Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin opens the show taking a closer look at this weeks big story: YETI telling retailers they will be sunsetting Mystery Ranch after 2025. YETI's decision to phase out Mystery Ranch's consumer-facing business while retaining its military operations has raised eyebrows in the outdoor industry. Colin looks at the implications of this move and questions why YETI wouldn't continue to leverage Mystery Ranch as a specialty brand...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Aaron Provine, the president and owner of Geartrade, returns to discuss the evolving landscape of secondhand gear and recommerce in the outdoor industry. Aaron highlights the growing momentum toward secondhand products and picks a fight with Colin's criticism of brand recommerce platforms as he believes that these brand initiatives are giving consumers more reasons than ever to put secondhand first. Hurricane Helene Relief...

Multiple sources have reached out to THE ROCK FIGHT from the GOA Connect show happening in Kansas City this week with the news that after acquiring the brand just this past January, Yeti will be sunsetting the consumer arm of Mystery Ranch after 2025 while retaining their military business. Colin & Justin talk about the implications of this move and then address the other big news story of the week, REI's hire of Abigail Jacobs as their new Chief Marketing Officer. They also talk about...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head), Colin opens the show discussing Polartec's recent announcement of their Shed Less fleece, a fabric that, according to the brand, reduces microfiber shedding by up to 85%. Drawing on his experience, Colin offers insights into the challenges ingredient brands face when developing innovative products, especially given the outdoor apparel industry's tendency to prioritize cost over performance. This approach often causes product...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford returns to give Colin and Producer Dave his perspective on some of the topics that we've been covering lately. Eoin discusses the loss of identity and authenticity brands deal with after being acquired by larger corporations. Using Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, and Columbia's new creative push examples their conversation explores the importance of maintaining a connection to a brand's...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin & Justin run through topics and headlines to come out of the outdoor adventure community over the past week or so including a French ski resort that has closed due to climate change, grades for Congress when it comes to National Parks, and Hipcamp's acquisition of BookOutdoors. Here's the full list of topics with time codes: 4:49 - Congress gets graded on their record when it comes to National Parks11:51 -...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin opens the show reflecting on the latest earnings report from Crocs that details how their $2.5 billion investment, HeyDude, has not been faring too well. Then he and producer Dave explore how HeyDude's limited demographic and marketing could end up making the whole thing a risky investment for Crocs. They then comment on a listener email that identified prAna as another possible outdoor industry zombie brand and ponder...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin and Producer Dave are joined by the founders of SENIQ; a new brand focused on making outdoor apparel for women. It's not a secret that for much of the Outdoor Industry's history the primary directive when it came to apparel or footwear for women was to take something made for men and 'shrink it and pink it'. Even though there have been a number of advancements in recent years for female adventurers, there is still a...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin & Justin continue their annual Halloween tradition by taking in an outdoorsy horror flick. Last year it was The Blair Witch Project this year? The original Friday the 13th! They start the show by talking about a couple of headlines to come out of the outdoor community in the past week including an Australian hiker was caught upside down for 7 hours and a new AI that has a soft spot for wild places. Then they delve...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin opens the show reacting to last weeks earnings report from Newell, owner of Marmot, that shows how the once great outdoor brand is sliding further into mediocrity. Then Colin and Producer Dave discuss the historical significance of Marmot and its innovative past, contrasting it with mistakes that were made by their various owners (here's that Super Bowl ad they talk about). The pair also discuss the recent earnings...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) environmental fashion journalist Sophie Benson returns to talk about the latest sustainability topics to come out of the outdoor industry. Sophie joins Colin & Producer Dave to share her insights on the recent upcycling and recommerce initiatives from various outdoor brands. The episode also delves into the implications of new legislation in California, SB707, which holds producers accountable for their textile waste....

