Tired of the same old outdoor industry narratives? If your post-adventure chats are filled with laughter over mishaps, commiseration about broken gear, and celebrating real triumphs (and epic fails), then The Rock Fight is your new tribe.
Imagine this: you're no longer stuck in echo chambers. After listening in, you'll be part of honest, unfiltered discussions that mirror the conversations you have with your closest outdoor buddies. You'll gain fresh perspectives and feel more connected to a community that speaks your language.
On The Rock Fight we get into the topics others shy away from – the real, sometimes messy, and always engaging aspects of the outdoor industry and culture. Ever debated the best layering system for an imaginary ice planet adventure? We're there. Concerned about the true environmental impact of outdoor brands beyond the marketing spin? We're digging in.
We're not afraid to challenge the conventional and offer the candid insights you crave.
We're those voices around the campfire, on the chairlift, and at the pub who aren't holding back. Our diverse discussions are fueled by a genuine love for the outdoors and a healthy dose of skepticism towards the status quo. Our goal is to create meaningful conversations and a stronger sense of community for outdoor lovers who are ready for something real.
So grab your rock, hit play, and get ready to step up and participate in The Rock Fight.
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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 The challenges and wins behind Mountain Wear Rescue Why humor in outdoo...
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' and Gunnin' in our National Parks, and On sued for their squeaky sh...
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 makes this event different: collaboration over competition, commu...
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 trade show floor to find out for himself. He’s joined by: Charles Ross, ...
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't just the brand’s long drift away from its fishing roots? (13:15) ...
Today on The Rock Fight, Colin digs into the question: what the hell is an “emerging brand” anyway? Joined by Emily Holland (Founded Outdoors) and Lloyd Vogel (Garage Grown Gear), the conversation talks about what life is really like for small outdoor businesses. Defining “Emerging” : Why the term is so fuzzy and whether it even matters. Founded Outdoors : How the organization is creating a free, vibrant community (and consulting arm) to support founders, minimize gatekeeping, and provide resour...
Today on The Rock Fight , Colin, Eoin Comerford , and Producer Dave tackle a packed week of outdoor industry news! First up, the crew reacts to the latest ripple effects of Outdoor Retailer’s Minnesota move and whether the industry is being too quick to jump on the “OR is back” bandwagon. With questions around the “Leadership Village,” the role of run and lifestyle categories, and whether the show truly knows who it’s for, Colin and Eoin argue that defining the audience is the only way forward. ...
Today on The Rock Fight , Colin and Eoin Comerford break down the breaking news about Outdoor Retailer’s big shake-up. After years of controversy, shrinking attendance, and competition from upstart shows like Switchback, OR has announced a dramatic reset. Colin and Eoin debate whether these changes are enough to reestablish OR as the national gathering for the outdoor industry , or whether the momentum has permanently shifted away from the iconic show. Guests Sunny Stroeer and Lindsay Hubley (Em...
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 Mar...
Could Outdoor Economy Conferences be the future of industry gatherings? Today on The Rock Fight , Colin sits down with returning guest Darren Josey ( First Seed Sown , Founded Outdoors , G reat Malden Outdoors ) to unpack what went down at the National Outdoor Economy Conference in North Carolina. Unlike trade shows, these conferences bring together governors, policymakers, state OREC directors, economic developers, tourism leaders, trail builders, and healthcare advocates. All of them focused o...
Today on The Rock Fight , Colin, Eoin, and Producer Dave are joined by Darren Bush , longtime owner of Rutabaga Paddle Sports in Madison, WI, to talk about his decision to close one of the most beloved specialty outdoor retailers in the U.S. Here is the full rundown for today's episode: VF sells Dickies for $600m 8 years after acquiring the 103 year old workwear brand for $820m. How does this benefit VF and what does it mean for the outdoor industry? (03:10) Is an increase in participation drivi...
Today Colin sits down with Lindsay Shumlas , CEO of Cotopaxi , for a conversation about the brand’s evolution, impact, and future. What we cover: How Cotopaxi sees itself today: outdoor brand, lifestyle brand, or both? The role of iconic products in a market that’s shifting toward versatility and lifestyle. The future of Del Día and Más Vida , Cotopaxi’s sustainability-driven product lines. Why resale and circularity matter for the outdoor industry. How Cotopaxi is planning for growth across who...
It's Monday on The Rock Fight! Which means that Colin is joined by outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford and brand & creative expert Producer Dave to run through the following topics that have emerged over the past week (or so): Comeback brand feedback & Eoin's surf brand game: We discuss the listener feedback to last weeks episode where we nominated the candidates for 2026 comeback brand of the year and Eoin quizzes Colin & Producer Dave about their knowledge of current up and com...
Today on the show Colin is joined by longtime journalist and former Outside magazine editor-in-chief Chris Keyes to discuss his new venture: RE:PUBLIC , nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to covering the policies, people, and forces shaping America’s public lands. What we cover: How the decline of journalism (75% fewer reporters than 20 years ago) impacts public lands coverage. Why RE:PUBLIC chose the nonprofit model and how it differs from traditional outdoor media. The role of brands an...
Today Colin and the Monday Boys (outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford and brand & creative expert Producer Dave) talk through some stories making waves in the outdoor industry before predicting who will be the "Mountain Hardwear of 2026". Here's the rundown! Listener Mailbag! We hear from a new outdoor retailer and long time industry vet about last Monday's episode. (03:55) Backcountry acquires Portland cycling retailer a month after acquiring a different retailer in SLC. What's the strat...
On this episode of The Rock Fight , Colin sits down with Todd Frank , owner of The Trailhead in Missoula, MT, and board member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance , to dig into the state of specialty outdoor retail. With recent closures like Summit Hut and Next Adventure , the question looms: what’s the future of independent gear shops? Todd shares what makes specialty retail resilient, the challenges of D2C and online competition, and why resale programs could be a lifeline for shops like his. T...
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 an...
This episode delves into Columbia's "Engineered for Whatever" campaign, featuring an interview with SVP of Marketing Matt Sutton. He reveals the campaign's origins in a company-wide transformation, its aim to differentiate Columbia from the outdoor industry's "sea of sameness," and the strategic decision to embrace humor and real-world product testing, echoing the brand's Gert and Tim legacy. The discussion also covers the campaign's overwhelming positive consumer response, the intentional move to challenge industry norms, and Columbia's future plans for product innovation, experiential marketing, and new brand ambassadors.
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 outdoo...
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 th...
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 rattlesna...
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 includ...
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 ...
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...
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 we...
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 o...
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....
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 greates...
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 debutin...
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...
