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Your mom knows everything you've ever done. So does ours.


Tradeshow News Recap + America's Next Top Trail Running Brand!
Click here to listen on your favorite podcast app! Today on The Rock Fight , Colin, Eoin Comerford, and Producer Dave put three buzzworthy trail running brands to the test in the first-ever America’s Next Top Trail Running Brand showdown. Focusing on Brand Position, Retail Appeal, and wear test performance, the trio have a look at Speedland , Norda , and Mount to Coast to crown one who will move on to the next round (provided there will be a next round). But before the big
Oct 27, 2025


How Mammut Made Humor Work in the Outdoor Industry
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! The Brief is back! Today on The Rock Fight Colin and Producer Dave break down Mammut’s Mountain Wear Rescue campaign. They’re joined by Mammut’s Chief Marketing Officer Nic Brandenberger , who shares the inside story of how the campaign came together, from the insight that “8 out of 10 jackets never see a mountain” to the decision to embrace humor. Episode Topics: How Mammut’s team turned an internal truth into creative gold Th
Oct 24, 2025


Gear Abby: Kilian Jornet, Bidet Beta & All About Alpha!
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! In the latest episode of Gear Abby , host Shawnté Salabert and producer Colin True explore everything from elite mountain running to backcountry bidets and dog-friendly tick prevention then wrap with a deep gear dive into a very fuzzy fabric. Pre-Question: Mindfulness, Meditation & Messy Feeling The show opens with Shawnté confessing that she’s back in therapy and newly into meditation... sort of. Colin teases her about doing it o
Oct 23, 2025


The Best Day Ever: Mountain Biking Without Barriers
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! What happens when you build trails that everyone can ride? In this episode of Open Container , host Doug Schnitzspahn talks with Berne Broudy , writer, filmmaker, and director of Best Day Ever , and Greg Durso , adaptive athlete and Senior Program Director at the Kelly Brush Foundation . Together, they share the story behind Best Day Ever, a film and movement that began when a few friends realized their local trails weren’t acce
Oct 21, 2025


Outdoor Industry Buy or Sell: Patagonia, VF, Trail Running and More!
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Today on The Rock Fight, Colin, Eoin, and Producer Dave return with Outdoor Industry Buy or Sell as they name what’s hot (and what’s not). Here's the rundown! Rough Q4 on the way? Multiple reports this past week paint a less than rosy picture for the end of the year. (06:44) A new survey names what is trending with teens. Spoiler: it's not Puffin Drinkwear. (12:17) The Rock Fight Lightning Round! Rutabaga changes course, Runnin' a
Oct 20, 2025


Pitchfest 2025: Women Building the Future of the Outdoor Industry
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Today on The Rock Fight, Colin is joined by Shawnté Salabert to break down her trip to Title Nine’s Pitchfest 2025, where women founders are reshaping the outdoor industry from the ground up. Since 1989, Title Nine and its founder Missy Park have been putting money behind women-led brands; more than $1.7 million in Pitchfest investments and $72 million in total purchasing power. Shawnté attended this year's edition and shares what
Oct 17, 2025


Gear Abby Episode 8: From Butt Hugs to Bear Hugs: Snakes, Lakes & Wedding Cakes
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! In the latest episode of Gear Abby , host Shawnté Salabert and producer Colin True tackle the full spectrum of outdoor awkwardness: from trailside wildlife encounters to underwear performance reviews and the ethics of inflatable flamingos. Episode 8 manages to slither, shimmy, and splash through a set of questions that perfectly capture the mix of humor and hard-earned wisdom that makes Gear Abby such a must-listen. Pre-Questio
Oct 16, 2025


The Rock Fight Deep Dive: Fabric Innovation Isn’t Dead (But It’s Different)
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Introducing The Rock Fight Deep Dive! A new series where we team up with a partner for a deeper look at an outdoor industry topic. Today Colin takes an unfiltered look at the state of fabric innovation in the outdoor industry by heading to the Functional Fabric Fair in Portland, Oregon. Prompted by a listener letter asking whether the industry’s obsession with lifestyle over performance has killed innovation, Colin hits the trad
Oct 15, 2025


REI Retreats, Orvis Shrinks & Lulu Loses Its Mojo
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Today on The Rock Fight , Colin, Eoin, and Producer Dave tackle a chaotic week for outdoor retail, from store closures to corporate pivots and questionable marketing moves! On the docket! REI shutters its SoHo and Boston stores: Both shops are unionized, sparking speculation about whether this is cost-cutting, anti-union, or just part of the Peak 28 overhaul. (03:55) Orvis blames tariffs for closing 36 stores: Are we sure it isn
Oct 13, 2025


So What Is An Emerging Brand Anyway?
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Today on The Rock Fight, Colin digs into the question: what the hell is an “emerging...
Oct 10, 2025


Gear Abby Episode 7: The Wag Bag Incident: Gear Abby Confesses Her Biggest On Trail Sin!
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! On this episode of Gear Abby , Shawnté Salabert juggles listener backlash, bear safety,...
Oct 9, 2025


Scars and Regrowth
We go to the outdoors to find healing, to find resilience. But how resilient is the natural world on its own? I often think of Gerard...
Oct 7, 2025


REI’s 'Peak 28' Unwrapped + Hobie Hooks Up with Bass Pro
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Today on The Rock Fight , Colin, Eoin Comerford , and Producer Dave tackle a packed week...
Oct 6, 2025


Outdoor Retailer’s Big Shake-Up: Instant Reaction!
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! In this instant reaction episode of The Rock Fight , Colin and Eoin Comerford break...
Oct 3, 2025


Gear Abby Episode 6: Gravel Shoes, TP Ethics & How to Name a Mountain
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! On Episode 6 of Gear Abby , Shawnté Salabert and producer Colin True dive into another set...
Oct 2, 2025


Vermejo, Ted Turner & Nature’s Second Chances
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Welcome to Open Container, where we unpack the most urgent issues facing the outdoor...
Sep 30, 2025


Good News or Bad News: The Latest Wins & Facepalms From The Outdoor Industry!
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Today on The Rock Fight , Colin and Producer Dave break down the latest headlines in the...
Sep 29, 2025


Why Outdoor Brands Should Show Up At Outdoor Economy Conferences
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Could Outdoor Economy Conferences be the future of industry gatherings? Today on The Rock...
Sep 26, 2025


Gear Abby Episode 5: Trail Running, $100 at REI, Backpacking With Your Boo & Saying Yes to Yosemite
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! On this episode of Gear Abby , Shawnté Salabert and producer Colin True fielded listener...
Sep 25, 2025


Climbing Toward Compassion
Can time in the mountains make you a better person? I think about this question often. My time in wild places—on peaks, in the beautiful...
Sep 24, 2025


Who Owns America's Wild Places? Public Lands and the Fight for Truth
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Welcome to Open Container, where today we're discussing one of the defining features of the...
Sep 23, 2025


Rutabaga’s Last Paddle: Another Outdoor Retailer Closes Shop
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Today on The Rock Fight , Colin, Eoin, and Producer Dave are joined by Darren Bush ,...
Sep 22, 2025


From Trendy to Timeless? Cotopaxi’s Plan for the Future
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! Today Colin sits down with Lindsay Shumlas , CEO of Cotopaxi , for a conversation about the...
Sep 19, 2025


Gear Abby Episode 4: How to Hike Alone, Pack a Raft, Walk on Ice & Still Have Hope
Click to listen on your favorite podcast app! On this episode of Gear Abby , Shawnté Salabert and producer Colin True dig into listener...
Sep 18, 2025
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