The Rock Fight: Outdoor Industry & Adventure Sports Commentary

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 cl...

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 earnin...

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...

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...

 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 expan...

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...

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 aft...

Today on the show, the Monday crew (the Monday Boys?) of outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford and brand/creative expert Producer Dave join Colin to talk through the following topics: Big 5 Sold! Did the new owners make a good deal ? (06:09) To celebrate Ortovox entering the mountain bike market we count the amount of cliches in the press release and ponder the motivation behind the move itself....

Today Colin is joined by the host of Open Container , outdoor journalist Doug Schnitzspahn, to check in on where outdoor culture sits halfway through 2025. Since the launch of Open Container in January Doug has had 26 conversations with artists, musicians, authors, brand founders and many others who operate in or around the outdoor community. Today he and Colin find out what he's learned so far an...

Today on the show former Rock Fight guest Emily Holland ascends to the co-host chair to fill in for Shawnté who is out hiking the JMT! Colin & Emily hit on the following topics: Get to know your co-host! Colin asks Emily some random questions so the audience can get to know her better (be sure to write down some of her food recommendations). (05:50) The Tour de France kicked off last weekend!...

Today it's the last interview that we recorded at GOA Connect in Reno last month. This time Colin and Eoin are chatting with Jon Frederick of Rab. Jon talks about why Rab has found more traction in the US when other EU based brands have struggled to enter the market. They also discuss Rab's current product initiatives and what Jon would like to see out of the national trade show scene. Then Shawnt...

Today on the show it's a special Fourth of July episode of The Rock Fight as Colin is finally joined by outdoor journalist and sustainability legend Kristin Hostetter, to talk about her big 2024 hot take that it is time to ban fireworks. Last year Kristin wrote this piece offering all the reasons why we should rethink fireworks despite them being a significant fixture in modern society. We covered...

Today we're featuring the second interview we captured while attending GOA Connect last month. This time Colin and outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford sit down with Eagle Creek president and CEO, Travis Campbell. They talk about Travis's unique path to owning Eagle Creek and if that puts him in the same category as other founder led outdoor brands. They also touch how Eagle Creek tries to diff...

Today on the show the Monday boys, Producer Dave and outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford, join Colin to talk about the following topics: Back to school predictions! Reports are coming in that tariffs are impacting early back to school shopping. What does this mean for the second biggest shopping season of the year? (07:20) In a recent interview , Topo Athletic founder Tony Post reveals the sec...

Today on the show Colin welcomes Tania Lown-Hecht from the Outdoor Alliance and Friends of Grand Rapids Parks Executive Director Stacy Bare to chat about the latest efforts to sell off our public lands. Tania provides an update of where things stand with Senator Mike Lee's proposed sell off while Stacy provides some context on the importance of protecting and preserving our public lands. Our publi...

Today on the show Colin is joined by outdoor author and journalist Shawnté Salabert to run through the following stories to come out of the outdoor adventure community: Bison Attack 2: Electric Bisaloo? A Yellowstone visitor has been gored by a bison...again. (08:19) A grizzly bear has pushed a hiker off a cliff. New fear unlocked for Shawnté on the eve of her departure to the JMT? (14:21) A man w...

Today on The Rock Fight our normal Monday crew of Producer Dave and outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford join Colin to run through the following topics! We already have the dates and location for next year's Switchback Spring. With the show staying June, will there be a public pushback by brands? (07:28) It's The Rock Fight Lightning Round where we hit a couple of industry news stories: Moody's...

Today on the show we finish off our coverage of Showpocalypse 2025 with The Rock Fight's instant reaction to Switchback. Recorded in a Nashville hotel ballroom on the second day of the trade show, Colin is joined by Producer Dave, Shawnté Salabert, and outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford to talk about what they liked, what they didn't like, and what needs to be improved for next time when it c...

Today on the show we present a live recording of The Rock Fight, straight from the floor of Switchback Spring! This past week Colin was joined by Producer Dave, Shawnté Salabert, and outdoor industry insider Eoin Comerford in Nashville, TN to record an episode of The Rock Fight in front of the crowd at Switchback Spring. The crew handed out their brand booth awards and were also joined by Switchba...

Today on the show Colin is joined by Monday regulars Producer Dave and Eoin Comerford (who is suffering from a case of outdoor industry insider overexposure) to preview and make predictions for Switchback Spring! It was about a year ago that The Rock Fight broke the news of a new national outdoor trade show from the organizers of The Running Event and now the event is here! After hitting a quick L...

Today on the show we're bringing you the first interview recorded at 2025's GOA Connect and then checking in on the latest attempt to sell off our public lands. First up Colin and Eoin Comerford sat down with NEMO's Cam Brensinger to talk about 20 years of building a bullet proof reputation and ponder if outdoor gear needs to go as far with sustainability initiatives as apparel. Then Colin is join...

We are back from GOA Connect (even if the show isn't over yet) and today Colin is joined by Eoin Comerford to offer their thoughts on what they saw and more importantly highlight their favorite brands from the show's Discovery Marketplace. At Connect, before the big show begins, they hold a 5 hour mini-show called the Discovery Marketplace to highlight brands that don't have the required retailer...

Today on the show Colin is joined by the regular Monday crew of Eoin Comerford and Producer Dave to kick off their coverage of the summer 2025 Trade Show Season. Here's the run down! What have learned from the past 10 years tumultuous trade show scene and shows do we actually need? (05:50) On the eve of GOA Connect and with Portland's Next Adventure closing up, what do we make of the broader speci...

Today Colin is joined by Marmot's Vice President & GM of Technical Apparel, Jon Graden. Marmot has been the poster child of what we've been calling the 'zombie brand' here on The Rock Fight. Not quite what it once was but not entirely irrelevant either, a zombie brand is a former 'it' brand that has fallen out of favor with retailers and doesn't have the juice it once did. Marmot is one of the...

Today on the show Shawnté Salabert joins Colin to run through the following topics to come out of the outdoor adventure community: People are using Fake My Run and hiring 'mules' to falsify their Strava feeds. And we want to hear from those who are doing it! If you have faked your run, hired a running mule or have been hired as a running mule email us at myrockfight@gmail.com. (06:39) The mother o...