Fight Co. One word. Maybe smoke signals would be appropriate this this day for sure. But I want to say, you know, Gear Abby's crushing it.
Colin True
00:03:45.680 - 00:03:50.260
It really is. Yeah, like out of the gates. Just so satisfying.
Producer Dave
00:03:51.060 - 00:03:53.780
It's great to see. Yeah, yeah, you guys are great.
Colin True
00:03:54.740 - 00:05:05.450
It's getting some attention. People are writing in like, I'm not even kidding.
They're absolutely getting more emails than the Rock Fight and we have at this point way more listeners. So you know, it's, it's great, it's a fun show. So please check it out if you haven't. And like I said, you know, no Owen today.
But even without our Conciglieri producer, Dave and I are going to hit on some more notable headlines come out of the outdoor industry. But first, we have some recent retail updates to share.
The last few weeks have been full of retail news as we've talked about notable retailers who are calling it quits. Unfortunately, we have another one of those to talk about.
Per sgb, Henderson, North Carolina's Sherman Outdoor Sports has announced they'll also be closing. It's a 103-year-old outdoor retailer who has worn many hats over their time. Most recently, they were known for selling hiking goods.
The current third generation owners are retiring and no one in the family interested in taking on the business. So Dave, another outdoor retailer bites the dust.
I mean, we're about to share some more positive retail stories, but I think the one takeaway from all these conversations the past couple of months is that we have too much stock in saving the outdoor retailers we know because there's often no path in them staying open when the current owner is just ready to punch out.
Producer Dave
00:05:05.450 - 00:05:33.510
Yeah, no, again. And I think it's more about what they represent in kind of the meta sense than even in the simple business sense. Right.
This is a way of doing business. It's like the five and time and the kind of the.
The drugstore, the corner drugstore that kind of had a little bit of everything and the count, the, you know, the kind of the lunch counter piece to it. It's just, it's just going away. We're just not doing business in this.
Colin True
00:05:33.590 - 00:06:02.570
Same way with the ones that we know of. Because there's some positive news out there. And another one that I want to share now because even though it was. Well.
And also an existing retailer in Wisconsin, where they're losing Rutabaga Paddlesports, there's some good news coming out of that state. So first up is Sherpers, who has three locations in Wisconsin. And they're celebrating their 90th anniversary, making a big deal about it.
So I want to highlight them. Congratulations to 90 years of sherpers. If you're a Sherpers customer, you go go check them out for their celebration.
Producer Dave
00:06:02.570 - 00:06:04.770
They're carrying the entire state on their back.
Colin True
00:06:04.850 - 00:06:41.560
Not entirely because I want to read an email we received from Kate Felton, who's the owner of the recently opened Eau Claire Outdoors. And I kind of. Kate sent a great email, but this is sort of highlights from it. So Kate writes to us in 2023. She was ready for something new.
So I decided to take a leap and create a community that I've been wishing for for 15 years and opened Eau Claire Outdoors in November.
Eau Claire is a pretty small town with a population of only 70,000 people, but we are the cultural and economic anchor of our region here in northwestern Wisconsin. I opened Eau Claire Outdoors purely with love the outdoors and an annoyingly. An annoyingly persistent can do attitude.
Producer Dave
00:06:41.560 - 00:06:42.600
You guys would get along.
Colin True
00:06:42.760 - 00:07:05.130
Yeah, seriously. And truthfully, the jury is still out about whether this is really going to work.
Thanks also in general, for everything you do as a complete newbie in our industry.
Your podcast has really been a lifeline for me and understanding the nuances of this industry and it has shaped how I've thought strategically about my business and some gear. Abby love. I'm also already loving gear. Abby Shantae is amazing. It makes me so happy that a lady adventurer is being featured.
Producer Dave
00:07:05.210 - 00:07:06.570
There you go. That's Great.
Colin True
00:07:06.890 - 00:07:18.090
So, Kate, thanks for the email. That's exciting. Glad we played even a small role in you opening a store. That's incredible. So, yeah.
So thank you, Kate, for writing and appreciate it and keep us posted on how it's going up in in Eau Claire.
Producer Dave
00:07:18.090 - 00:07:36.390
And look, I should, you know, anybody out there who's, who's doing, who's fighting the good fight, running the stores, trying to make it happen, and you've got an anniversary, you got some positive news, send it to us. Yeah, like, this is just great. So we want to hear, we want to hear about people that are, like I said, making it happen.
Colin True
00:07:36.950 - 00:07:48.670
Totally, totally. Last thing before we get into kind of our main thing we're going to talk about today.
I wanted to respond to someone who commented on the rock fight recently. I think it was on Spotify. They took us a task for calling Marmot a zombie brand last year.
Producer Dave
00:07:48.670 - 00:07:49.190
Spotify?
Colin True
00:07:49.730 - 00:08:34.000
Yeah, they did a little comment over on Spotify. Cool. They questioned what could we possibly know about what happens at Marmot. And I wanted to respond with, well, there's two things.
One, the people inside Marmot right now basically affirmed our point of view when one of them came on the podcast and a lot of folks that we spoke to over there. And two, and most importantly, the changes that Jod and Graydon and crew have implemented, they're bearing fruit.
So I had a chance this week to chat with one of Marmot's field sales reps and they told me that during this most recent selling cycle that they have opened more new Marmot accounts than they have in over eight years. So not saying that, you know, they're done seeking brains and lumbering around the outdoor industry, but they're, they're.
Maybe the cure's on the way. So good for you, Marmot. I was happy you get to hear that this week.
Producer Dave
00:08:34.160 - 00:08:36.000
That is good news. Brains.
Colin True
00:08:37.040 - 00:08:41.680
Well, speaking of good news, Dave, today we're going to play a game of good news or bad news. All right.
Producer Dave
00:08:41.680 - 00:08:42.160
Okay.
Colin True
00:08:42.160 - 00:08:50.920
I'm going to bring up a recent story to come out of the outdoor industry and we're going to decide if this was good news or bad news. Maybe both. We're gonna see.
Producer Dave
00:08:50.920 - 00:08:51.560
Okay.
Colin True
00:08:52.440 - 00:08:53.640
All right, so first up.
Producer Dave
00:08:54.120 - 00:08:55.480
All right, let's go.
Colin True
00:08:56.360 - 00:09:29.900
So this is the first good news, bad news.
According to a press release on Outdoor Sportswire, outdoor apparel brand Rab has introduced a new lineup of Gore Tex based shells that complete their journey to be. To have their whole shell line be PFAS free. Okay. I think there's a couple of good news, bad news items in here first is this good news for Rab? Okay.
