Advertise on podcast: The Rock Fight: Outdoor Industry & Adventure Sports Commentary

This is it; the final episode of The Rock Fight. In one last, wide-ranging conversation, Colin True, Eoin Comerford, and Producer Dave take a final look at the outdoor industry they’ve spent three years questioning, criticizing, and celebrating. From the state of outdoor media and the resilience of specialty retail to brand sameness, authenticity, and the growing influence of algorithms and AI, this episode serves as a candid closing argument for why curiosity and critical thinking still matter. No headlines. No hot takes. Just one last honest conversation before the final stone is thrown.

In the penultimate episode of the podcast, Colin True explains why it’s time to bring The Rock Fight to a close and why ending things at their peak feels like the right call. Drawing parallels to sports dynasties, iconic artists, and cultural moments that knew when to walk away, Colin reflects on the three year run of the show, what it became for the outdoor industry, and the realities of podcasting, media, money, and burnout in the outdoor space. Come back on Monday January 23 for our final episode. Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your feedback, questions, and comments to [email protected].

Today on The Rock Fight Colin, Eoin Comerford and Producer Dave talk about some recent headlines to come out of the outdoor industry including recent comments made by some of the industry's more notable CEO's. For the Lightning Round they do quick hits on J Crew, JD Sports, and OR's new athlete team. Then they unpack the launch of Stoke Footwear, a running-inspired shoe brand built for “real American men” that’s already landed in hundreds of retail doors. Is this smart retail validation, or another case of active heritage being repackaged for a different audience? Lastly for The Parting Shot, Colin takes aim at the promotion of Alex Honnold's next big thing. Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. 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 [email protected].

This week on The Rock Fight, the crew digs into a round of reactions to some of the latest headlines to emerge from the outdoor industry! From Fleet Feet’s growing footprint, to the maturation of the hydration category and what it means for brands like Hydro Flask and YETI, the conversation spans retail scale, category fatigue, and where real opportunity still exists. The episode also explores why more brands are opening their own stores, how DTC has evolved into an omnichannel strategy, and what that means for wholesale partners. Plus, the Lightning Round covers ski patrol strikes*, Everest trash, and why bikes still sit awkwardly outside the outdoor industry. *This episode was recorded before the Telluride Patroller's strike ended. Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. 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 [email protected].

Today on The Rock Fight Colin and Producer Dave help break down Eoin's ten predictions for the outdoor industry in 2026! From tariffs and retail shakeups to REI’s membership future, used gear going mainstream, peak trail running culture, and AI becoming your next gear buddy. Then for The Parting Shot presented by Garage Grown Gear, Colin calls out Timberland’s latest boot, using it as a case study in what happens when legacy brands lose the plot on product quality, relevance, and execution. Watch the video that sparked the conversation by clicking here. What do you think of our predictions? Weigh in with your opinion and make your own outdoor industry 2026 prediction by clicking here! Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. 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 [email protected].

In this special episode, Colin, Owen, Shawnté, and Producer Dave hand out the 2025 Rock Fight Awards, recognizing the outdoor industry’s biggest wins, painful missteps, strangest products, and standout brands and individuals of the year. From trail running’s continued dominance to zombie brands, WTF products, creative breakthroughs, and a few well-earned shots across the bow, this is a no-filter temperature check on where the outdoor industry stands and where it might be headed next. Award Categories: 🪨 THE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN BRAND COLLABORATION 🪨 THE CHIP WILSON SELF INFLICTED WOUND AWARD (AKA BIGGEST BRAND BONER) 🪨 THE OPEN CONTAINER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE OUTDOOR COMMUNITY 🪨 THE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN OUTDOOR INDUSTRY OVEREXPOSURE 🪨 THE CATEGORY OF THE YEAR 🪨 THE WTF PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 🪨 THE NEWCOMER OR EMERGING BRAND OF THE YEAR 🪨 THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE OUTDOOR ZOMBIE HORDE 🪨 THE BRIEF AWARD FOR BRAND CREATIVE EXCELLENCE 🪨 THE GEAR ABBY GOLDEN BIDET AWARD FOR CONSUMER EDUCATION 🪨 THE JUSTIN HOUSMAN MEMORIAL ROCK FIGHTER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 🪨 THE 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN TRADE SHOWS 🪨 THE 2025 ROCK FIGHT LISTENER AWARD 🪨 2025 OUTDOOR INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR 🪨 2025 BRAND OF THE YEAR See you in 2026! Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. 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 [email protected].