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head), Paddy O'Connell returns for his record setting 6th appearance! He joins Colin & Justin to talk about the production of season 2 of his show "PaddyO Sucks At..." and sticks around to chat about some adventure headlines to come out of the outdoor community. Three hosts means three Parting Shots. And for his, PaddyO saves the best for last. Want to skip around? Here are the topics that the trio cover: 04:50 - Season Two of...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin kicks off the show talking about the decision by Red Wing to sunset the Vasque brand. Colin and Producer Dave delve into the historical significance of Vasque, a company that since 1964 has played a crucial role in shaping outdoor footwear in the US. They examine the trajectory of the brand, from its early innovations, such as the iconic Sundowner boot, to its struggles with brand identity and market competition. The...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) it's all about outdoor specialty retail! Specialty retailers play a crucial role in the outdoor industry, serving as community connection points and acting as tastemakers essential for brand legitimacy and consumer engagement. Today on THE ROCK FIGHT Gabe Meyer, president of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, joins Colin to talk about the about the evolving landscape of specialty retail in the wake of direct-to-consumer trends...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Kent Ebersole, the president of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), joins Colin to discuss the recent shift from its long-standing trade show relationship with Outdoor Retailer to a new partnership with Switchback. Kent talks about the rationale for moving on from OR and why they decided Switchback was the right move at this time. He and Colin also discuss the current state and purpose of the OIA and where the...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT Colin & Justin kick off the show with the Outdoor Sports Draft where they take turns assembling a roster of their favorite outdoor activities that you get you to vote on! Check out Rock Fight's Instagram & LinkedIn feeds to vote or if you're listening on Spotify you can vote in the Spotify app. Then they run through some of the latest headlines to come out of the outdoor adventure community including seasonal job cuts at the National Forest Service, a climbing...

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...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) the secondhand conversation continues with a real life secondhand retailer. Barruch Ben-Zekry is the founder of Out&Back, an online secondhand website. Today Barruch sits down with Colin to discuss the importance of brands engaging with the secondhand market and how consumer awareness is growing, leading to increased demand for resale options. They also talk about the structural challenges of branded resale and the need...

Wednesdays mean adventure here on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) and Colin & Justin open the show by celebrating this past Sunday's National Coffee Day with THE ROCK FIGHT's official National Coffee Day Quiz! Because, you know, coffee is our greatest adventure beverage (or something). Then they discuss the lasting impact of Hurricane Helene, how Mount Rainier's summit has moved and gotten shorter and then react to two new stories to come out of space. They of...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin opens the show by commenting on a quote from the CEO of a major outdoor retailer that a "notable shift in consumer behavior is on the horizon". Then he and Producer Dave go through some of the more notable listener feedback we have received regarding brand specific secondhand sites and 'upcycling' as solutions to sustainability and circularity initiatives. They close the show with their parting shots. Dave offering...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) we sit down with Neil Fiske, the president of Black Diamond. Two stories lead to this conversation. First was the news that broke a few months back about BD 'narrowing their focus' after years of unwieldy expansion and then the story from a few weeks back about BD investing in and taking over Wilderness Exchange in Denver while retaining that retailers current ownership. There is clearly something interesting happening at...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head), Outdoor Retailer Show Director Sean Smith joins Colin & Producer Dave to talk about the recent announcement that OR is putting Winter Market out to pasture and moving to one June event per year. Sean talks about the reasoning behind the move, the response, comments and criticism that has emerged since the announcement and how he and his team are working to ensure the future of the event. Head to www.rockfight.co and sign...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin opens the show by offering his thoughts on two sustainability focused stories to come out of the outdoor industry in the past week. Flylow announced the arrival of it's secondhand e-commerce site while Cotopaxi launched a new collection of upcycled garments. And while both initiatives are admirable, outdoor brands are much to dependent on these types of avenues to claim that they are being 'sustainable' and/or...

Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) Colin promises you that he's not trying lure in sponsors or pat himself on the back. Because we're talking podcasts... not the creative side of podcasts but the business side of podcasts. Podcast advertising is $4 billion large globally. But very few outdoor industry brands and retailers include podcasts as a part of their advertising plans. To dig into why that is Emily Holland and Angie Marie from Wild Poppy Creative...