Captain Granitic's Adventure Blog

Jimmy Chin Talks about Climbing, Photography and Living Life on the Go

2011-11-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Chin Talks about Climbing, Photography and Living Life on the Go: Jimmy Chin Talks about Climbing, Photography and Living Life on the Go | REI Blog: Weblog for an active community of people who love the outdoors

New Media Technologies Put Trade Shows on Path to Innovation - Fashion and Apparel Trade Show Coverage | California Apparel News

2011-11-23T09:41:00.000-08:00

New Media Technologies Put Trade Shows on Path to Innovation - Fashion and Apparel Trade Show Coverage California Apparel News

'Further' trailer by Jeremy Jones

2011-11-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

This looks Gooooooooooood. The essence of Backcountry Riding.

Access Matters

2011-10-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

Why is it important to have activism protecting access to remote, harsh wilderness environments? Who cares, can't we just let 'em drill baby drill? I mean, who does that really affect? Isn't that a solution for getting away from OPEC oil/Canadian wood/Chinese minerals/Japanese video games?

In a word, No. It's important that we protect our National Parks not to keep people out; it's important that we let people in. It's the American way. We let people in, they experience the beauty, the majesty, they learn to care and then they ACT. They learn to put themselves in the shoes of the rancher, the rafting guide, the rural family who treasures the area as if they owned it. Indeed, we all do.

Here is an example of why outdoor recreationists need to have a strong voice with land management agencies. Disallowing recreation access is de-emphasizing the importance of active recreation; instead of protecting our public lands, they become distant and disposable. Exploring the amazing natural areas of America requires access; not roads, or concession stands, but quiet and gentle access to the land and water that our taxpayer money pays to protect. Shouldn't we be able to visit and touch in a respectful, sustainable way? That is what climbing is, and people must be shown how to do it, which is what guiding is. Prohibiting guiding in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison is wrong, and keeping climbing out of a historically significant American climbing destination is counterproductive to the effort of encouraging caring and stewardship of our heritage landscapes.

Sustainable business is supported by active outdoor recreation. Anyone hazard a guess into how many jobs rely on recreation access to the Black Cyn of the Gunnison? How many could be created if low impact access were enhanced?

It's time we outdoorvangelists get on our horse and ride... into the Black Cyn, and into DC claiming what is rightfully ours; public lands and waters.

KH

I Heart This

2011-10-19T07:15:00.001-07:00

ERGs: A Primer

2011-09-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

Saving this one for reference, since Nielsen has an active ERG program that most of us know little about... speaks about professional development, and the basic structure of Employee Resource Groups in medium to large company environments. This is something that could be taken to the Outdoor Industry, as I've yet to hear about a company with ERG's in place from our world. Somebody check me on this?

ERGs: A Primer

KH

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: Here Is A Way That Has Never Failed To Bring Oppor...

2011-08-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

I dig this... great Sunday morning soul fodder, as well as good basic business/management practice. Thom Singer is a speaker at conferences and large events around the country and I'm hopeful to get him to OR. His philosophy fits in nicely but also brings a bullseye awareness from outside the outdoor industry that is fresh.

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: Here Is A Way That Has Never Failed To Bring Oppor...: If you want to find more opportunities in your career or personal life, be a one who gives. Go out of your way to help others achieve their...

The Western Adventure Goes Soft and Rugged | Jill Adler | New West Blog | NewWest.Net

2011-08-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

This is a great synopsis of Marian Salzman's keynote speech at the OIA Industry Breakfast on the first morning of OR Summer 11.
Glad I found it; chime in on what you think of the Trendspotter who coined 'Metrosexual' and her view on the near future of the active outdoor industry

The Western Adventure Goes Soft and Rugged Jill Adler New West Blog NewWest.Net

Soft and Rugged.... I think that defines my approach to SUP, at least. Maybe my climbing of late too... but shhhh, don't tell anyone.

KH

Funny Thing Happened Last Week in SLC

2011-08-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

It's interesting to be working in the 'Show Business'; meaning the trade show business. Months of planning, scheming, partnering, budgeting, modifying and reacting to change culminates in a giant multi-tribal gathering that is at once organized and chaotic, by design. Like cooking up some 'Primordial Soup' with lots of ingredients that one hopes will result in intelligent life, or at least something interesting like a platypus or archeopteryx.
The OR Show last week was, by account of many who made a point to tell me, the best in the history of the show... and it was celebrating it's 30th birthday. How can that be? Isn't 30 the new 50? No wait, Marian Salzman said it the other way around... whew. From the faraway corners of the show to the anchor exhibiting brands to the artists/filmmakers/musicians/creatives to the service providers to the city of SLC itself, the feedback was overwhelming. Is the industry just believing too much of it's own B.S.? Good, old-fashioned denial? I mean, after all, the United States credit rating got dunked, the Dow has dropped like a stone, even stiff-upper-lip London riots in the streets, double-dip is almost a given... what are these people on?
Well I'll leave that to you to decide, but suffice to say that one of the myriad metrics that were double-digits positive about the show was the number of attending/interested/rabid folk of the financier ilk... more equity investment/VC fund/financial analyst types than ever before, by a long margin. Hint? Beginning of the End?

Here are some links to windows into the soup kitchen that is Outdoor Retailer. I'm just posting the raw URL so that you can read what seems interesting w/o putting my contextual box around it. Enjoy!

http://joytripproject.org/2011/or-art-a-creative-curation-by-devaki-murch/
http://www.anglingtrade.com/2011/08/12/lively-discussions-follow-fly-retailers-visits-to-outdoor-retailer/
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear
http://business.transworld.net/70332/features/outdoor-retailer-summer-market-day-1/
http://gearjunkie.com/outdoor-retailer-best-in-show-part-ii-summer-2011
http://www.wickedoutdoorsy.com/
http://www.ascentdouglas.com/2011/08/09/san-francisco-state-university-student-wins-project-or-at-or-retailer-summer-market-2011/
http://www.apparelnews.net/news/tradeshows/081211-Business-Booming-at-Outdoor-Retailer-Summer-Market

Confessions of a bike junkie: Outdoor Retailer: It's Coming...