This aligns with their brand ethos year where we haven't been able to talk about really new products. It's kind of nice to have a distraction like this as retailers are looking towards their winter and holiday sales.
Have some new kind of product information. So good news for Rab, Dave.
Producer Dave
00:09:29.900 - 00:10:19.260
Okay, well look, is it good news? Yes, of course they're moving to a PFAS free alternative. But come on, it's a little like, you know, Home Depot announcing we've got lead free pipes.
You know, I mean it's just like, yeah, like we've been on this train for a long time. It's Gore Tex. It's taken until this, this time to get here. Which again they, they've been moving on it since like what 2 2016.
They've started with their 2018 in terms of the DWRS, but I mean, come on, fans of the Roman Empire might be upset about the pipes, but everyone else has moved on. Right. So we've just kind of, it's kind of par for the course here and it, you know what, they got a new line.
They gotta pay for that expensive Gore Tex license. Like you know, and so they gotta get it out there. So it, it makes sense to put in a press release.
Colin True
00:10:19.660 - 00:10:27.980
Yeah, well, I'm not going to back off that it's good news for but it is a little like you kind of have to also if you want to sell in a couple of really big markets.
Producer Dave
00:10:28.540 - 00:10:30.180
You mean like California, New York.
Colin True
00:10:30.180 - 00:10:30.980
Right, right, right.
Producer Dave
00:10:30.980 - 00:11:27.690
That it's now required for sure. No, like, like I said though. But that's that we've got to move all of that. The fact that there is still people selling.
Well, look, and you could still buy PFAS product from Gore Tex up until this kind of fall. Right. So it's going to be in the marketplace for a while. It's not going to go away. So it's going to be out there.
So there's going to be, you know, I'd be happier if Gore Tex was more transparent as to. These are the items that we've sold that have it in it as opposed to, hey, this is our new PFAS free.
Like no, no, tell me what's the ones that have it in it, they don't do that. Right. And I suppose though if you do want to go deeper, you know, friend of ours, Meg Carney and her outdoor minimalist podcast.
Yes, you know, does go deeper on it.
So it's out there for especially in our industry, which I also just find that interesting that from the outdoor minimalist, we have a 10 part series called Forever Chemicals that's totally properly named for sure. But it's deep, man.
Colin True
00:11:27.930 - 00:11:31.450
But hey, speaking of Meg, she had on Wes Seiler last week.
Producer Dave
00:11:31.530 - 00:11:32.490
Oh, no kidding.
Colin True
00:11:32.570 - 00:11:39.210
Yeah. So go, go hear what Wes has to say about outside. We may, we talked about a little bit here on the show, but I think that was a good conversation.
Producer Dave
00:11:40.890 - 00:11:45.300
So. Yes. Boo pfas. Yay, Rab. Okay, let's go.
Colin True
00:11:45.540 - 00:12:03.300
I mean, look, if you want to bring some positive attention to yourself. Right. And good for you, Rab. But there is, you know, in the bat on the conversely though, it's been kind of a quiet PFAS year.
I mean PFAS was arguably the, the story of 2024 in the outdoors. I think we talked about a lot. So is this bad news for pfas?
Producer Dave
00:12:04.580 - 00:12:12.540
Yeah, I suppose that's good though, like, you know, it's. I never thought of it that way, Colin, but you're out there.
Colin True
00:12:12.940 - 00:12:15.340
Come on, man. Like, leave me alone, man.
Producer Dave
00:12:15.500 - 00:12:21.020
Right. Remember the good old days where we could just hide in a farmer's field and no one would say anything.
Colin True
00:12:21.500 - 00:12:35.020
It does seem like it's something that probably needs to be brought up a little bit more. And I actually was talking to somebody who's going to come on the podcast in a couple weeks, Alex Laver, who's going to, who has a.
Who used to be at Outdoor Research and knows a lot about this topic to kind of give us a PFAS update with where we are with things. But.
Producer Dave
00:12:35.860 - 00:12:53.940
Well, it's not in our industry.
But there was good news for PFAS this week in that the Defense Department announced that they were pausing all of their cleanup efforts on basis specifically having to do with Forever Chemicals because of course they are. Right.
Colin True
00:12:54.420 - 00:12:56.620
The Teflon resurgence, it's underway. That's right.
Producer Dave
00:12:56.620 - 00:12:56.980
Of course.
Colin True
00:12:57.060 - 00:12:57.620
Coming back.
Producer Dave
00:12:57.860 - 00:12:58.420
Right, right.
Colin True
00:12:58.420 - 00:13:00.660
So anyway, big oil and Teflon. Yep.
Producer Dave
00:13:00.660 - 00:13:03.860
Big win. Big win for PFAs for sure.
Colin True
00:13:04.900 - 00:13:17.890
Next up. All right, next up on the good news, bad news, and this is one I'm just gonna kind of clear out for you. Okay.
So Costco's private label brand Kirkland introduced a collab with Nike. Have you seen this?
Producer Dave
00:13:18.530 - 00:13:21.890
I have seen this, Colin. Oh my gosh.
Colin True
00:13:22.050 - 00:13:41.890
Of the Kirkland Nike SB dunk low have been leaked and it basically looks like a Nike dunk but made out of a heather gray Kirkland sweatshirt. When it's released, it's gonna cost $135. So, Dave, we've been talking, we've been pretty positive on Nike the last few weeks around here.
Is this good news or bad news for Nike?
Producer Dave
00:13:41.970 - 00:14:14.540
See, okay, this one threads a needle here. You know, like, you know, we talked about Hydro Flask and their Costco business. Right. And it's like, well, see, that was bad news. That was bad news.
And so, but this technically isn't a Costco of your main line. It is a collab with their brand. So it is a difference. And I think that's the big difference here. I like it. It's.
They're kind of sticking true to what the brands mean. They're going after the kind of, the iconic. Like you said, the, the hoodie kind of color.
Colin True
00:14:14.540 - 00:14:15.020
Yeah.
Producer Dave
00:14:15.900 - 00:15:01.040
Which this is. They've also got hidden under the cushioning as a reference to the $50 hot dog and soda, you know, which is fantastic.
A little, you know, little gem hidden in there. I was looking around on this heist. Nobility described Kirtland as the anti hype gold. Right. And an ironic flex of middle, which.
Let me just say that whole sentence is just awesome to say. Just the whole idea of high snobiety, anti hype and ironic flex. But they're not, they're not wrong. It has turned into this symbol.
And so Nike's leaning into the brand piece of this, not necessarily the economics of merchandising. Right. And they're not putting the line necessarily out there. So it's a one off piece. It's still 135 bucks. Right. They're not.
