Entries tagged with ‘sports’
This is one of the most tedious questions I field every time I meet a sports manufacturer. Most of the people I talk with are in charge of Marketing & Communications and they believe that every sport enthusiast belongs to its own separate and non-related “segment”. They believe if you are a skier you belong to the skier segment. If you are a surfer, you belong to the surfer segment, and so on.
They cannot seem to understand a rock climber, a skier, a biker, and a surfer can in fact belong to one larger segment interested in the preservation of the planet so that the outdoors can be enjoyable for all of us.
I mean let’s face it, the enjoyment of outdoor sports is very intricately dependant on the health and cleanliness of the outdoors we play in and the spiritual connection it creates between us and nature. My surfer friends share with me their inspiring tales of “ballets with waves”. While my rock climbing friends speak of “entering the womb of the rock” and other stirring tales of interacting on a spiritual level with Mother Nature. And I know for a fact that all outdoor sports enthusiasts share these sensations.
Every time I sit around a table at the end of a rousing dinner with a bunch of hard-core outdoor nuts I hear the same anecdotes about who did what, when and how. I smile, knowing the folklore will inspire others in the years to come. But what I’ve remarked at every one of these gatherings is that the one thing that brings everyone into agreement is the role that nature played in the enjoyment. Whatever sport discipline was talked about, wherever in the world it was done and by whom, – the one thing that is never ever disputed is – nature.
So please, whenever you can, however you can, help me help the corporate decision makers understand that no matter what sport we love, we all love nature.
Posted by: andrew |
Tags: brands, sports
During my 50 km bike ride with my friends today, the younger ones especially, were intrigued by my attire. It’s not that my stuff was dirty or torn, it was just that most of what I was wearing was at least 8 years old. One aspiring triathlete even asked me what brand “TINLEY” was?. He said he’d never heard of it?! (checkout his website – he’s one of my heroes)
It made me wonder. Was I keeping my old stuff because it reminded me of a time when I could effortlessly leave all these youngsters in the dust. Or was it my way of saying “hey I’ve been here doing this a lot longer than any of you – you’ve got nothing on me”. Or was it perhaps because my budget conflicts with other toys I want? Was it space? After all, there’s only so much stuff you can cram into the drawers of your sports cupboard in the garage right?
Well the truth is that most of the stuff I have is still in pretty good shape and its technical characteristics still answer all my needs. I mean the promise of long term durability and performance is why I purchased the stuff in the first place. So why replace it so quickly? And really where will all that stuff go when I throw it away? I could reuse some of the old shirts for menial tasks like cleaning bike chains, washing the car, or drying the dog. But if I replace my attire every year – I’m going to end up with more rags than I could use in a lifetime. And no mater what, I’m eventually going to have to throw those rags away or hope I can find a way to recycle them.
Now don’t get me wrong, I really think there has been some tremendous innovation in sports equipment over the past years and I’m not suggesting we deprive ourselves and go back to the days of running a 60 km trail race in December -15°c weather with a cotton t-shirt and sweatshirt – risking hypothermia. But I think we owe it to ourselves and those we care about, to make a conscious effort to distinguish between “wants” and “needs”. Yeah I may really want that cool new bike shirt (if not for anything else than to stop my friends from teasing me), but I really don’t need it.
I’ve been around long enough to learn that trying to keep up with my wants is one race I’m never going to win. So I choose to focus on what is important to me. To be with my friends, to be outside, to ride my bike on the beautiful roads and trails that remain – that’s important to me – and I’m just not willing to throw that away.
Posted by: andrew |
Tags: society, sports
When we first set out to develop Laneo, we sought the input of over 50 outdoor sports manufacturers on a number of issues – especially what their needs were in terms of marketing and promotion programs. The feedback we received signaled an overwhelming support for our approach, and we were confident that manufacturers would be proactive and eager to participate from the get go.
We were wrong. Despite what they said and promised, industry executives in the end proved to be timid and faint-hearted in devoting any resources to our programs. Facing the reality, we knew we had to find a way to prove to the industry that there were people out there that wanted to get involved. We had to start building our global community despite the missing industry support.