2011-07-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

Confessions of a bike junkie: Outdoor Retailer: It's Coming...: "Outdoor Retailer is just around the corner. The 2011 Summer Market edition starts on Wednesday, August 3rd with the open-air demo at Jorda..."

OR Just Around The Corner

2011-07-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

Looking forward to a great gathering of the active outdoor clan next month. 3 weeks and counting!

Here are a few pics to whet your appetite for all that is OR.

Camp Amache gets media love, maybe more

2011-02-22T22:53:00.000-08:00

This is a short video from Colorado (ch. 9, not so great production) that brings to light a restoration effort for Camp Amache, the relocation camp (internment camp really) for Japanese Americans from California during WWII. The camp in California is Manzanar, off the 395 between Bishop and Independence, that is passed by every Eastside climber and skier countless times (well unless you live in Bishop or Mammoth). There has been a restoration effort there too...
by remembering, we become more mindful of our present.

Obama speaks on America's Great Outdoor Initiative

2011-02-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

This is a worthy 16 minutes if you are interested in outdoor recreation and the preservation of our country's wild spaces. It's amazing that as I took my kid to school this AM, I returned to see my neighbor on a treadmill in his garage, facing into the house, next to his SUV with the radio on (commercial blaring)... it is 65 degrees, sunny and gorgeous this morning in Laguna Niguel. Nuff said.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2011/02/16/president-obama-americas-great-outdoors-initiative

Parkin Solos North Face of Dingjung Ri - Alpinist.com

2011-02-04T14:30:00.000-08:00

From mark_twight twitter feed... Now that guy is hard, and he's paying much respect to an equally stout fellow. Inspiring to me, given I'm training up just to ski Mammoth next week!

"The how is so important in climbing. It's the reason we do it." http://ow.ly/3QEe0 Andy Parkin inspires, and has done so for 30 years.

Parkin Solos North Face of Dingjung Ri - Alpinist.com

Lenny Kravitz - Tunnel Vision (part 1)

2011-01-08T15:34:00.000-08:00

Workin on this for studio jam tonite.

Tunnel Vision indeed, down in the AZ... this one is dedicated to the honest, hard-working politicians

on the Hill, like Gabriel Giffords.

SoCal Trifecta #1

2010-12-28T13:49:00.000-08:00

My dad invented the Pet Rock.
Well in his mind, he did. I imagine that many thousands of people 'invented' the Pet Rock in the sense that they thought of the idea collectively before one ambitious entrepreneur actually made it happen for real. It was an obvious product that was realized at the crossroads of consumerism and popular culture rising in the Seventies in America. Occassionally, ideas are simultaneously sparked in different minds all around the world, due to conditions and a certain critical mass of followers or believers. The New Yorker wrote "They must be in the air, products of the intellectual climate of a specific time and place", and the phenomenon garnered attention after 'The Social Network' was released.

Such must be the case with the SoCal Trifecta phenomenon, talked about for some years in the adventure sports community in California; a simple idea that must have been sparked a hundred times along with numerous flammable herbs and post-adventure conversation. But one group took initiative with a small band of brothers to realize this dream, dubbing it the SoCal Trifecta. Yesterday it happened for real, and will in all likelihood inspire dozens of other events that will build on the foundation.

It began in earnest with an early morning car shuttle service (Kier's invincible Tacoma) starting in Oceanside and sweeping North through the OC and into CC for mountainous points East, specifically Mt. Baldy. With 6" of fresh on the ground, the stage was set for a more-than-serviceable kickoff going from Mountain to Ocean for a ski/climb/surf lineup. But the first obstacle presented before the engine was even warm... the road to Baldy closed at 7am due to icy conditions. This left us very little option and even less time. We'd have to brave the crowds at Mtn High, now packed even tighter with the Baldy resort access closure during the holiday break week (lesson #1; avoid the holiday break!).

No SoCal Trifecta would be complete without some crowding issues, I suppose. So we maintained patience, sported our colors, and ripped a few good runs on the resort and bailed to get to the crag. Here's a fun video shot by Kier's fancy helmet cam.

There are many things we will tweak for future iterations, and one of them is the method for getting the ski portion in. Backcountry is definitely the best way, and requires a super early start. The other thing to change is the carting around of surfboards to ski and climb destinations... probably not necessary, if pre-stashing can be figured out near or en route to the surfing destination.

Climbing took place at Malibu Creek, originally targeting the Stumbling Blocks area but due to time issues went to the just-crowded-enough Planet Of The Apes wall. Pics can be seen on the fb wall here.

We pulled up to County Line and suited up for a perfect sunset surf... small but fun waves, no wind, and easy access to good food and drink to close the experience. Lots of lessons learned for next time, which is hopefully in spring, with longer days and epic conditions across the board. Already some great new concepts have been thrown down... The NorCal Trifecta, the Enviro-Trifecta (no petroleum), the San Diego Trifecta, and someone (probably BTrean) even suggested a fully self-propelled Trifecta.

Science Career Ladder Video

2010-12-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

Avalanche Dreams, Caviar Nightmares

2010-12-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

This time of year I always end up daydreaming from my urban/suburban digs about playing in the snow... going up over the hill at the end of the block offers up a stunning view of Mt. Baldy that I cannot shut up about (the kids are done with me). 'Wow check out the snow pack!' 'Can you see the fresh snow on Baldy?' 'Isn't that beautiful?'. I'm sure they get it, but just think it's dorky to talk about it. Unless we're going there now. Which we probably aren't so shut up already.

I also think about avalanche. I've lost two friends in the past decade (6 years I think actually) to avalanche, and have participated in semi-scientific studies to further product awareness and development for avalanche safety. I own an 'Avalung' pack, and need to upgrade my Pieps this year (along with getting a helmet, duh). I check the avy reports regularly and today it's 'HIGH' for the Eastern Sierra. The only higher rating is 'EXTREME', Be really careful out there you powder hounds... it only mostly ends happily.