Colin True
00:15:01.040 - 00:15:01.800
That's what I was going to.
Producer Dave
00:15:01.800 - 00:15:09.230
They're not degrading the, the pricing of that. You could say that they're. How do the kids say? Their aura. They're preserving their aura. Right.
Colin True
00:15:09.230 - 00:15:19.790
But no, I like it like a shoe shop. It'd probably be more like a 200 shoe or 225 shoe. But this is a, this is still like the Costco price, but it's still 135. Right.
Producer Dave
00:15:19.790 - 00:15:26.790
And it's a dunk low. So they're kind of keeping in there. They didn't, you know, break out everything for it. But no, I think it's the way to do it. It's. It's smart.
Colin True
00:15:27.110 - 00:15:34.870
Yeah. I do think hydro flask is out there right now going, hey, you guys got so mad when we sold to Costco. Yeah.
Because you were selling like $10 water bottles.
Producer Dave
00:15:35.830 - 00:15:43.850
Right, Right. Well, you could Kirkland style and you wouldn't have made it any color. Just make it as you Know, kind of straight, basic, you know, a hot.
Colin True
00:15:43.850 - 00:15:45.170
Dog shaped water bottle.
Producer Dave
00:15:45.410 - 00:15:50.130
Okay. Right. Fill it with like pretzels or something. I don't know. There's something you could have done with that.
Colin True
00:15:50.690 - 00:15:56.530
Yeah. You guys are sold in bottles. That's what the problem was. Yeah. So I, I guess good news are all around for Nike and Costco.
Producer Dave
00:15:56.530 - 00:16:01.250
Good news, good news. And how to, how to do a collab across channels. Right. That's pretty cool.
Colin True
00:16:01.330 - 00:16:03.490
I do. I, I definitely would like a pair of these.
Producer Dave
00:16:04.010 - 00:16:08.810
Yeah, I was going to say that soft kind of light gray is right up my Gen X alley. No doubt about it.
Colin True
00:16:09.770 - 00:16:41.970
Next. Good news, bad news. So last week, Killian Journey finished the Colorado leg of his 14 or link up.
The famed endurance athlete's current, current project is to connect all of the 14,000 foot peaks in the lower 48 of the US by human power only. He's now currently biking to California, with the next peak he's going to climb being Mount Whitney.
All right, so is this good news or bad news for big name outdoor athletes? Because this seems like something that would have been a absolute toast of the space.
We all would have been talking about, oh my God, you see what Killian's doing or whatever. And now it's more of a. Yeah, all right, that's cool. Good job.
Producer Dave
00:16:42.130 - 00:18:24.250
Well, a couple of things. Yeah. When we had four television channels, it would have been a big, a big deal. Right.
And, and, and all the vertical magazines had their kind of sway and audiences and there would have been a channel. But now we're flooded, Colin. So no, I think this is bad news because what this means is it's not the end of spending. Right now.
Brands aren't going to be spending on big name athletes. They're going to be spending big money on athletes you've never heard of and doing things that you didn't know people were even doing. Right.
I mean, I think that's the issue.
Look, good performance brands will always have to remind people, their stakeholders about their capability, about their legitimacy and proof that their products do what they're supposed to. Right.
Just like lifestyle brands have to consistently remind people of their contemporary relevance, the fact that they're stylish or trendy continues. So both of those are two sides of the same coin. Of course, great performance brands do both. Right.
But the point is the big name is really just how to broaden that out. There's no replacement for athlete endorsement or race sponsorship or technical testing.
They create this layers of credibility that you need to be taken seriously. Again, your authenticity but now the game is of nano influencers and user generated content and just still people showing what they're doing.
But it's less important that everyone knows who it is it's doing of the thing. Right. And you don't need to be world champion to bestow credibility on a brand anymore.
You just need to be authentic and people can look at it and realize what you're doing is real. That's the currency right now. It's just scale is just more, more nano and niche. Right.
Colin True
00:18:24.650 - 00:18:43.490
So it's good news for brands, bad news for athletes. Right. Because I mean the big, I mean I can imagine, I mean Killian's a one of one, he has his own footwear line, whatever.
But it's just still like the, to your point, like I understand you want these people out there doing things for you, but it used to be big money spent on these. I mean, aren't the budgets so much smaller now for getting people to represent your brand?
Producer Dave
00:18:43.810 - 00:19:29.310
They are smaller in that, in that large kind of singular object kind of way. I mean you look what's happened to the surf industry, right. In terms of the, you know, and kind of where they've gone with that.
But I do think there's more opportunity though for athletes to get paid doing what they do and stitching together kind of life.
I mean, like I said, the rates that some people can charge for audiences, audiences that they've put together on social platforms are pretty significant. Right. And so it might not be the same singular.
Here's the super sponsorship you're getting, but it's still a way to, to kind of carve a living doing that's doing what you love. And I, so I actually think there's more opportunity. It's. Brands are the ones that are still paying more.
I mean it doesn't, doesn't, it doesn't affect that. You still gotta get your brand on the people who do the thing.
Colin True
00:19:30.110 - 00:19:43.270
Yeah. And again I go back to that. Normal is his brand and he's just going to do this stuff anyway. So like make it work for your brand.
But if you were like a new footwear brand just launched last week called Notice a New Trail running Live.
Producer Dave
00:19:43.270 - 00:19:43.670
I didn't.
Colin True
00:19:43.670 - 00:19:43.990
Right.
Producer Dave
00:19:47.670 - 00:19:51.510
Sorry. But there's so many. How can you notice?
Colin True
00:19:52.150 - 00:19:54.870
I think I got a pair coming my way, so I'll let you know if you should notice them.
Producer Dave
00:19:55.750 - 00:19:57.750
But maybe that's why I didn't notice.
Colin True
00:19:57.830 - 00:20:06.530
But would you say to a brand like that like you should try and get like somebody to go do something like this in Your shoes. And then there'll be some way to capitalize on the money money would cost to do that.
Producer Dave
00:20:07.970 - 00:20:28.290
Well, somebody like this, only if there's an activation plan to ensure that you do that. I mean, it's just like this is the. The fact that someone's going out there. So what? There's so much of that. It's the spend behind that.
How are you going to get it out there? And is that if that's the money that you have, is that the best thing to promote necessarily? I'm not sure it is.
Colin True
00:20:28.450 - 00:20:28.850
Right.
Producer Dave
00:20:28.930 - 00:21:06.320
I'm not sure it is. But it's still part of the conversation that needs to be had. And you need to create assets that do that.