Today on The Rock Fight, the crew runs a temperature check on the outdoor industry national trade show scene! From fragmentation to event fatigue, Colin, Eoin Comerford, and Producer Dave break down whether outdoor still needs a single “north star” gathering; and who should be responsible for making it happen. But first they hit a rapid-fire six-pack of industry stories, including: ANTA’s push into the U.S. marketArc’teryx living between performance and luxuryL.L. Bean’s retail expansion strategyWhy outdoor still plays it safe with colorTNF x Skims (you know, for kids!)Kappa’s Olympic kits Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. 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 [email protected].

In this episode, Colin, Shawnté, Eoin, and Producer Dave deliver their on-the-ground, end-of-show breakdown of The Running Event and Switchback 2025 — recorded moments after the TRE Retailer Awards wrapped in San Antonio. The crew dig into what worked, what surprised them, and what the outdoor industry should take away from a trade show that knows exactly what it is. On The Docket!The TRE Retailer Awards: Emotion, community & why it worksTRE vs. Outdoor Industry Trade ShowsBooth Breakdown: The Best & WorstTrends & Rumors From the FloorPredictions: Who got it right and who missed? The crew evaluates their earlier predictions now that the show is done. Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. 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 [email protected].

From San Antonio, TX it's The Rock Fight LIVE! Colin, Shawnté Salabert, Producer Dave and Eoin Comerford take the stage at The Running Event & Switchback 2025 for a fast, funny, high-energy conversation on the annual trade show. On The Docket!The Future of TRE & Switchback: Christina Henderson and Kent Ebersole discuss where the event is heading, how outdoor fits in, and whether an awards program is coming.RUNHER Magazine founder and Editor In Chief joins TRF to discuss what outdoor can learn from running when it comes to being more inclusive.Gear Abby Live: Shawnté answers your burning questions!Booth Hits & Misses: Standouts include Brooks’ funhouse, Superfeet’s geodesic dome, and Rabbit’s unbooth. Low points: Clif Bar’s table and Prana’s identity crisis. Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. 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 [email protected].

It's an action packed episode of The Rock Fight as Colin, Eoin Comerford, Producer Dave are joined by Gear Abby herself, Shawnté Salabert to preview and offer their predictions for this week's edition of The Running Event & Switchback! They also dig into Dick's Sporting Goods plans for Foot Locker and respond to a listener email about the profitablity of resale economics. Lastly it's the final interview recorded at GOA Connect in Kansas City last month as the Monday crew chats with Fjallraven CEO Nathan Dopp. On The Docket!Is resale profitable? Becky from Tersus challenges the pod on resale profitability.Dick's/Foot Locker Update! What a $500–$750M of “pretax charges” actually means and why so much of Foot Locker’s inventory is getting liquidated.The Running Event Preview & Predictions: What the crew is excited for and what they think will happen at the showFjallraven's Nathan Dopp: Our final GOA Connect interview! Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. 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 [email protected].

Today on The Rock Fight, Colin, Eoin Comerford, and Producer Dave break down two major outdoor-industry storylines: Nike’s push into trail running and Sierra’s rapid suburban takeover. Plus listener feedback, The Lightning Round, and The Parting Shot! On The Docket!Mailbag: A listener response to the Patagonia Impact Report and how they make their stuff.Nike Targets Trail Running: Does a Hoka lookalike and a new race sponsorship puts Nike ACG in the trail running pole position?The Lightning Round! Running continues to crush, REI's new travel partnership, and highlighting Women Led Wednesday!Sierra’s Expansion: Now at 141 U.S. stores Sierra's growth continues so The Rock Fight takes a field trip a couple of local stores to see the chain for themselves. For The Parting Shot presented by Garage Grown Gear Colin highlights a friend of the pod's outdoor industry trade show call out (and solution)! Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. 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 [email protected].