Avy science is an interesting pursuit, as data and modern digital mapping are advancing by big jumps these days, as well as product for safety like airbags (read about a recent save here of a snowmobiler in CO). In my work I'm trying to encourage the conversation too, with groups like Avalaunch and guys like Bruce Tremper, the Utah Avalanche Center guru. Maybe I'm obsessed a bit since my two pals have been taken out that way; but I think any scientific pursuit that informs active outdoor users is worth paying attention to.

There are basic tenets in avy science to watch; Slope Angle, Sliding Surface, Snowfall timing (how much and when), Slope Aspect, and Wind Loading. These all mix together and by the very nature of snow, hide under cover of a white blanket mostly. It's like studying a bed with a blanket over it and guessing who is underneath and the manner of dress they are (or aren't) wearing.

Any thoughts on Avalanche? I can't help the song from Fleetwood Mac from sounding in my head, and from crying if I hear the song or sing it out loud. Such is life, and passion, and friendship, and passing. I hope that Chris and Dennis didn't suffer long, and that this remembrance keeps their proud and creative energy alive just a little. I'll make some turns for you this season, guys, and play some songs too in your honor.

KH

OR Blog

2010-11-30T16:12:00.000-08:00

Virtual Design Center What What? Sustainability through DESIGN? Oh Really?
FREE attendance? No way..
OR Blog

Yes Way. Dec. 7. Register to attend... be on top of it.
registration page

agenda for the inaugural VDC

K

ASR Bows Out, Action-Sports Brands Look for New Strategy - Fashion and Apparel Trade Show Coverage | California Apparel News

2010-11-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

Would love to hear Outdoor industry thoughts on the closing down of ASR. This article makes it sound pretty uni-dimensional, on the ROI. I wonder how Toby measured ROI? O'Neill had a great coming out experience at OR, from what I've heard. And though orders are still written at OR, that hasn't been the main reason (except as a centerpoint to focus orders around) to attend or exhibit for a long time (see buyer testimonial from O'Neill posted online here)and also a large survey of 1511 retailers here, 300 of which did not come to the show in 2009 (Summer). I'd love to hear some feedback from the industry so sound off!

ASR Bows Out, Action-Sports Brands Look for New Strategy - Fashion and Apparel Trade Show Coverage California Apparel News

Kenji

Please help our school's fundraiser

2010-10-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

For those of you comfortable with the social media 'hit-up', this is for a great cause... my dd's fall school fund raiser! She is super motivated to do well and get a free frisbee, or something, so get something small or a few to share come holiday time and she will rock it and thank you (and me)profusely. Don't pay too much attention to the amazingly yummy looking treats, I'm sure nothing there for you. :-}
And if I'm breaching the SM rules somehow by doing this, well that is what your delete button is for. Don't worry, I'm not tracking it. Or am I?

Please help our school's fundraiser: "HIDDEN HILLS PTA is having a fundraiser. You can shop online atbr /
br /
http://www.westcoastfundraising.com/store/brochures.php?sID=hdn7482br /
br /
The school receives profit from the sale and the student will receive prize credits. Enter the student ID below to begin.br /
br /
Student: Camille Haroutunianbr /
Student ID: hdn7482br /
br /
Thank you for your support.br /
br /
If the link above does not work, please use the following link and enter the student ID: http://www.westcoastfundraising.com/store/index.phpbr /
br /"

Remembering Nine Eleven

2010-09-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

Maybe the most popular question being asked in America today....

"So where were you when it all went down?"

I was getting ready to do my hideously long commute from CC to Laguna Beach, in my second year with Miller Freeman (who had just been bought by VNU) working on Outdoor Retailer. The tube was on and we had three young children, only one of school age, so the typical early morning antics were in play... showering, finding socks, packing snacks, and as were going about it we watched the world change in front of our eyes. Within minutes my thoughts went from 'wow that isn't cool' to 'how do I protect my family from this right now?'. And I was 3000 miles away. I can imagine the millions of East Coast fathers and mothers who instantly became afraid for their lives and wondered where the next boot would fall.

I remember thinking 'how could we let this happen?' then realizing over time that it was really pretty easy. That is the price we pay for having an open society where freedom is paramount. It's what drives innovation here, and makes it the greatest country. Let's remember that as we put the haters and revengers in the background and sing our songs of freedom.

I'm humming Redemption Song... Marley... sing it with me!

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery,

None but ourselves can free our minds.

KH

Messages from Advocacy Alley

2010-08-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's worthwhile to get a different view of the scene, to expand the palate of colors used to paint and repain your perfect mental picture of understanding. So here I submit the view of Outdoor Retailer from the eyes of a Wild Salmon advocate. Who is dressed as a Wild Salmon.

http://saveourwildsalmon.blogspot.com/2010/08/thank-you-outdoor-retailers.html

Why do they gush so? The advocacy groups that is. Especially Salmon advocates, shouldn't they be at ASA (the sportfishing show) or IFTD (the soon to stage stand-alone fly fishing show)? Isn't that their 'wheelhouse'?

I've got my feelings about it but would love to know yours.
KH

http://blip.fm/all

2010-08-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

Listening to a bunch of new DJ's on blip, playing Moskau by Rammstein at the moment... gotta get that on my Pod for running!

http://blip.fm/all

Post OR Summer show thoughts - Fresh from a fried cranium

2010-08-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

Well the whirlwind of the OR Summer show 2010 has subsided, except for those of you road-tripping on to points N/S/E/W. I didn't find any road trippers from the South, but certainly from every other direction and I bet there were a few willing to take highway and byway to SLC last week.
I know it's important to say, so I'll say it now that attendance at the show was up in all measured categories of buyers, stores, exhibitors, media, advocacy groups and overall attendance. But is that really important, or just a sound byte for the data-starved b2b media market? Is the show, after all, a quality play, or quantity play? Is it a numbers game at the end of it all?