Even if it's just for your retailers or for core kind of audience piece.
You, as a performance brand, need to demonstrate that people who know what they're doing, use your skill set, your technology, your philosophy to do what they do. That's. That to me, that's just basic performance sports marketing.
Those principles haven't changed in the media landscape has changed, but those haven't changed. It's much like, you know, 2,000 in the Internet. It's going to change everything in business. Oh, my gosh. New business. No, it's just.
It's old business with just new channels.
Colin True
00:21:06.320 - 00:21:07.840
Yeah. New opportunities.
Producer Dave
00:21:07.920 - 00:21:08.880
Yeah, yeah.
Colin True
00:21:09.280 - 00:21:30.400
I, I'm gonna say it's bad news, though, for.
For the opportunity to do something interesting because, you know, Killian, right now, you see the image, he's out there just running around in, like, athletic clothes. Like, I do whatever. We all know you're gonna finish this. We all know that you're superhuman.
I think he should be like, in a suit of armor or in all, like, T shirts and jeans.
Producer Dave
00:21:30.640 - 00:21:34.960
I like that because I would watch somebody climbing Mountain Whitney in Plat.
Colin True
00:21:36.460 - 00:21:36.620
Right.
Producer Dave
00:21:36.620 - 00:21:37.340
That's amazing.
Colin True
00:21:37.820 - 00:21:47.020
Couldn't like the, you know, I'm sure they got props from, like, Lord of the Rings left over. Like, send him like Aragorn's outfit or something like that from Return of the King. Send him up. There you go. Now go to all the 14ers in that.
Producer Dave
00:21:47.020 - 00:21:47.660
I'm in.
Colin True
00:21:48.060 - 00:22:02.300
Yeah. Come on, man. Do better, Killian. Jesus. Come on. All right, let's take a break to hear from some of our sponsors.
And then when we come back with some more good news, bad news, and including something maybe from a brand you've heard of called Arc Teryx.
Producer Dave
00:22:02.700 - 00:22:03.820
What's going on with them?
Colin True
00:22:04.220 - 00:22:43.250
There was a little something in the news this week. We're going to talk about it just in time for fall, we're happy to introduce a new sponsor to the rock fight.
And that sponsor, Fjallraven, can't fial without. Fjallraven can't do it. And fall doesn't get nearly enough credit for hiking.
Everyone thinks summer's the season, but for hikers, autumn is the real deal. You got cooler days, quieter trails, more space. It follows exactly what Fialraven's KEB collection is built for.
It's born from trekking in northern Sweden with their jackets, fleeces, trousers, all there that let you focus on nature. All specifically designed to make cold optional. So, Dave, do you have any, you know, big fall hiking plans? You're a hiker?
Producer Dave
00:22:43.490 - 00:22:49.650
I am. My big fall hiking plans are lots of small hiking plans. I am trying.
Colin True
00:22:49.970 - 00:22:51.690
That's always your. That's your plan.
Producer Dave
00:22:51.690 - 00:23:15.310
Well, I'm trying to make a dent in the local trails. I mean, you know, again, you know, Portlanders love to talk about Portland.
And one of the things is just the sheer number of great trails that I've never, never been on, have never, never completed. And so I' to knock some of those off because there's a ton just around where we live. So that's my fall goal, is to, to dig into that.
Colin True
00:23:15.390 - 00:23:18.910
You might want to check out the KEB collection from Fjallraven to help you with that goal.
Producer Dave
00:23:18.910 - 00:23:20.590
I would. I think that's a great idea.
Colin True
00:23:20.830 - 00:23:40.780
So check out the whole KEB collection by clicking the link in the show notes or search for it when you head to fjallraven.com where your fall begins. All right. A couple of weeks ago, we learned that mosquitoes kill more humans every year than any other animal.
And like the Dalai Lama once said, if you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito. Have you actually tried sleeping with a mosquito?
Producer Dave
00:23:41.500 - 00:23:44.380
It didn't work out. We weren't compatible.
Colin True
00:23:44.940 - 00:24:08.310
I doubt the Dalai Lama was sleeping in the Wilderpant from Royal Robbins because the Wilder pant, like everything else in Royal's MPT collection, has mosquito protection technology relying on protection through construction. MPT is the chemical free solution to mosquito free days in the outdoors. Dave, how do you feel about mechanicals these days?
I mean, do you enjoy slathering yourself in DEET or sunblock? Or are you more of a, like, let's just get a nice, like, barrier.
Producer Dave
00:24:08.710 - 00:24:23.110
You know, as a history person, I look fondly back on the days of ddt. Right. I miss those protests and boycotts. I think we could do better. Think so yeah, right. We could do better.
Colin True
00:24:23.110 - 00:24:27.910
Smearing that stuff all over. Dip me in petroleum. I don't know. Whatever it takes to keep me from getting bit or sunburned.
Producer Dave
00:24:29.290 - 00:24:29.850
That's right.
Colin True
00:24:30.330 - 00:25:01.590
To shop the entire MPT collection from Royal Robbins and to stay bite free in these waning days of summer, head to royalrobbins.com Today's episode of the Rock Fights presented by Lemz Shoes. As the summer season wraps up, now is a great time to get ready for fall with Lem's.
From easygoing slip ons and refined leather lace ups to tough trail ready boots, Lem's offers footwear for every occasion and their fit is unmatched. If you've never experienced the fit of a pair of Lem's, I genuinely feel sorry for you. And Dave, what does a good fitting shoe look like to you?
What does that mean to you?
Producer Dave
00:25:01.910 - 00:25:15.510
One that looks like your foot. Right. Let's be clear of trying to force our feet into rectangles or triangles or all these kind of crazy shapes.
So anything that mimics that, I am down with.
Colin True
00:25:15.750 - 00:25:20.470
It's like they kind of like the engineers, like, well, we could cram a toe into this corner of the shoe.
Producer Dave
00:25:20.790 - 00:25:30.130
Absolutely right. And then the bean counters tell us that we could shave a few cents off if we kind of move this in a little bit, a little less material.
Colin True
00:25:30.370 - 00:25:32.650
Sounds like a win win for everybody but my toenails.
Producer Dave
00:25:32.650 - 00:25:37.850
That's exactly right. It sounds like a win for the pedicurist maybe, but other than that.
Colin True
00:25:37.850 - 00:28:02.330
Right, right. Built with comfort, durability and versatility at their core, this collection is ready to take you wherever the season leads.
And with fresh, exciting styles just around the corner, be sure to stay tuned. But in the meantime, head to lemonshoes.com right now to get your feet into the best fitting shoe you've ever worn.
