The Rock Fight: Outdoor Industry & Adventure Sports Commentary

Hosted by Rock Fight, LLC

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445

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Oct 2026

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About the show

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.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 16, 202619 min

Cancel Commercial Climbing & OnlyFans Goes Fly Fishing

Should we put an end to commercial high-altitude mountaineering? And why is the fly fishing community losing its mind over an OnlyFans creator? It's time for The Parting Shot! Colin welcomes Gear Abby host Shawnté Salabert for two outdoor hot takes. First, after watching the new K2 documentary The Last First: Winter K2 , Colin argues that commercial mountaineering has gone too far. When inexperienced climbers can buy their way onto some of the world's most dangerous mountains, who's responsible when things go wrong? Then Shawnté takes aim at the fly fishing community's outrage over rod maker Winston gifting gear to an OnlyFans creator. Why does someone's career outside the sport determine whether they deserve to participate? And shouldn't the industry be more concerned with welcoming newcomers and supporting women in fishing? Two controversies. Two parting shots. One Rock Fight. Send your feedback on this and every episode of The Rock Fight by sending an email to myrockfight@gmail.com. Topics / Chapters 02:58 – The Parting Shot with Shawnté Salabert 03:31 – Colin's Parting Shot: Cancel Commercial Climbing! 08:36 – Shawnté on the Business of High-Altitude Guiding 10:33 – Lessons From Climbing Kilimanjaro 12:14 – Shawnté's Parting Shot: OnlyFans Meets Fly Fishing 15:37 – Colin Weighs In on Sex Work and Outdoor Gatekeeping 16:55 – The Double Standards Facing Women in Outdoor Sports The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.

October 15, 202643 min

The 5 Best Ways to Die in the Outdoors

Everybody dies. But if you could choose how you go, wouldn't you rather have a great story? Longtime Rock Fight co-host Justin Housman returns to join Colin to debate the five best ways to die in the outdoors. From big wave wipeouts and wild animal attacks to falling rocks, volcanoes, and lightning strikes, Colin and Justin rank the outdoor demises they'd choose if dying peacefully in their sleep were somehow off the table. What do you think the best way to die in the outdoors would be? Send your vote to myrockfight@gmail.com! 03:23 – Justin Housman Returns! 06:53 – Introducing the Five Best Ways to Die Outdoors 12:28 – The Outdoor Death Rankings Begin 16:11 – Falling Rocks and Other Mountain Hazards 20:00 – Big Wave Surfing: The Ultimate Way to Go? 24:51 – Wild Animal Attacks and Outdoor Fears 36:01 – Lightning Strikes and Mountain Summits 37:03 – Producer Dave, Shawnté & Friends Weigh In The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.

October 13, 202636 min

The Outdoor Industry's D2C Revolution Isn't Over Plus: What's Next for Backcountry?

What's next for Backcountry? And are direct-to-consumer outdoor brands making a comeback? Today on The Rock Fight, Colin welcomes back Outdoor Unfiltered host and Rock Fight consigliere Eoin Comerford to check in on the changing landscape of outdoor retail. First, they examine Backcountry's efforts to reinvent itself through acquisitions, new brand partnerships and an enormous online assortment. Can the longtime e-commerce player regain its former momentum, or has the increasingly competitive digital marketplace put a ceiling on its growth? Then Colin and Eoin dig into the surprising success of D2C outdoor brands that most industry insiders have never heard of. What's changed since the last D2C boom went bust? How are these brands finding customers and growing without traditional retail? And do they even need wholesale anymore? Plus, Colin explains why gravel running shoes are a sham, clears up the rumors about Marmot selling at Costco, and comes to terms with Bedrock Sandals finally making a proper shoe. Topics / Chapters 02:00 – Welcome to The Rock Fight + Programming Updates 03:15 – Mailbag: Is Lowe Alpine Officially a Zombie Brand? 06:00 – Why Gravel Running Shoes Are a Sham 08:15 – The Truth About Marmot at Costco 09:15 – Bedrock Sandals Finally Makes a Shoe 13:54 – Eoin Comerford Joins The Rock Fight 14:27 – The Sierra vs. REI Debate Continues 16:05 – What's Next for Backcountry? 17:31 – Backcountry's Strategy Under New Ownership 20:14 – Can Backcountry Compete With Amazon and REI? 22:07 – Will Acquisitions Move the Needle? 23:24 – Is Direct-to-Consumer Making a Comeback? 24:50 – Why Some D2C Outdoor Brands Are Thriving 26:49 – The Outdoor Brands Making Millions You've Never Heard Of 29:21 – Do DTC Brands Still Need Specialty Retail? 32:50 – Could Kickstarter Produce the Next Big Outdoor Brand? Pick a fight with The Rock Fight! Send your emails to myrockfight@gmail.com! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.