I'll let you answer that... but it's important enough that I will be engaged in show stat analysis like never before in the next month (while planning Winter 11) to test Nielsen's new audience development technology called Alterian (sounds ominous, eh?). Store demographics, geographic profiles, attendance history patterns, success/failure with prospecting, and detailed survey results will all be part of the wrap up effort on the show. As video, images, stories, reviews and commentary on the show stream onto YouTube/Facebook/Wordpress/Blogger/Twitter/LinkedIn over the coming weeks, can we really even say the show is over?

So instead of a post-mortem on SM10, I'll post up some of the highlights in pic form, and keep adding to it as the pieces of the overall puzzle flow into the public domain.

Me and U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar cruising the show floor for swag (and great photo opps)

James Curleigh (CEO of Keen) rocking his amazing reused/recycled booth with the All Star Industry Band

Raffi (owner of Cedars of Lebanon Armenian/Lebanese restaurant) and Berge and I, the SLC Armenian connection

Midnite Son rocking the All Star Jam into the wee hours

Was L.A.'s $8-billion investment in rail worth the money?

2010-07-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

Progress at a snail's pace. And rather pricey progress at that.

Was L.A.'s $8-billion investment in rail worth the money?

I'm still thinking about the Expo Line, opening (hopefully) 2012. Goes right into
my hood and connects the Westside, which is the part of L.A. I know the best.

KH

Where Art Meets Fitness

2010-06-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

The blending of art and commerce is a place I'm interested in. Action Sports is particularly hot in this direction, and Outdoor is just coming around (unless you think the splotch-painted lycra tights of the early '90's constitutes 'art').
Some cool considerations -

http://www.dezeen.com/2007/08/02/illoiha-omotesando-climbing-wall-by-nendo/

http://www.jercollins.com/

From the River City Canoe & Kayak shop facebook page...

This is also worthy in the art-meets-climbing scene

http://www.mistymurphy.com/home.html

40 years of Earth Day - a progress report

2010-05-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

I was reading about the history of Earth Day, a de facto environmental movement chronologue, in (of all pubs) Advertising Age. The iconic image of that era (1971), seeding the future of the sustainable business model of today and beyond, was this simple, powerful TV ad. Remember Iron Eyes Cody?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OHG7tHrNM

A single teardrop held the key to guilt-tripping millions of Americans into considering their impact on the land and water. By the way, this ad is a great paddlesports promotion too! I'd like to run it in the Paddle Zone at the next OR, on a continuous loop...

The article (written by Jack Neff) goes on to highlight the milestones of the environmental movement, beginning with the 'Crying Indian' ad in 1971, representing the Keep America Beautiful campaign. I found this pretty useful in tracking the progress over the years of my awareness and involvement in the movement, at least as far as evidenced in marketing campaigns.
Full article here

HIGHLIGHTS -

1971 - The Ad Council's Keep America Beautiful campaign

1970-'93 - Phosphates removed from detergents (first voluntary, then mandated in 1993)

1972 - Rodale Press (!) created the first voluntary standards and certification for organic foods in 1972, and helped organize groups of organic farmers in California and Oregon (ah, the glory days of publishing might!). Today organic foods only account for 4% of the U.S. market (according to Whole Foods)... but still a market that didn't exist in the '70's. As of 2008, organic food is $52B worldwide, and growing at a 17-20% clip (much faster than conventional food).

'90's - Packaging reductions - Laundry detergent, because of the sheer size of the business and packages, started with concentration efforts to reduce packaging. Food packaging (yogurt lids, Hamburger Helper noodle shapes, Suave bottle shapes, all examples of reduced packaging efforts)

What happened to the '80's? (answer: Reaganomics)

Buta also, the founding of Seventh Generation (1988), and a host of other 'green megabrands' as noted by Neff; Burt's Bees, Method, and continuing forward into the current decade with Clorox, P&G, and SC Johnson in the game with 8 and 9 figure brands.

1997 - Energy Star program certification program launched by EPA. This program has eliminated greenhouse gases equivalent to those produced by 30 Million automobiles (EPA accounting).

2000-2006 - 'An Inconvenient Truth' - documentary about Al Gore's efforts to raise awareness about global warming. This film elevated Gore beyond politics, and along with a host of other sustainable movement messaging films (Supersize Me, The Day After Tomorrow, The Cove, Erin Brokovich, etc...) breached the bubble of denial that most of us still hide behind.

2007 - Wal-Mart gets on board, even takes the lead in supplier-focused packaging and sustainability requirements. 'Supplier Sustainability Index' rolled out widely in 2009.

2007 - The Prius - the predominant fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle, at over 1 Million vehicles sold, changed the landscape of perceived consumer demand and set a new bar for vehicle manufacturing/marketing

2009 - Death of the Hummer. The symbol of environmental disregard can't even find a buyer to perform CPR on the brand...

2010 and beyond - Whatcha Got? So far we have an environmental disaster cum game changer... The deepwater platform in the Gulf Of Mexico which will eclipse the Exxon Valdez disaster as the most heinous environmental calamity of our times. What else can you and I effect that will make the list?

KH

Elinor Ostrom Wins Nobel for Common(s) Sense by Fran Korten — YES! Magazine

2010-03-06T08:40:00.000-08:00

This short interview with a nobel prize winner gives a glimpse into the kind of solution-mindedness that will save the environment, change our energy delivery system, propagate education and change the meaning of 'government' IMHO
This is combining social media with scientific research, creating the 'social ecosystem'. I'm intrigued!
Elinor Ostrom Wins Nobel for Common(s) Sense by Fran Korten — YES! Magazine

Reformed Healthcare vs Social Darwinism

2010-02-25T22:18:00.000-08:00

Let's call this a Political Adventure of sorts...

