The Rock Fight: Outdoor Industry & Adventure Sports Commentary

Today Colin is joined by The Monday Boys (outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford and brand & creative expert Producer Dave) to talk about the following topics and news to come out of the outdoor industry over the past week!The Footlocker/Dicks merger is one step closer to being finalized. What's next? (05:55)The Lightning Round: Nike loses to While On Earth, Polartec's Warm Weather Fleece, and Athleta's disappointing second quarter. (11:05)The big news of the week? Retailer Summit Hut announces that it will be closing its doors. Is this a sign of the outdoor industry's demise or just another sign that things are evolving? (18:12)The Outdoor Brand Scorecard! Eoin put together a scorecard to evaluate outdoor brands relationship with their retailers. (32:26)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.

Today on The Rock Fight, The Brief is back!The Brief is a look at the brand and creative efforts of the outdoor industry as broken down by our brand and creative expert, Producer Dave. Today we're taking a look at Columbia's recent (and maybe controversial?) campaign: Engineered For Whatever.And we have a special guest as Colin and Producer Dave are joined by Columbia's SVP of Marketing, Matt Sutton.Matt talks about the origins of Engineered For Whatever, how he and his team were empowered to go big, and what the campaign means for the future of Columbia. And of course we ask Matt about the reaction to the campaign; both the positive and the negative.Would you like your brand or marketing campaign to be broken down on a future edition of The Brief? Drop us a line at myrockfight@gmail.com.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.

Today on the show Colin & Shawnté bid farewell to the Wednesday episodes of The Rock Fight and welcome in the forthcoming Gear Abby.The Rock Fight is moving to two episodes a week with episodes dropping on Monday and Friday. Fans of the adventure sports and outdoor community topics we typically covered on Wednesday should run right over and follow Shawnte's new podcast Gear Abby. The trailer is now live and the show debuts on September 4th! Colin will be cohosting so you'll get your outdoorsy banter fix on Gear Abby going forward.Today Colin talks about the decision to move on from Wednesday and Shawnté previews what listeners can expect on Gear Abby.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.

Today on the show Colin convenes with The Monday Boys (outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford and brand/creative expert Producer Dave) to run through the following headlines to come out of the outdoor industry:Mailbag! A listener looks back on one of the OG low top hikers. (05:23)Consumer sentiment is on the decline. What does this actually mean for the outdoor industry? (09:57)Gravel Running Mania! Salomon has added gravel as a category on their website. Is that the first domino to fall that leads to gravel becoming a full time shoe wall category? (17:52)Big week for Vans. First they unveil the objectively terrible 'Future Clog' while prognosticators ponder if vulcanized rubber sneakers are poised for a comeback. (23:17)The Rock Fight Lightning Round! This weeks topics: Angler Core! Alcohol Consumption! Inactivity! (28:35)According to The Rock Fight's consigliere, retailers are being conservative heading into the F26 selling season. What's going on out there? (32:20)Lastly for The Parting Shot Eoin takes over and creates his own 1990's playlist. (43:58)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.

Today on The Rock Fight Colin & Shawnté discuss the following topics that have come out of the outdoor adventure community over the past week:Fake summit selfies! Scandal breaks in the mountaineering world as a climber is accused of faking summits. (08:44)Nepal pimps other peaks! Nepal is issuing free permits to 97 other mountains to try and relieve some of the traffic on Everest. Will it work? (17:32)The Rock Fight Lightning Round! Today's topics: a bear kills Japanese hiker, a rattlesnake kills a Tennessee hiker, and SUPs are killing more people than ever before. (24:30)Is completing the Triple Crown of Hiking 'dumb'? A recent blog post ponders the motivation of those who pursue thru hiking the PCT, CDT, and AT. Do we agree? (29:12)For The Parting Shot, Shawnté reflects on Hurricane Katrina's 20 year anniversary while Colin follows up on Kilian Jornet's new venture.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.

Today Colin along with Outdoor Industry Insider Eoin Comerford and Brand & Creative Expert Producer Dave dig into the following topics and headlines that have been percolating in the outdoor industry:With brands like On Running and Brooks joining Altra, Saucony, and Hoka in the 'recent excellent financial performance club', is the category of running set up to weather the tariff storm better than everyone else? (05:50)The Rock Fight Lightning Round! This weeks lightning round topics include: Gildan Activewear acquires Hanesbrand for $2.2b, Merrell's claim that they are modernizing hiking, and a stop by Pickleball Corner. (21:41)Vuori turns 10 and celebrates by opening its 100th store. Is there anything that can slow them down? (29:03)On the other side of the athletic coin Under Armour is still trying to refind it's footing. Maybe they need a little more 'grrrr'. (36:08)Lastly for The Parting Shot Colin has a look at the endurance world's 'discovery' of Rice Krispie Treats. (45:12)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.