Don't let our big time production value and celebrity names fool you. Looking at you, producer Dave but Rock Fight LLC is a small business and growing brand.
And even though we have our own consigliere, he advises on other matters. We've got to consult a lawyer every now and then on the legal structures that every business needs.
But for a small business like ours, the cost to hire general counsel or pay a retainer is a non starter. So what's an outdoorsy foundation to do? I mean, come on, we're not flashing that outside money. Enter Conatus Council.
They can help your business with fractional general counsel and legal services. From strategy consulting to advocacy and government affairs to real world Implementation for outdoor recreation industry businesses.
Forest over at Kanatas Council has helped Rock Fight navigate some of these areas. And let me tell you, knowing someone has your back means you can focus on running your business.
I mean, he had at least three credits to this read to quote unquote, protect us from ourselves. I mean, that's what I'm talking about. Forest cares just as much about the outdoors and the outdoor industry as our listeners. So got questions?
Conatuscouncil.com to get in touch with Forest. The first six hours are free. Wait, what? What? I can't say that. Oh, initial consultations are free. Okay, fine.
All right, we're back with our two biggest, I think good news, bad news. All right, we're ending with the biggest one here, but so everyone, I know what you're all waiting for. Everybody stick around.
It's, it's, it's up to be here, but just hang in there. The first, though, Mammut has launched a brand new campaign to save their products from everyday use.
The series of mockumentary style videos of the new mountain wear rescue team joins Columbia's recent effort to provide a breath of fresh air in an otherwise dull outdoor advertising landscape. Dave is actually going to be doing an episode of the Brief on this new campaign down the road.
But I wanted to bring them up, I wanted to bring them up now as well.
So Dave, you and I criticize European brands for continually trying to enter the US Outdoor market on the back of only, only on the back of quality products and rarely spending resources on effective marketing. Is this new campaign by Mammut good news for international brands trying to make their mark here?
Producer Dave
00:28:02.970 - 00:28:59.170
Wow, that's a lot to hoist on their shoulders. Colin. This is good news for outdoor brands in general, right? Let's be clear. They are doing it right. It's a great campaign.
If you haven't seen it, I totally recommend it. Go on Instagram. It's probably on YouTube too, but out there. But they're just, again, it's the mockumentary style.
So you know, you're kind of familiar with the, with the format. Kind of like, you know, the office for an outdoor brand. A little bit. I'll get into a little bit.
Harkens to the We Are Sports center campaign of the 90s and 2000s, where it's kind of behind the scenes, kind of of the office, inside the office.
I think the thing, what I, what I give this is good news is that this is less of a brand trying to be funny than it is genuinely funny with A brand connection, and that's what makes it. Makes it great.
Colin True
00:28:59.410 - 00:29:06.450
Right? You don't. You don't need to even be an outdoor enthusiast to watch this and not get a kick out of it. They did a really nice job. Really.
Producer Dave
00:29:07.850 - 00:29:15.050
Couple are really great.
But I will say, too, if you do work in the industry, there's a couple in there that are going to land a little bit harder than maybe for someone else.
Colin True
00:29:15.050 - 00:29:25.530
The one where they. And all the personalities, I believe, are comedians or they're more entertainers than they are actually, like, outdoor.
Like, Katie Burrell's in there, and there's a German comedian they hired to be their German outdoor apparel designer.
Producer Dave
00:29:25.530 - 00:29:27.050
Is that Janik the designer?
Colin True
00:29:27.450 - 00:29:34.890
Oh, my God. Just is like. Like, you know, they're getting mad about all the roles being in the wrong places and the. We need to add more zippers to things.
Producer Dave
00:29:35.960 - 00:29:36.440
There you go.
Colin True
00:29:36.520 - 00:29:58.280
Chef's kiss. If you have been around this space for enough time, for sure. Is it bad news for the sort of core outdoor warrior? Right.
Because I'm thinking about, like, there's been a little gatekeepiness. I saw a couple of articles written about people who are like, oh, what does this say about, you're alienating your customer? Or, I don't know, like.
Or you're alienating those who are spending money with you. It's again, just that overreaction that we saw, even with the Columbia campaign.
Producer Dave
00:29:58.680 - 00:30:47.250
Right. I guess if we do kind of.
If we're pilling, pulling together our archetype consumer sets as we do in marketing, I mean, the humorless core member would be one of them for sure. So, you know, no doubt. Look, it's a campaign. This is where people get kind of all get fussed up in their own sense. It's like, it's a campaign.
Should they do a campaign for the person who's more serious about their efforts and want to. Again, as we talked about that performance side. Yeah, yeah, probably should do that. You know, maybe that's what I would do next.
But right now, I'm going to talk about kind of. You're going to use humor and kind of an insider track to. To talk about our brand. So you can. You can do both.
You can walk and chew guys at the same time. Well, I should say you can hike and chew gum at the same time. People. It's okay. It's all right.
Colin True
00:30:47.410 - 00:31:04.830
I. Can you remember a moment? I mean, you've been in outdoor advertising for a long time. I mean, there's definitely things that have worked.
There's things that are like tried and true and things have been overdone. I mean there's a silver lining maybe on kind of all the bad news in the world of like we did get Columbia and now Mamm same season.
Kind of a nice place to be. It's been a minute since we've had interesting outdoor advertising.
Producer Dave
00:31:04.990 - 00:31:20.590
It has been, it's a, it's a real, it's a real shift for sure. But people are, it's necessity to just the way the, the fragmented mediascape is.
You don't, you don't have necessarily a couple titles where I'm going to, I'm going to put my print ad in front of my audience whether they like it or not.
Colin True
00:31:20.670 - 00:31:21.030
Yeah.
Producer Dave
00:31:21.030 - 00:31:31.320
And they're going to see it and so they can kind of get away with bad stuff. Right. And now you can't. Right. And so you either going to disappear or you're going to stand out. There's no in between, is it?
Colin True
00:31:31.320 - 00:31:41.000
But the takeaway probably shouldn't be from this that you have to go and do something as huge as Columbia or as no creative as this. These are difficult things to execute.
Producer Dave
00:31:41.320 - 00:32:35.370
They are, they both are. Especially this one in the humor sense. Like I said, it's, it's, it's funny, funny, not advertising funny. And that's a hard thing to do.
But I think what you should take away from it is you do have to be creative. You do have to actually rise to that level. Whatever the message you want to intone.
There's plenty of beautiful, cool looking stuff out there that necessarily isn't humor based.
And I would say even as a brand, if you are a young brand, a newer brand, you need to kind of set the table with being respected before you're laughed with. Right. This idea like especially in a performance realm, it's like you need to go out there and show who you are. Be legitimate.