October 9, 202616 min

The Return of the Light Hiker (The Parting Shot!)

The light hiker is coming back. At least that's Colin's prediction. On this week's Parting Shot, Colin welcomes Gear Abby host Shawnté Salabert to debate his latest outdoor industry prediction: 2027 will be the year of the light hiker. He makes his case by looking at footwear's fashion cycles, an increasingly saturated running category, emerging retail trends, and why shoes like the Merrell Moab might be poised for a comeback. Will running shoes finally lose their grip on casual footwear or is Colin just trying to make dad shoes cool again? Send your feedback to myrockfight@gmail.com. The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.

October 8, 202627 min

The Outdoor Industry Needs to Get Loud About Public Lands

The outdoor industry depends on public lands. So why does it sometimes seem reluctant to fight for them? Chris Keyes, founder and executive director of public lands newsroom RE:PUBLIC, returns to The Rock Fight to talk with Colin about the industry's response to the growing number of threats facing America's public lands. Chris and Colin discuss what brands can do beyond posting another carefully workshopped statement on social media, why encouraging people to vote might be the industry's most effective move, and how RE:PUBLIC's first year is demonstrating that good old-fashioned outdoor journalism can still make a difference. Topics / Chapters 02:08 – Why the Outdoor Industry Needs to Get Loud 06:32 – Chris Keyes Joins The Rock Fight 07:50 – One Year of RE:PUBLIC 09:27 – Is the Outdoor Industry Doing Enough? 10:59 – Why Brands Have Been Reluctant to Speak Up 13:44 – How Corporate Ownership Changed Outdoor Activism 14:42 – The Business Case for Defending Public Lands 16:50 – One Thing Every Outdoor Brand Can Do 17:57 – Why Today's Public Lands Fights Are Harder to Communicate 19:09 – Stop Posting Links and Start Driving Action 20:33 – Why You Can't Compare Every Brand to Patagonia 22:12 – If You're Going to Speak Up, Say Something 23:24 – How Journalism Can Actually Create Change Read RE:PUBLIC's job performance review for Doug Burgum here . Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your comments or questions to myrockfight@gmail.com. The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.

October 6, 202643 min

A New Zombie Brand? Plus: Power Ranking Big Box Outdoor Retailers

Big box retailers drive a massive amount of outdoor industry revenue. So which ones matter most and which are best positioned for the future? Today Colin is joined by Outdoor Unfiltered host and Rock Fight consigliere Eoin Comerford to power rank the biggest players in outdoor retail. And, as you might expect, Colin and Eoin don't exactly agree on the rankings. Plus, Colin answers a listener question about whether outdoor brands can differentiate on vibes alone, nominates another once iconic outdoor company for zombie-brand status, and explains what the Outdoor Media Summit gets right about industry gatherings. Timestamps: 03:40 – Mailbag: Is Brand Vibe More Important Than Innovation? 06:55 – Has Outdoor Gear Become Commoditized? 08:20 – Is Lowe Alpine a Zombie Brand? 10:50 – What Outdoor Media Summit Gets Right About Industry Events 12:40 – Why Big Box Retail Matters to the Outdoor Industry 15:26 – Eoin Comerford Joins the Show 20:13 – Colin & Eoin Have Their First Major Disagreement 26:20 – The Specialty Experience at Big Box Scale 30:22 – The Middle of the Outdoor Market 37:07 – Honorable Mentions & Eoin's Rankings Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your questions and feedback to myrockfight@gmail.com The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.