Well I’m proud to say, the effort is paying off. I just returned from Annecy (see photo) where I’ve spent 2 days with Salomon & Millet (2 of our partners) working on upcoming events and actions.
Based in one of the most beautiful and pristine areas of France (and with an abundance of outdoor activities on their doorsteps), both of these fantastic companies have deeply-rooted brands and traditions. Both sell their products around the world. Both are leaders in their respective market categories. Both have modern structured organizations and foremost industry experts directing them. So why has it taken this long for them to finally agree to play along?
No lame excuses, no finger pointing and no strategic pretexts – just the basic of all obstacles – time. It takes time to change the course of things. And at large companies it takes time to get new projects started.
Because of the obvious confidentiality that surrounds the programs we’re working on, I cannot share with you the details but suffice to say they will involve Laneo at a global level and you’re going to love being able to participate in them!
So then, what’s all the fuss about with everyone else?
Although some of us are very concerned with the state of our Planet, we have to face it – a lot of people around us just aren’t. If you haven’t experienced natural destruction first hand, it’s hard to understand what all the commotion is about.
To help you understand this; during lunch yesterday on the terrace of a local restaurant facing the breathtaking mountains that dominate Millet’s headquarters, Laurent (Millet’s Rope Product Manager – see his interview in our Blog) said to me; “You know Andrew, when we go out for our lunch break and hike up to that peak over there (pointing to a picturesque granite cliff top), we never see any pollution or degradation. Maybe that’s why people around here just don’t understand what all the fuss is about?”...
Posted by: andrew |
Tags: sports, community
As Laneo grows, there are hurdles that we’ve overcome that I am tremendously proud of. There was the 1st member on January 10th when our website first opened to the public. There was our 1st Partner (Salomon) who joined back in 2006, and now– the 1st tangible initiative that a Partner has taken.
I’m proud to announce that LOOK CYCLES has launched a co-branded road bicycle pedal that will contribute around 5€ to Laneo for each pedal sold. This is bold move and an innovative leap forward in their industry that I must put into perspective. Nothing is more industrially complex than building premium carbon bike frames, not mention the ecological offset. LOOK CYCLES has painstakingly built a world-renowned reputation over the course of the last 25 years and decided it was time to do something to help save the planet. They chose Laneo to partner with. Sure, you might say it was an easy call but when you’ve got your hard earned reputation at stake, a product that is not easily made environmentally friendly, and your customer base isn’t begging for it – this move is outright courageous. And I wanted to make sure I acknowledge them publicly.
When you have a chance, send them your words of thanks. Remember – Laneo currently has 25 Partners in different sports categories and around 50 others that are in final stages of negotiation. That’s quite a representative number of corporations from the sports industry. I have worked with these companies for over 18 months and have exchanged literally hundreds of emails and phone calls over the same period. In spite of all these factors, only 1 company has come forward.
LOOK CYCLES. They’re not following, they’re leading and I hope many others will soon be inspired.
Posted by: andrew |
Tags: sports, partners, news
The farther out we go, the more we should ask ourselves. I’ve enjoyed my variety of extreme sports adventures; both solo and team events. They will hold some of my fondest memories when I’m no longer able to move around by myself. I’ve found myself at the outermost breathtaking places of the planet, enjoying the moment and digging deep for determination to get myself back. But I’ve also found myself in deeply painful experiences. Being one of four hundred trail runners to tromp past a wild animal’s den (full of newborns) – was definitely not something I intended. I also did not set out to be one of seven hundred mountain bikers digging deep trenches into delicate landscape and scampering up cliffs irreversibly damaged by day glow paint.
The growing number of extreme sports organizers have some deep thinking to do, and so do those of us who register to participate in such races. I’m not suggesting we stop exploring our planet. Absolutely not. But I have to ask myself if there “isn’t there a more thoughtful way?”. Simply spending time planning ahead and determining simple things like – the least damaging time of year, lowering the number of participants, and preparing for post event nature repair – enables us to support the equilibrium, even as we participate. The farther out into nature we go…, the more these questions become relevant.
Posted by: andrew |
Tags: sports
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