Today on The Rock Fight, Colin, Eoin, and Producer Dave sit down with Tony Post, founder and CEO of Topo Athletic, live from GOA Connect in Kansas City, to talk about the booming trail running market and Topo’s big year. Topo has quietly become one of the most talked-about brands in trail running. Growing 70% last year and expanding into 25 countries all while staying true to its specialty roots and never running a sale on its website in 12 years. In This EpisodeTrail Running’s Not New: Why today’s hype is really the second (or third) wave. From Leadville in the ’90s to the Born to Run era to now.Surviving 145% Tariffs: How Topo shifted production from China to Vietnam without sacrificing fit or durability.A 13-Year Overnight Success: Why Topo focused on authentic growth, not blowing up fast.Run vs. Outdoor Specialty: Why the brand refuses to choose.Silent Flex: Zero discounting… everThe Up-and-Comers: Tony weighs in on Speedland, Norda, and Mount to Coast and why entering the category is harder than it looks.Why Topo Will Still Be Here in 10 Years: Tony’s philosophy: deliver a better experience, every time. For The Parting Shot presented by Garage Grown Gear, Colin struggles with the glut of poorly executed maximal midsoles. Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. 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 [email protected].

Today on the show Colin, Eoin, and Producer Dave return with a full-tilt breakdown of the outdoor industry’s latest developments. From trade show energy to tariff fallout to brands making questionable product choices. On The Docket!Functional Fabric Fair Recap: Dave reports from Portland with notes on increased exhibitor energy, better layouts, stronger innovation hubs, and heritage insulation brands making a comeback.Tariff Watch 2025 (DUN-DUN!): New China tariff adjustments, South American deals, and what they actually mean for outdoor brands. Astral, Osprey, and Terramar are already making painful adjustments.Patagonia’s First Impact Report: Transparency, paradox, and the “greener than thou” crowd. Vuori Snow Is… a Thing: A new winter sports line with a clunky launch video. Can Vuori make the jump from soft gymwear to genuine snow apparel? RIP Gorewear (1985–2025): Gore is shutting down its cycling/run brand after 40 years.Lightning Round: ON’s tariff-proof sales surge, the secondhand market grows, and Fleet Feet’s big Adidas partnership For The Parting Shot presented by Garage Grown Gear, Sorel released a new brand video and Colin would like to see prAna get some Columbia portfolio love. 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 [email protected].

Today on The Rock Fight, Colin, Eoin Comerford, and Producer Dave sit down with Amy Beck, President of Obōz Footwear (recorded at GOA Connect in Kansas City), for a wide-ranging, and honest conversation about what’s missing in the outdoor industry. Here's the rundown!Hiking vs. Trail Running: Why Obōz believes hiking has never been less appreciated.Innovation Pressure: How the obsession with the next same thing can hold brands back, and what true innovation actually requires.Specialty Retail’s Role: Why Obōz waited until 2021 to launch e-commerce and why independent retailers continue to be the heartbeat of the outdoor world.Operating Under KMD Brands: The advantages and challenges of being part of a New Zealand-based outdoor portfolio.The Energy Gap: Amy’s case for why the industry needs more personality, more creativity, and more willingness to stand for something. 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 [email protected].

Today on The Rock Fight, Colin, Eoin Comerford, and Producer Dave hit the show floor at GOA Connect and explore their favorite brands and products from the Discovery Marketplace. From coolers to chef-designed backpacking meals (and at least one trail running brand) these are the most exciting things they saw at the outdoor industry's most consequential event. Rugged Road: A foam-first, ultra-light cooler that floats upright.VSSL: From prepper tools to the most over-engineered coffee system ever made.NNormal: Kilian Jornet’s performance-meets-design trail running brandLems Shoes: The 15-year “overnight success” building momentum in retail.Thacker NYC: A stylish, urban-inspired brand shaking up outdoor fashion.Luxefly: Gourmet freeze-dried meals created by a celebrity chef (goodbye unwanted freeze dried gas). For The Parting Shot presented by Garage Grown Gear, Colin takes aim at our nation's airport bathrooms (seriously). 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 [email protected].