Don't be the class clown down. Right. Because that's what you'll be framed as first. Once you've got some, some swagger then you can use humor. Mammut again.
They've got, they have, they don't have to, they don't have to reinforce their credibility that much. That's mammoth. Right. They've been doing this for a long time.
Colin True
00:32:35.449 - 00:32:35.850
Sure.
Producer Dave
00:32:35.930 - 00:32:38.890
So same thing with Colombia. Like people know what they make.
Colin True
00:32:38.890 - 00:32:53.190
So there's like just usually it's. We either gonna go really hard at like we're hardcore look at it like look at a badass or it's softy, softy.
We're at the Campsite with the acoustic guitar. And like, those are like the kind of two main lanes. There's just so many other places you can go with the stuff that we do.
Producer Dave
00:32:53.190 - 00:33:03.710
Well, again, but it's like you say softy, softy with the current, you know? But it depends on who's playing that guitar. Whose contention, how am I filming that? Right. There's a lot of ways to make that really compelling too.
Colin True
00:33:03.870 - 00:33:04.270
Yeah.
Producer Dave
00:33:04.270 - 00:33:04.590
Right.
Colin True
00:33:04.990 - 00:33:08.350
All right, man. We saved the best for last for good news, bad news.
Producer Dave
00:33:10.030 - 00:33:11.390
Is there good news here?
Colin True
00:33:12.750 - 00:33:14.430
We're going to try and find it if there is.
Producer Dave
00:33:14.430 - 00:33:14.910
Okay.
Colin True
00:33:14.910 - 00:33:22.320
So per. Basically a million different sources last week, week, from outdoor Nichi outlets to the full on mainstream arc'. Teryx.
Producer Dave
00:33:22.320 - 00:33:25.520
Oh, to cnn, to NBC.
Colin True
00:33:25.520 - 00:33:29.560
Everybody, everybody. Like the most covered outdoor story of the year, maybe.
Producer Dave
00:33:29.560 - 00:33:32.880
That's right. That's right. It might be so.
Colin True
00:33:32.880 - 00:33:45.330
Arc' Teryx came under fire for a fireworks display. They set off in the Himalaya near the Nepal China border.
The display was part of a partnership with a pyrotechnics artist whose name I'm afraid to try and pronounce. So I apologize. I'm not even gonna give it a go.
Producer Dave
00:33:45.720 - 00:33:46.920
Kai Guo Chang.
Colin True
00:33:47.240 - 00:33:48.680
That was pretty good. Nice job, buddy.
Producer Dave
00:33:48.680 - 00:33:49.720
Thank you. There you go.
Colin True
00:33:50.120 - 00:35:31.010
According to the brand and the artist, the display, quote, utilize biodegradable, environmentally friendly materials that all stock herds have been relocated and wildlife have been coaxed away with salt bricks, end quote.
And the project, quote, had passed tests in line with those set by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and adhere to pollution management standards equivalent to. To those in Japan and Europe, end quote. I just want to interject. I got like, if that's.
What if those were things you had to go through, that should have been a red flag of those are the things you. The boxes you had to check along the way. Massive red flag. Okay. Fallout was swift with the backlash originating on Chinese social media.
Boycotts, boycotts were called for and a response was demanded as many saw the display running against the brand stance as an outdoor steward. In a post on Instagram, arc' Terex issued the following statement.
The statement read, the recent fireworks display on the Tibetan plateau was what was out of line with our Terex's values. We've heard your concerns and we share them.
The event was in direct opposition to our commitment to outdoor spaces, who we are and who we want to be for our people and our community. We are deeply disappointed that this happened and apologize full stop. We're addressing this directly with the local artists involved.
Our team in China it will change the way we work to ensure this doesn't happen again. Our expectation is that everything, everything we do reflects our environmental ethos, and we have no tolerance for actions that do not align.
We have already begun efforts to mitigate the environmental and social impacts of this event. We are grateful to our community for holding us accountable. Yes. So, Dave, good news or bad news for our centrics?
Producer Dave
00:35:32.050 - 00:35:50.940
Well, I guess it depends. If you're getting hits on your algorithm based on feedback and comments, it's a big win. Like, a big win. And if you're trying to put out a PR fire.
Oh, man, what a. What a week it's been. What a week it's been.
Colin True
00:35:51.180 - 00:36:09.820
I mean, it definitely earlier, either in the week or week before. There was a lot of talk around, you know, their stated goal of hitting $5 billion. Like, I'm not saying. I mean, look, this will all blow over.
I'm sure that will be achieved pretty handily by Arc Teryx. But at the same time, it's like, yeah, like, hey, we gotta hit $5 billion. Watch us blow up the Himalaya.
Producer Dave
00:36:12.110 - 00:37:04.050
Which, you know, if they'd have done that after 5 billion as kind of a, you know, like a celebration, that would have been something for sure. No, I mean, look, like you said, it will pass. This is not going to interrupt where they're going.
And as we all have known, they've positioned themselves as this premium thing beyond outdoor anyway. I mean, even the CEO, you know, talked about they don't have a competitor in the space. They don't even see themselves as a true competitor.
That's playing on this.
And the upside is way bigger pretending to be a premium or not even pretending being a premium brand than it is being a core outdoor brand, you know, So I don't think they're too, too worried about it. Well, that's not. That's not fair. There are plenty of people that are worried about it, that are freaking out about it. I mean, it is.
It's one of those, how did you know? And you. You hear this in all the comments and stuff. How did this happen?
Colin True
00:37:04.610 - 00:37:21.870
How could we love to ask, what was the brief? Right? And then like, in this one, it's like, well, I see what the brief was, but it's just we posted on LinkedIn like this.
They are our old theory of the brand. Asshole. God, was there a better opportunity for someone to kick in the door and say, oh, no, no, you. You can't do this again.
Producer Dave
00:37:21.870 - 00:38:12.950
Here we are laughing. That. That's the. That's the thing you take from him. But I mean, you hired this artist who's known for gunpowder and big explosions.
Like that's straight up.
And we went through the whole process of, like you said, the permitting and the environmental impact to it, making sure one tripped off that red, you know, that line. And, and then it'll. You could take the apology as kind of being a non apology in the sense that they kind of shift blame to the Chinese team.
Like that's. That was not a good look.
But this is more than a team because the money that it would have taken and the government kind of contract contacts to get this done would have required a much more senior level view of what was going on. There's just no doubt. In fact, I even wondered, did this even come from Mark Terrell? Eric, did this come from Anta? You know, this.
Was this a senior leadership thing in China?