Today Colin sits with OG Rock Fighter Justin Housman to discuss his career pivot from a journalist in the human powered outdoor media world to his new role in conservation at Save the Redwoods League.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.

Today on the show Colin and Shawnté get into the following topics that have come out of the outdoor adventure community!A British hiker ignores the signs and is now on the hook for his $16,000 rescue. Should people have to pay to get help? (06:44)A NY man was arrested for leaving his 9 year old in the VIP tent of the Lake Placid Ironman while he went out and competed in the race. Did Ironman also submit an invoice for their babysitting fees? (14:57)Killian Jornet has a new project... because of course he does. (21:35)The Rock Fight's Lightning Round: The fastest 3 minutes in outdoor news! Antarctica tourism, a Russian chairlift collapses, and long distance mushroom boating! (30:56)Let's talk about trail etiquette...because it seems that not enough people know the rules these days. (33:23)Lastly, for The Parting Shot, Colin declares his now semi-eternal position on e-mountain bikes. Brace yourself... the rocks are coming in fast for this one. (53:52)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.

Today on the show Colin, outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford, and brand/creative expert Producer Dave hit the following topics!Tariff Watch 2025! After week of surveys, brand reports, and new tariff percentages it is time to check in on the latest tariff situation. (05:32)ThredUp's recently earnings report shows that secondhand continues to be an opportunity that everyone should be leaning into. (16:53)The Rock Fight Lightning Round! The fastest 3 minutes in outdoor industry news. This weeks topics: Altra's impressive growth, Saucony's even more impressive growth, Reebok sale rumors, and Emerald Expositions overall flat earnings. (22:29)Columbia launches it's new brand campaign: Engineered For Whatever. A new video and a new stance from Columbia was the buzz of the outdoor industry last week. We take a look at what the brand is trying to do, determine if they were successful, and discuss the backlash. (28:00)For The Parting Shot, Colin ponders what you give up when you pursue big outdoor goals. (42:54)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.

A few weeks back on the show Colin, Producer Dave, and consigliere to The Rock Fight Eoin Comerford had some choice words about a new product line that had just been announced from outdoor brand Ortovox.Ok to be fair, they mostly poked fun at the press release, but still they were not optimistic about Sequence, Ortovox's forthcoming lineup of outdoor apparel and gear.Tom Mason, the US Brand Manager for Ortovox, heard their comments and today he is on the show ready to throw some rocks of his own!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.

We've talked about all sorts of outdoor pop culture on The Rock Fight-movies, TV, books-but music has been somewhat neglected. Today, we fix that!Host of Open Container, Doug Schnitzspahn, joins Colin & Shawnté as they each take a look back at the 1990's and assemble a playlist inspired by adventure. Each of them built a list of 10 songs from the 1990's (one from each year starting in 1990 and ending in 1999) to be the soundtrack of a their chosen activity.3 activities, 10 years, 30 songs. Get ready of the ultimate outdoor playlist, 1990's edition!Listen to the Ultimate Outdoor Playlist: 1990's Edition on Spotify by clicking here. 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.

Today on The Rock Fight we're drafting the best of the best! Throughout 2025 The Rock Fight crew has named the 20 best brands in the outdoor industry when they created top 5 lists of the best outdoor brands going in footwear, apparel, gear, and accessories. And on today's episode, Colin is joined by outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford, brand and creative expert Producer Dave, and outdoor journalist and author Shawnté Salabert to draft from those 20 brands and see who can assemble the greatest team of outdoor brands! Can't remember who those brands were? Here's a reminder:Footwear: Hoka, Norda, Merrell, On Running, BirkenstockApparel: Picture Organic, Cotopaxi, Fjallraven, LIVSN, Mountain HardwearGear: NEMO, Osprey, Black Diamond, MSR, ExpedAccessories: Outdoor Research, Smartwool, Biolite, Sea To Summit, GarminWho will end up with the best roster of the best brands? Listen to find out!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.

Today on The Rock Fight we debut The Brief!The Brief is a look at the brand and creative efforts of the outdoor industry as broken down by our brand and creative expert, Producer Dave.A few weeks back Producer Dave noticed some billboards popping up in his hometown of Portland, OR for running shoe upstart Speedland. Today we take a deep dive into the creative of the Speedland campaign and determine if billboards were a good idea at all to support that campaign. We end with Produce Dave debuting The Brief Final Assessment where he scores the efforts of Speedland's campaign out of a possible 50 points!Would you like your brand or marketing campaign to be broken down on a future edition of The Brief? Drop us a line at myrockfight@gmail.com.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.