October 2, 202630 min

Punk Rock Running, Mammut Streetwear & the Death of “Print Ain’t Dead”

Friday is for The Parting Shot! To close out The Rock Fight's big return week, Colin welcomes back two Rock Fight Hall of Famers, Producer Dave and Shawnté Salabert, to chuck four rocks aimed squarely at the outdoor world. First, Colin defends the Satisfy x Adidas Circle Pit and wonders why runners get so worked up whenever a brand tries something different. Producer Dave then weighs in on Mammut's latest streetwear-heavy campaign and the strange pivot from the brand that spent the past two years reminding everyone that it definitely wasn't a streetwear brand. Then Shawnté joins Colin to talk outdoor media, why everyone needs to stop saying "print ain't dead," and how print journalism has actually evolved. Finally, Shawnté takes aim at the outdoor brands staying quiet about the potential rollback of the Roadless Rule and what it could mean for public lands. Four parting shots. Two returning Rock Fight favorites. One final batch of rocks to take into the weekend. Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your emails to myrockfight@gmail.com. The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.

September 30, 202630 min

Can DoorDash Change the Game for Outdoor Retail?

What happens when you can DoorDash a pair of trail runners as easily as an order of pad thai? Locally founder and CEO Mike Massey joins Colin to talk about the company's new partnership with DoorDash and why getting outdoor gear delivered in an hour could be about much more than convenience. They also dig into the health of specialty outdoor retail, the shift toward at-once buying, how real-time local data could change inventory decisions, and whether the coming battle over last-mile delivery could create a major opportunity for independent retailers. Topics / Chapters 02:29 – DoorDash is coming to your local gear shop 06:58 – Locally CEO Mike Massey joins the show 07:21 – How the Locally/DoorDash partnership happened 11:31 – Are delivery apps becoming the new everything store? 15:09 – Could this be a game changer for specialty retail? 16:01 – The current health of outdoor specialty retail 21:32 – At-once buying, inventory risk & real-time demand 23:58 – Can local retailers compete with Amazon? 27:05 – Why specialty shops shouldn't try to become Amazon Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Email us! myrockfight@gmail.com The Rock Fight is (an awesome) production of Rock Fight, LLC.

September 28, 202648 min

Trail Running Has Peaked & Who Really Has the Power in the Outdoor Industry?

It's the day you've been waiting for because The Rock Fight, the best outdoor culture podcast, is back! And we're starting things back up with some spice as host and outdoor industry veteran Colin True returns with five rocks for the outdoor industry. Is the hype around trail running finally peaking? Does the industry need to rethink what “outdoor participation” actually means? Is REI exactly what we need it to be? And with Outdoor Retailer, Switchback, GOA Connect and Outside Days all fighting for attention, do we already have the national outdoor gathering everyone keeps asking for? Then Outdoor Unfiltered host and Rock Fight consigliere Eoin Comerford joins the show to dig into the growing power of specialty retailers, why dealers are increasingly favoring at-once orders over preseason commitments, and what that shift could mean for outdoor brands. Plus: Helly Hansen wants to more than triple its U.S. business by 2030. Eoin and Colin discuss where that growth could possibly come from. TOPICS & CHAPTERS 00:00 – Welcome back to The Rock Fight! 04:00 – Rock #1: Has trail running peaked? 07:00 – Rock #2: Outdoor participation is changing 09:30 – Rock #3: REI is the Steadiest of Eddies 12:15 – Rock #4: The Outdoor Trade Show Wars 18:30 – Rock #5: Specialty retail has the power 23:15 – Eoin Comerford joins the show 24:50 – Why retailers are moving away from preseason orders 27:20 – The “sea of sameness” comes home to roost 32:05 – How specialty retailers influence consumers 35:55 – How much power do independent retailers really have? 38:45 – Are there too many outdoor brands? 40:40 – Helly Hansen’s massive U.S. growth ambitions Send your feedback and questions to myrockfight@gmail.com The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC

September 20, 20261 min

The Rock Fight Is Back!

Let’s not beat around the bush. If you’ve listened to The Rock Fight in the past you know that we’ve never minced words on this podcast. So why start now? Here’s the deal: On Monday September 28th, The Rock Fight returns! Why, you ask? Because the voice of the outdoor industry has been quiet for long enough. And because the people demanded it. And because we still have rocks to throw! And lastly, because…. It just is. We’ll be returning with hot takes, actual interesting conversations, top 5’s, outdoor drafts, and our signature brutally honest point of view of the outdoors and the outdoor industry. If you are into going outside or the business and brands of going outside, then The Rock Fight is the podcast for you. So warm up that shoulder, find a couple of pointy rocks, and get ready for the return of The Rock Fight. Follow The Rock Fight on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.