Colin True
00:38:13.910 - 00:38:30.630
Maybe. I also, you know, it wasn't worth the effort. I mean, I see you look at all the videos I could. I mean like, okay, that's critical. It's huge.
But also I'm like, I don't. What were you going for, man? Like, why was this so important to even do?
Producer Dave
00:38:30.630 - 00:38:43.560
The AI versions of it were just as cool looking as the actual one. And they were far funnier with, you know, animals running for their lives. You know, I'm sorry, that's not funny.
But it is funny when they're wearing a mask and just like I'm just.
Colin True
00:38:43.720 - 00:39:05.400
I'm trying to picture the process of this, like to your point. Like the. Okay, well, all right, listen, let's. Okay, here's the standards. Okay, well we could probably do the standards. That's great.
Like, okay, well, we have to really be concerned about the wildlife. Like, okay, so now here's an army. You saw how big it is.
Here's an army of interns out setting salt blocks to lure wild animals away from where these things are going to be. And no one once stops to go.
Producer Dave
00:39:07.000 - 00:39:14.200
I had visions of like when they go to clear a minefield and everyone's standing shoulder to shoulder looking for the. That's what they were doing.
Colin True
00:39:15.080 - 00:39:28.440
This is something that in like 19, like 63, everyone's like, wow, this was great. What an accomplishment for mankind over nature. You know, like, look what we were able to do.
We were able to lure the animals away and not care at all about their. Where they live.
Producer Dave
00:39:28.520 - 00:39:29.560
Oh my gosh.
Colin True
00:39:30.280 - 00:39:40.100
Yeah. And to your point, I mean this is, this brand has done so much to remove itself from sort of the daily scrutiny.
I mean, we Almost never talk about our Terex unless it's to lavish praise on their success.
Producer Dave
00:39:40.340 - 00:39:41.180
Right, right.
Colin True
00:39:41.180 - 00:39:47.220
And they also, I saw lots of PO posts. They open themselves up to a lot of other criticisms about their sustainability goals.
Producer Dave
00:39:47.380 - 00:39:47.860
Yeah.
Colin True
00:39:48.340 - 00:40:04.340
You know, and look now, man, like, again, I don't think this is going to derail you. We know now when you're a certain size, it's not. Most people aren't going to not buy the jacket because of this. Yeah, but you definitely are.
Like, this might, this might be the defining brand boner of 2025. I mean, it's going to be pretty hard to top this.
Producer Dave
00:40:04.340 - 00:40:05.380
It's going to be up there.
Colin True
00:40:05.380 - 00:40:08.670
No doubt Outside's going to try. Don't worry, dude.
Producer Dave
00:40:08.670 - 00:40:10.310
We've got a two horse race right here.
Colin True
00:40:10.310 - 00:40:11.950
Two horse race for brand owner of the year.
Producer Dave
00:40:11.950 - 00:40:15.350
This is a good one, actually. My gosh.
Colin True
00:40:16.070 - 00:40:18.790
Yeah. Well, all right. I don't know if we found the good news. I think we.
Producer Dave
00:40:19.510 - 00:40:21.270
Oh, no, we did. Because it was funny.
Colin True
00:40:21.590 - 00:40:33.910
Okay. Yeah. When we, we think back on the episode you, Owen and I did about, you know, the hall of fame brand boners, I think this is like an automat.
No, no five year waiting period. This is automatic with backcountry suing people.
Producer Dave
00:40:34.960 - 00:40:35.200
Right.
Colin True
00:40:35.360 - 00:40:38.080
The Chip Wilson Lululemon stuff, all that. So.
Producer Dave
00:40:38.480 - 00:40:40.880
Oh, oh, those innocent days.
Colin True
00:40:42.000 - 00:40:45.040
Well, Dave, is it even an episode of the Rock Fight without a lightning round?
Chris DeMakes
00:40:46.960 - 00:40:48.320
Lightning round.
Colin True
00:40:50.480 - 00:40:51.600
Let's do a lightning round.
Producer Dave
00:40:51.600 - 00:40:54.320
Okay. I mean, this has all been pretty lightning. Let's go.
Colin True
00:40:54.320 - 00:41:07.930
It has been, but I, I, I feel like we got some momentum. Let's keep it going. So according to sgb, Salt Life has signed a partnership with Eye King to relaunch their eyewear.
Daver, you released Waiting for the Salt Life eyewear revival to come along.
Producer Dave
00:41:08.170 - 00:41:16.570
Salt in your eye. It just, that's perfect for your sunglasses licensee. I'm just. Oh my gosh. Salt Life is back.
Colin True
00:41:17.050 - 00:41:17.850
Let's do it.
Producer Dave
00:41:17.930 - 00:41:27.290
Maybe if they were a little soon earlier, they could have really helped stave off this whole problem in the Himalayas. I mean, Salt Life. Salt licks would have done the trick.
Colin True
00:41:27.370 - 00:41:32.830
Maybe they put the glasses on the little animals while the block up from the debris.
Producer Dave
00:41:32.910 - 00:41:33.950
See, there you go.
Colin True
00:41:34.190 - 00:42:06.600
Salt Life. We're kidding. We love you. Advertise on our show. You're welcome. You're welcome here anytime.
All right, next up in the Lightning Round Mountain warehouse announced the relaunch of Eastern Mountain Sports last week by highlighting the return of some of EMS's more notable collections of their products.
As a former EMSer I was excited to see what the new EMS looked like, but when I clicked on the links in the press release and went to EMS.com, all it said was, our site is currently unavailable in your location. Contact us anytime. We'll be back soon. So, Dave, call me naive, but if I can't see your website, I mean, can I still shop for your stuff online?
Producer Dave
00:42:07.320 - 00:42:18.280
Look, if a logo is changed in the woods, but no one there's to see it, is it a rebranding? I'm not sure. We, in living in the Pacific Northwest were able to see the exalted website.
Colin True
00:42:18.360 - 00:42:19.720
That is California Bias.
Producer Dave
00:42:19.800 - 00:42:42.630
It is California Bias. And Maybe they have PFAs in their T shirts and we just didn't know that. But I'll tell you, it was. It was a healthy display of 40% off.
So they're definitely moving some stuff. So I don't know if this qualifies as the rebrand necessarily or that is the rebrand, and that's where they're going. But let's hope. Let's hope not.
Let's hope this. This builds some strength.
Colin True
00:42:42.630 - 00:42:45.110
They're going for the Sierra. We're going right for the discounter.
Producer Dave
00:42:45.110 - 00:42:45.710
There you go.