I still don't get it ... is healthcare a system that should be wholly managed by free market dynamics, like pork bellies or sleeping bags? Actually agricultural products aren't really free market commodities... so let's say, books. Can the 'healthcare market' be wholly governed by simple supply/demand dynamics? Isn't it more like defense, or education, a social responsibility and measure of our success as a nation? Do poor, sick people have no impact on the rest? Don't we all share the same water, air, transportation and energy grid? There is no hiding, no gated community, no private bubble that will escape our entwined fate.... study history, then apply to the shrinking human world (er, growing human footprint on the static natural world) and the growing environmental disaster and you have... voila, it's 'BRING OUT YOUR DEAD... BRING OUT YOUR DEAD!'

This week the Obama adminstration's Healthcare Summit took place, and there was much politicing and posturing on both sides of the aisle. In the end, the most useful thing that seemed to emerge was nowhere near the stated goal of bipartisan problem solving, but the revelation of the Right agenda; that social darwinism is really at the root of healthcare policy. If you can't afford the healthcare, then we're sorry but we aren't paying for your root canal. Suffer, get some string, a fotie of King Cobra and get on with it.

Which, actually, I'm okay with. It's the most 'naturalistic' approach after all, like animals in the wild... only the strong survive, and the moment one tribe member weakens, they are exposed to the reaper. Personally I like the feeling of generosity and giving back, since I believe in karma and the Japanese idea of ' bachi ga taru'. But on it's own, social darwinism is at least logical and intact as a belief system.

But here is the real rub; aren't these self-professed 'conservatives' the very same people who claim the moral high ground, linked arm-in-arm with Jesus and Rick Warren, and blathering on about how morally wrong it is to kill an unborn 4 week old fetus? Why then is it okay to let a walking human brother or sister who is down on their luck die of unchecked Diabetes or Tuberculosis? Aren't they the ones who claim it's okay to get obscenely rich, yet the bible clearly has the meek inheriting the Earth and Greed as one of the seven deadly sins? These have never meshed in my mind, nor has anyone I've met helped clarify. If you have some insight to offer, please do... I'd love to understand better how one resolves these dissonant ideas in one cranium.

KH

Picture 5767 « Outdoor Retailer 2010: Photo and Video Gallery | TransWorld Business#ngtop#ngtop#ngtop#ngtop

2010-01-28T14:24:00.000-08:00

Here is some fresh perspective on OR Winter Market 2010, from Transworld Business, a publication group (owned by Bonnier) that focuses on Action Sports business in North America. There is beauty in hearing the word from outside our little 'band of brothers', and lessons to be learned. Check it out....

Picture 5767 « Outdoor Retailer 2010: Photo and Video Gallery TransWorld Business#ngtop#ngtop#ngtop#ngtop

Tons of coverage evident too on the OR website http://www.outdoorretailer.com ; whether you dig video, images, stories from the OR Daily or social media content, it's all there for your perusal.

FYI - I spoke with Paul Fish, and he has worked up a program that will help Haiti on the ground and not go through the Port Au Prince nightmare that is the airport and transportation hub currently.

Doctors United for Haiti

A couple references:
http://www.dufh.org/
http://media-newswire.com/release_1111153.html

For follow up to get gear on the ground, please contact

Paul Fish
Mountain Gear, Inc6021 E Mansfield AveSpokane Valley, WA 99212Phone 509.242.4545

SPREAD THE WORD, you industry insider you.

Peace
Kenji

1999-2009 a post mordem

2010-01-03T00:07:00.000-08:00

The decade 1999-2009 involved some pretty major shifts in my life; in work, in climbing and teaching, in music, in family, death of friends, and in personal growth. A third child born on the millenium year (a major gift in asian superstition as prescribed by my mom), a shift in work style, location, business sector, skills required and scope, a short stint making money on TV, a shift away from car-based commuting (AMTRAK, bike, and RTD), and finally a move to a different country (well, really it's only a different county but MAN what a difference). The work change started off with a bang, or a whoosh at least, at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show in 1999.
A tornado (F2+) touched down in downtown SLC and wreaked havoc on hundreds of booths and people setting up in the temporary structures ('pavilions') that were erected across South Temple Blvd. 80 injuries, 12 critical and 1 death were incurred by exhibitors setting up, and the thought of carrying on the show was a tortured discussion (without the benefit of social media or quick web communications) that went into the wee hours of the next day. It was surreal to be part of a team, led by Dieter Tremp and Joan Alvarez, that went forward to create an impromptu structure that enabled the show to continue, accomodate hundreds of businesses displaced by the tornado, and encourage brands in the main center (who were unaffected at least physically by the twister) to share their space with unknown, even competing brands.
This resulted in an epiphany about industry, enthusiast communities, and human behavior for me. In a sense, the tornado of 1999 spelled out a future scenario that we are just now seeing come to fruition, as the internet enables communities to assemble and interact in much the way a trade show works. And just like during the tornado affair of '99, crisis tends to evoke response and activism in the community; hence the incredible win of Barack Obama over the unified right wing in America. Never before had a groundswell (enabled by internet apps and social media communication) been used to such effectiveness by the typically scattershot left wing in American politics. This was the first big lesson that I'm still studying as my life unfolds, but was begun with that catastrophic event a decade ago.
Today it's called Crowdsourcing, but back then it had no name....it's simply what had to happen given that literally zero people, of the thousands in town for OR, had ever experienced anything like what had happened (at a large trade show anyway) and had to conjure solutions from the comments and feedback of individuals without regard for where they came from, how old, how young, how smart, how 'core' they were.... we needed ideas quickly that could turn into action quickly. Since there was no easy platform to set up (like a writeboard, LinkedIn or yahoogroup online) it had to happen in the lobby of a hotel, where nearly a thousand people were packed like sardines to listen and feed back to the show management on what could and should happen next. That crowdsourced solution, where a few exhibiting brands offered up their hard-earned space to share with others, was a crucible in which the character of an entire industry could be shown. I've been overtly proud to work in the business ever since, not just smug cuz I'm a climber dude, but truly proud.