Today on the show Colin & Shawnté run through the following topics and headlines to come out of the outdoor adventure community:Gen Z Paddlers to the rescue! A new crop of young paddlers and kayakers are redefining what makes for a fresh and cool outdoor expeditions! (07:52)Do we still need approach shoes? I mean if you're looking for an uncomfortable shoe that is half as functional as a climbing shoe and can be replaced by the myriad of other options the outdoor industry produces I guess we can keep making them? (15:14)The Rock Fight LIGHTNING ROUND! The fastest 3 minutes of news in outdoor media! Today we hit why icebergs rule, a 9 year old climbs 5.14b, MLFNOW (it's fishing not 🌽), and underground marathons! (19:23)The US Forest Service is going to close it's 9 regional offices. Yet another terrible idea from our current leadership in Washington DC that will have long lasting impacts across the US. The bad decisions just keep racking up. (23:21)The Parting Shot! Colin takes aim at Big Hot/Cold and Shawnté provides a climate update from the Hague! (37:52)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.

Today on The Rock Fight Colin is joined by outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford and brand and creative expert Producer Dave (aka The Monday Boys) to hit on the following headlines and topics that are percolating around the outdoor industry:Outdoor Industry History! In what year did these outdoor headlines occur? (04:41)Industry ups and downs: Clarus & Fenix struggle in their recent earnings while Hoka and UG continue to thrive. But is the Deckers rocket ship starting to slow down? (08:10)Hope for ski resorts? Two recent stories buck the trend of bad news for snowsports. Was this a good week or a sign of things to come? (17:35)The Rock Fight LIGHTNING ROUND! The fastest 3 minutes of news in outdoor media. This week we hit the new House of Sport store coming to SoCal, Dad's leading the back to school charge, and insole maker Ortholite sold for $770m! (21:23)A recent lawsuit out of the hunt/fish world highlights the importance of MAP pricing. We discuss. (25:52)For The Parting Shot, apparently last Wednesday's tribute by Colin about Malcom Jamal Warner was just the beginning of a bad week for Gen X because we also lost Ozzy Osbourne and Hulk Hogan. We pour a little out for these 80's icons (even if Hulk did turn out to be a scumbag). (42:16)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.

Today on the show Colin introduces you to an old friend. The original Rock Fight, LAYERS.He kicks things off by level setting what Rock Fight is going to be up to in the coming months and then reflects back on LAYERS; the show he and Producer Dave first did under the moniker of Rock Fight. And because it's the dog days of summer, your favorite podcasters are also trying to get some time off. So enjoy the first episode of LAYERS and we'll see you back here on Monday morning!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.

Today Colin is joined by outdoor journalist Shawnté Salabert who is off of the trail and back on The Rock Fight to run through the following topics:It's been a deadly month on the trail as tragedy has hit the Sierra and the Whites. Separate from both of these incidents, Colin & Shawnté reflect on how it is sometimes hard to leave an objective behind. (14:05)Inspiration in the heat! 80 year old Bob Becker finishes Badwater. What an absolute bad ass. (29:32)Instagram commenters have weighed in on the topic of carrying a gun in the backcountry. They're pretty much what you expect. (35:46)The Parting Shot! Colin reflects on the loss of Malcom Jamal Warner while Shawnté reflects on the loss of the climate as we know it. (44:18)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.

Today Colin and outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford recap their time at last week's Outdoor Market Alliance Media Event. Here is the rundown!Ortovox has returned fire! After criticizing the brands new mountain biking line on last week's episode, it looks like a brand representative from Ortovox may be appearing on the show soon. Stay tuned! (06:48)Salomon's CEO wants to see the brand expand their products to provide more lifestyle options. A tricky proposition that others have also tried. (09:16)The OMA Media Event has quickly become one of the most important industry events on the calendar for PR Agencies and the writers, YouTubers, and podcasters who make up the outdoor media scene. Colin & Eoin talk about how there is still room for the event to grow especially among the brands who would greatly benefit from the coverage they could get if they attended. (16:12)Colin & Eoin's six favorite brands and products that they saw over the course of the two day event. (30:42)Lastly for The Parting Shot Colin has some choice words for his least favorite airport. (52:19)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.

Today's show was recorded in Colin's Denver hotel room during this week's Outdoor Market Alliance Media Event (don't worry, it's not as sexy as it sounds).Colin is joined by the Editor-In-Chief of Gearjunkie, Adam Ruggiero, to offer their initial thoughts on the OMA Media Event and use it as a springboard into a conversation about the "new" phase of outdoor media and how legacy media entities are responding to the rise of Substack, podcasts, and YouTube.They wrap up their conversation with the favorite thing they each saw at this weeks event.Click here to help those in need after the flooding of Texas' hill country. 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.

Today we're dipping our toes back into the trade show world as Switchback and The Running Event show director Christina Henderson joins Colin to take analyze last month's inaugural Switchback Spring.They talk about what worked, what didn't, how the standalone show will impact Switchback at TRE, and what the outdoor industry can expect next year in New Orleans. Click here to help those in need after the flooding of Texas' hill country. 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.