Colin True
00:42:47.070 - 00:42:58.190
All right, last lightning round. Story Bike makes. Huffy released the Sledgehammer BMX freestyle frame last week. Dave, you sent this article to me.
Is that because you just think that Huffy is fun to say?
Producer Dave
00:42:58.270 - 00:43:10.510
Well, it was that, you know, they kind of pulled back, and this is their first pro model in a while. And, you know, look, mountain biking gets its juice from bmx. They're related. So I just. I thought it was an interesting story. And Huffy.
Colin True
00:43:10.510 - 00:43:11.630
You like saying Huffy.
Producer Dave
00:43:11.630 - 00:43:18.190
I do. I do. Snowbound Huffy, it's time for a parting shot.
Colin True
00:43:19.870 - 00:43:39.050
Time for the parting shot. And just a quick one. Last week, the X Games announced a 2026 rebrand and the launch of the X Games League, which they're calling to.
Dave, how many have you heard this kind of a tagline like this before? The future of action sports. Yes. No one's ever paired those words together.
Producer Dave
00:43:39.370 - 00:43:40.330
No, not at all.
Colin True
00:43:41.050 - 00:44:38.880
And you know, they really mean a league, right? They're comparing themselves to the NBA.
There's going to be teams that exist in different markets to compete, compete against each other and attempt to form loyal fan bases. Loyal fan bases in their local city.
Now, this is probably the part where you expect me to shit all over this idea and doubt that this would ever be successful. And I admit that was my first instinct. There's no way that this can work.
But one thing that they're doing differently is that from the get go, they're embracing sports betting with this league. And if you know any, any degenerate, degenerate gamblers out there, you know that they carry no loyalty to anyone's sport.
And if there's a competitive event, competitive event, they are more than happy to wager on it. So betting is the lifeline. I feel like these people have given themselves.
Because while action sports are more accepted than ever before, I don't think there's a path to sort of mainstream interest in an action sports league. But if the gamblers get on board, that could provide enough attention and money to give this thing a shot. So that's my parting shot.
Producer Dave
00:44:38.880 - 00:44:41.760
Really? I didn't know that. Wow.
Colin True
00:44:42.240 - 00:44:43.600
I think it's pretty smart, actually.
Producer Dave
00:44:43.600 - 00:44:49.200
But action sports tend to draw younger viewers, younger participants.
Colin True
00:44:49.200 - 00:44:54.080
I'm not here to judge anybody, Dave. I am, actually. I totally. This show is called the Rock Fight, right?
Producer Dave
00:44:54.800 - 00:44:56.560
That parting. Oh, man. Okay.
Colin True
00:44:56.560 - 00:45:03.840
Yeah, no, they're going fantasy. They want to do like fantasy style teams and sports betting is going to be part of it from the get go.
Producer Dave
00:45:04.800 - 00:45:08.840
Fantasy, you know, again, that's just undersold. No, no armor.
Colin True
00:45:08.840 - 00:45:24.300
It won't work without it. Oh, hey, the, the Portland skateboarders and BMXERS are going up against the San Diego Skateboarders and bmx.
You think either one going to be like, oh man, I start talking smack to each other about our action sports teams, it's never going to happen. They need the gamblers.
Producer Dave
00:45:24.860 - 00:45:27.260
Right? Right. Wow.
Colin True
00:45:27.260 - 00:45:31.740
Now you could argue if you need the gamblers. Do you have something that, you know.
Producer Dave
00:45:31.740 - 00:45:37.900
I think more of a side benefit than the actual premise. It was story junkie.
Colin True
00:45:39.340 - 00:45:43.850
All right, everyone, that's the show today. We want your emails send to Colin.
Producer Dave
00:45:43.850 - 00:46:51.940
Yeah, hold on a second. I just, I need to. I need to say something and want to issue an apology to Arc'. Teryx. Dear Arc', Teryx, I'm sorry I laughed at your expense.
The situation in Tibet was, from a communications perspective, an obvious misstep. The optics were bad, the timing was worse and public response was immediate. And the memes, they were effective and funny.
The suggested new tagline of leave all trace was particularly good. But. But Snow Lamu's. Lam but. But. Snow Lamu's but. But at Snow Lamu's lament of please don't destroy our mountains hit hard.
In hindsight, it's clear that laughter, however justified, came at someone's expense. Your unforced error. So for my part in that I am sorry. I do believe in this case my co host Colin is somewhat to blame.
He did send me the first report of the mishap and framed it as funny. But I know we promise to do better at laughing at things that represent our values. So thank you.
Colin True
00:46:53.060 - 00:46:56.740
You can rectify the situation today Arcterics by advertising on the.
Producer Dave
00:46:57.220 - 00:47:02.340
That's right. That's right. If you were to do that, this would just disappear.
Colin True
00:47:02.990 - 00:47:10.750
Oh boy. Yeah, we should we.
I don't feel bad milking this for those of us still listening to this episode because this is not going to come along again for a while.
Producer Dave
00:47:10.990 - 00:47:15.390
No, not at all. Right. But now we have a. Now we have an apology.
Colin True
00:47:15.950 - 00:47:17.790
Oh my God. That's the best.
Producer Dave
00:47:17.790 - 00:47:20.590
Good job, Dave. Did you like me for blaming you?
Colin True
00:47:20.830 - 00:47:21.310
Yes.
Producer Dave
00:47:21.550 - 00:47:22.830
Right. There you go.
Colin True
00:47:23.150 - 00:47:44.360
I'll wear that. All right. Send your email. Send them to myrockfightmail.com the Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight LLC.
Today's producer was producer Dave art direction provided by Sara Gensert for myself, Colin True. Thanks for listening and here to take us out.
He's not setting off any fireworks except the ones that he probably sets up on stage every night when he's out there.
Producer Dave
00:47:44.360 - 00:47:45.560
Those are pyrotechnics.
Colin True
00:47:45.720 - 00:47:48.200
Yeah. Nothing to do with art.
Producer Dave
00:47:48.520 - 00:47:48.920
No.
Colin True
00:47:49.160 - 00:47:55.080
Or the Himalaya. Chris Demaikz is here to sing the Rock Fight Fight song. We'll see you next time. Rock fighters.
Chris DeMakes
00:47:55.080 - 00:48:50.590
Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock 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 pig bites about topics that we find interesting like pop culture, music, the latest movie reviews ideas of India. This is where we speak our truth. This is where we speak our truth. Rock Fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Welcome to the Rock Fight. Rock fight. Rock fight.
Welcome to the rock flight Rock Flight Rock fight. Rock flight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Welcome to the Rock Fight. Rock fight. Rock fight.