Turning the corner in Y2K my youngest child was born into a situation that just did thread the needle logistically. At about the time of conception I scored a gig (Ford Commercial) that would provide additional income to my family just at the time we would be venturing into the domain of unmanageable. With 3, no single caregiver/sitter could deal, and Susan would for sure need to stay at home (unless she could pull a job making double what she was, so that other people could raise the kids). The checks from that commercial, running nationally and continuously on network and cable for a year, helped us make the transition from double income to single. Now of course, it's a different story and we're scrambling financially, but often it's the transition zones that create the hardest times, and we were able to cover. What I learned most there was the value of 'residuals'. This is when you do something creative once, but get paid for a long time afterwards for your work. Songwriting, book writing, film making, and voice acting come to mind. I couldn't find an appropriate Wiki definition. We shall see about transition zones up ahead...

The other personal pursuits of musical performance, climbing and ski mountaineering, enlightenment through reading and pondering the death of friends in the mountains, and teaching all went through transition in the past decade. Some places taking less risks, some taking more. The most interesting trend in my personal life was that despite my increased time constraints from family, I managed to improve far more as a musician with less practice and study time. I attribute to another lesson that is unnamed but I'll call for now 'mindful playing'. 'Focus' would be another term. After painful years struggling to sing and play at the same time, it came together in 2002 as I started playing with Bruce White in what became a duet, often with guest artists. We only made one CD together under the moniker Random Joe Citizen, and it got spotty play in Louisiana (Bruce's home state) and we never drew a big crowd. Nevertheless it enabled me to step up to the mic and play simultaneously... a big personal hurdle to get over. I did not experience this dynamic in my climbing however... with less time on the rock, came less ability to push my personal limit, at least as far as rated climbs and pulling power go. This may have had a lot to do with the fact that in the previous decade, I was seriously injured once and nearly died another time due to careless backcountry behavior.
The decade ended in 2009 was more painful than the previous; there I had injured and brought pain unto myself, but in the first decade of the millenium it was the loss of loved ones and friends that shook me from the roots and have me more contemplative and introspective than ever before. I stopped teaching climbing, and after a few years of volunteering with Big City Mountaineers and other youth-service orgs that had outdoor programming, decided I needed to focus on my own family for now. Raising kids that don't understand the value of wilderness or of personal challenge, sacrifice, and team dynamics would be rueful. Downright irresponsible. Hope I'm not too late.

KH

Aussie girl sends in the Buttermilks

2009-12-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

This is just a cool dose of bouldering magic, with the story told through some funky rapping. It works.
First female ascent of 'Stained Glass' (V10) in the Buttermilks outside of Bishop, CA. She makes it look easy... (that's not her below, that is friend and strongman Kevin Thaw on the route giving it a try some years ago).

OC surfer beats Kelly Slater in big-wave contest | long, wave, contest - Life - The Orange County Register

2009-12-08T23:47:00.000-08:00

This is just some wild stuff.... I willingly dangle my ass on a thread over yawning chasms of rock, but somehow that seems like mere child's play compared to the balls out nature of the Eddie Aikau contest in Waimea, where waves topped 25 feet today.
OC surfer beats Kelly Slater in big-wave contest | long, wave, contest - Life - The Orange County Register

This blog writeup from the SF Chronicle tells the story better.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/threedotblog/detail?entry_id=53166

I'm not sayin, ... I'm just sayin'!

KH

Lally's Alley: CHRISTOPHER ALLPORT R.I.P.

2009-11-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

A sweet remembrance of my friend and partner in all things outdoors and in music. I miss you Chris!

Lally's Alley: CHRISTOPHER ALLPORT R.I.P.

Now as far as the anonymous post about how out-of-bounds skiing is irresponsible, that is simply ignorant. Backcountry skiing is a legitimate sport that does have inherent risks, just like basketball, boxing, car driving or going for a walk. I skied maybe a dozen times with Chris, always in the backcountry, and though he didn't carry avy tools (transceiver, probe, shovel, etc...) he was an aware and intelligent wilderness traveler. All those safety tools wouldn't have helped him anyway, since all skiers on the slope were buried in the once in a century slide.

So Thanksgiving is behind us now, and there is snow in the local mountains (Mammoth is dumping as I write). Is it irresponsible for me, as a parent of 3 school age kids, to venture off piste? I encourage the conversation.... but I will maintain (unless otherwise influenced) that it would be irresponsible for me NOT to go.

http://blip.fm/ropefriend

2009-11-22T14:40:00.000-08:00

OK so mostly this is supposed to be an outdoor adventure thingy, but occassionally I get going on some adventures of a musical sort.
had a blast of a jam session last night with Lance and Erik. It's amazing what going over songs for an hour or two before getting together with the band will do.
Some songs came up impromptu (as usual) including the Pretenders' 'Mystery Achievement'. I'm still struggling to sing Pearl Jam (which the boys seem to be obsessing on) but nailed You Wreck Me and somewhat 'Watching The Detectives'. Of the songs we meant to do but didn't, this song is regrowing on me http://blip.fm/ropefriend

blip.fm has been my go-to for listening to full versions of songs, although YouTube could work just as well I suppose. Blip also lets me find obscure tunes (Green Eyed Lady by Sugarloaf, for example) and broadcast them on my 'channel'. It's a DJ thing, if you're interested,...follow the link. Set up your DJ name, and password, and I'll be one of your first followers!

Sadly, many songs that are friendly to trio setups have singers that can climb high into the tenor realm...my voice don't do dat. My pipes sit happily in the 'Folsom Prison Blues' range, so Sting-like wails sound utterly painful (some of you may be able to bear witness...). So the adventure for me here is to find songs that
a) can work with just guitar, bass and drums
b) don't require testicular compression to hit the notes
c) are fun to play
d) are listenable

The last adventure of the night was when power to the entire block of the studio location was cut off, and we had to pack up in the dark. We were right at quitting time but were going to ask for a little extra time to finish working through the set. Didn't even get a refund.

So, we're motivated to get together again next week... stay tuned.
KH

quoted in Tradeshow Week Nov. 17

2009-11-18T18:26:00.000-08:00

This is a little social media synopsis of the TSW Fastest 50 Awards, which Outdoor Retailer Summer Market received for the fourth consecutive year. If you're a twitter newbie, it's a nice primer, and an interesting commentary from Stephanie on how twitter is being used at events...

Twitterverse Goes to TSW Fastest 50

November 17, 2009

If you were at Tradeshow Fastest 50 this past weekend and had Twitter, you were privy to a whole other conservation happening.

I have four Twitter accounts on my phone: my personal Twitter (I’ll give it to you if you ask, but don’t judge me), my work Twitter @stephaniecorbin, our magazine Twitter @TSWNews and our TSW Fastest 50 Twitter @TSWFastest50. Because I noticed some tweets on the other sites, I didn’t want to risk two people tweeting, so I just stuck to @stephaniecorbin.

We used the hashtag #tswf50 to trend the event. From what I saw, the executive-level conference session on Saturday got the most attention on Twitter, apart from the gala dinner later that night when the awards were announced.

But what I enjoyed the most was the ability to participate in a conversation during the conference portion (or, watch it in some ways) without disturbing those on stage. During the State of the Industry Panel with TSW’s Michael Hughes, this conversation took place:

• “stepnold: Virtual Tradeshows? Hughes answer vague – isn't point of conducting research? Help us define what is VTs? What industry is doing? #tswf50”

• “melissaooi: Sick of the term "virtual tradeshow". Gets wheeled out every recession! Everyone needs to have good content on sites! #tswf50”

• “stepnold: Good point @melissaooi. Speak up. It is about a convergence of new solutions and web assets – not rehashing past methods. #tswf50”

I was surprised by just how many people were using Twitter at the event. Plus, I noticed yesterday once we got back that all three of the big winners from TSW Fastest 50 have Twitter accounts (@AWEA, @Official_PAX and @ABCKidsExpo).

I guess this highlights one of the things that I took away from a conversation I had with Kenji Haroutunian, group show director of Outdoor Retailer and Fly-Fishing Retailer, Saturday night after the gala. He said he knew the shows needed to be using social media tools like Twitter, even if he wasn’t sure how they would monetize it.

I guess our event really highlights that. If we weren’t tweeting, we wouldn’t even be part of the conversation at our own event. That’s the last thing someone would want.

Posted by Stephanie Corbin on November 17, 2009
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Getting Social at a Media event- Austin and Houston revealed

2009-11-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

Well, nothing like an unexpected 3 hour delay at an airport to get the blogojuices flowing. It's deep into the weekend and instead of being with my family I have been traversing the plains of Texas attending events that will (no doubt at some point) inspire me to be a better show manager, leader, media maven and father. I'll probably play the bass a little better too.

So I thought I'd surf the wave of getting yet another invite to the Tradeshow Week Fastest 50 (#tswf50 if you want to find the twitter roll) to double down and get to Austin for the The Running Event, a budding trade event focused on running shops and the brands that serve them. Involved getting a rental car and shlepping to Austin and back (3 hrs-ish) but at least my flight and most room nights were covered by the generous folk at Tradeshow Week. The awards event was pretty fantastic, even starting with the Margarita bar set up in my room upon arrival. The gala event culminated with the Mistress of ceremonies Catherine Crier (emmy winner of CNN/FOX fame) gazing wistfully into the teleprompter and announcing (I'm sure through clenched teeth) that the WINDPOWER conference & exhibition took the overall top prize. Doubly ironic that the Fastest Growing show was honored in Houston, a fastest growing U.S. city (currently 4th largest) and one utterly bought into the fading oil economy. Despite the obvious obsession with GWB and bashing everything Obamish, the city was fun enough, clean and fun to walk thanks to a serious rejuvenation effort in the downtown area.

There were other green shows in the mix of the Fastest 50 too, a great sign that our country is taking innovation in energy and manufacturing seriously... Greenbuild International Conference and Expo was one, another was the Solar Power International show. If you include Outdoor Retailer Summer Market,
Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International and Natural Products Expo East and West, that makes up over 10% of the fastest growing shows on the continent are forcefully blowing the winds of change.
(The fastest 50 grouping has a minimum size of 130k net sq ft, and needs to have been around longer than 3 years I think it is).
U.S. Wind energy companies installed 1600 MW in Q3 (Texas tops the state MW new capacity, so I take some back about TX's oil economy). All this during a deep recession (The Great Recession, as it is now being hailed as). Check this table measuring the efficiency/cost comparisons of various alternative energy methods and there is no surprise that wind energy is going to play a much bigger role in our energy future.
Lastly here is a cool quiz that you can do in a few minutes to test your Wind Energy IQ.... oh no not that! It's cool, really...

KH

Recreation.gov and scouting rant

2009-10-30T00:35:00.000-07:00

OK I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but booking sites on recreation.gov for next year in Joshua Tree is like solving the f*ckin Riddle of The Sphinx... the system there is absolutely screwy. Can someone help me get a logic path going?
It's kind of a miracle that so much great PR from Ken Burns' 'America's Best Idea' is mated up with America's worst reservation system. I should be nice, or be more 'constructive'. If I weren't up at midnite seeing if I can catch the turn of the clock into the next week so I can reserve a group site for a week and a half 365 days from now just to use it for 3 days... I might be less venomous.

Generally I support the scouting movement. I was a Webelos and then Boy Scout in my early double-digit years, and they were very influential times for me; scouting opened a door that I really never knew, and fell in love with immediately. I've never really fallen off that magic carpet of open wilderness and endlessly changing landscapes (and waterscapes) of Earth.
But boy are they annoying en masse in the group sites at JTree. The Sunday 6am sunrise wakeup and noisefest in the nearby group site had me tucking deep into my bag, with the stars still twinkling above by the millions. Alpine start is one thing, but a throng of pre-adolescent boys all up at the same time is NOT the headlamp start I'm accustomed to. Threw me off for the whole day.

But I'm sure they had fun, and will remember these 'very influential times' themselves. They damn well better.

KH

The Stew: SIGG water bottle company offers voluntary exchange

2009-09-19T08:47:00.001-07:00

When will the bleeding stop? What a classic case of wrongheaded business maneuvering, from the Swiss of all origins. Only to be outdone by Hyatt, recently.

The Stew: SIGG water bottle company offers voluntary exchange

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America, F**k Yeah

2009-09-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

Funny how some old-school journalists sometimes miss pop-culture notes that those of us so inclined (pop-culture savvy or got kids who are) think are obvious. Case in point Apparel Magazine, whom one would think exudes hipness and mod culture, misses the obvious counter-culture reference in an article titled 'America, F**k Yeah'. Read the article here, and see the movie it should reference here. Then, if you haven't already, see the movie. It's f**kin' hilarious! I wish I had the guts to let my kids watch it.

Just outside that door...

2009-09-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

Ah finally the perfect urban adventure from home... I've lived here two years plus, and only just discovered a trail that leads several miles toward the ocean, and work (presuming I can connect the dots and gates are open). Not a sign or other historical marker, it unassumingly begins at the end of Hidden Hills and cuts through a 'V' slot in the housing developments to snake upwards on a ridgeline that looks over the entire Capistrano Valley across to the ridgeline of Saddleback Mountain, ten miles distant.

Thanks to Eric for the hot tip... this is localism at it's best!

I took my Swobo, but will go back for a trail run and see how far I can take it. Magnificent sunset and moonrise, with Mars as close to Earth as it will get in 50,000 years (the Perihelic Opposition). Actually not true, but I had you for a second.

Best discovery all year. I'm stoked.

Booyah.

New California climbing book looks GREAT

2009-09-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

Well I'm quite sure if I bring home one more climbing guidebook (not to mention the stacks of climbing mags I have that can't be recycled because they have maps/topos inside) Susan will string me up... but...

http://maximuspress.com/shop/proddetail.php?prod=CRTN

This book looks immensely cool, and immense. Large format (8" x 10"), maps and images, select high quality climbs, and independent distribution. What more could a climberhead ask for?

El Cap

Outdoor Retailer: Post-OR Thoughts - Trailspace.com

2009-09-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

Outdoor Retailer: Post-OR Thoughts - Trailspace.

Any of you guys know this website? I hadn't seen it before, or else I'm gettin senile. Seems a worthwhile read...

OR Blog posts of yore

2009-09-01T21:16:00.001-07:00

OR Blog

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OR Blog

2009-08-25T23:53:00.001-07:00

OR Blog

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Podcast: Kenji Haroutunian Interview

2009-08-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

Podcast: Kenji Haroutunian Interview

Captain G select video clip du jour

2009-08-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

Best climbing video clip of 2009 compliments of Manny Varjak, aka Steve Edwards, the fitness guru of P90X and strongman cyclist and climber.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm91hh9SqXs&feature=player_embedded

Kenji (KenG)(CaptainG)

Tweetups and Blips and things

2009-08-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

OK so that last post was lame, but easy to post since I'd already written the letter... Malcolm Daly hit me up this AM to get him a badge to FFR, coincidentally. He just returned from a week in the Alaska bush on a Paradox Sports trip with a guy in a chair and himself fly fishing for monster alpha predators. Hope to see some pics from Mal on that.

Speaking of pics, let's see if I can fire up this old jalopy to be a bit more visually appealing...

This pic is from the first successful 'tweetup' at the OR show, facilitated by Brad Werntz and PembaServes, his kickass rep agency out of Madison, WI. I see Paul Kirwin, and Sara Lingerfelter, and many other folks whose non-virtual handles I don't remember. Very cool, but I was a little estranged from the group since I already had a standing date with some other friends at this very restaurant (Cedars of Lebanon, SLC). The owner, Raffi, is an armenian from Lebanon who rolls out the red carpet for me and my friend Berge, who runs Inside Outdoor magazine. I rode my bike to the restaurant, a first at the show for me... along with the tweetup. Raffi also came to see me play at Club Elevate at the All Star Industry Jam, which I also rode my bike to (another first,...never rode to a gig before in 32 years of performing).

The only point here is that I find these new vehicles for communication (twitter, texts, facebook, blogs, blips, and all) to be nothing but delightful. I see how the time suck could take over, but at the very least it's worth getting familiar and comfortable with using... only then can one make informed decisions about what combination works for one's own lifestyle.

2009-08-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a letter I just penned for the Fly Fishing Retailer World Trade Expo 2009 Handbook.

FFR09 letter from the show director

The global economy in 2009 is in a state of flux. No one really knows when it will regain a footing and growth returns to the overall picture, but one thing is certain; smart businesses run by savvy business-minded individuals will continue to prosper and will be stronger coming out the inevitable other end of this cycle stronger and positioned even better for future success. Those businesses that don’t find ways to change, to adapt, and react to fast changing customer needs will be doomed to barely survive, if that. The internet is not a trend. It is a tool, and like chain saws, electron microscopes or robotic welders, it will change the face of business whether we want it to or not.

So what will your business be doing to take on the new challenges of 2010 as they approach? The tools available at Fly Fishing Retailer 2009 are already working to deliver higher value and efficiency to your business, even before you get to Denver. The new GoExpo investment unveils not only a newer and better exhibitor list and floorplan delivery at FlyFishingRetailer.com, but a unique social network that allows connectivity between parties outside of the cluttered e-mail stream. Log in, research products and categories, send discrete inquiries, and build a show planner (MyPlanner) that integrates the must-see exhibits you save with the seminars and presentations you are most interested in. This new tool is just one of the many new treatments that will spur your imagination and business acumen at the show.

Coming to FFR09 is one quiver full of arrows you can rely on to deliver the intelligence that will inform and drive your profitability into 2010 and beyond. Make the most of the show by attending the AFFTA professional development workshops, networking with key industry leaders at the brand, association and advocate levels. See the newest products emerging in the marketplace, and learn social media and merchandising tips from exhibitors and your peers in the market. Grab hold of the emerging trends and when this bear market inevitably turns, you will be positioned well for future growth.

Very Truly Yours,

Kenji Haroutunian
Show Director, Fly Fishing Retailer