Bear Necessities

In the late afternoon after visiting the warehouse and one of our long time customers on the US/Canada border, I headed east back into the mountains. The weather was perfect and I was virtually the only car on the road. I had the rare treat of watching this black bear enjoy some evening grazing. He watched me but seemed otherwise unfazed and continued about his bear necessities until someone peeled in from the other direction and insisted on stopping right in his face, in his space. This beautiful serene creature became agitated and nervous. Who wouldn't lose their appetite if a one ton pick up screamed to a halt a few feet from their face.....?

DeFeet Hikes

There is nothing like a Fall hike in the Rocky Mountains to provide more Yellow inspiration. After the summer off any writing, it's about time I got back at it. My Trail 19s, the best trail running socks on the planet, got battered this weekend on some rough terrain but thanks to their superior construction with extra padding in all the right places my feet never suffered.

Thanks to my Tour d'Afrique uber-blogger friend and former bike teammate Kelsey for the extra push to keep my blogs up to date! Good luck on your travels back to Africa.

Hair Extesions

Sea Otter is as exciting for its bike racing as it is for the things that roll by on two wheels. Bikes are just an extension of an individual's personality or sometimes just hair!

This dude is scary stylin'.

Sea Otter Stories

The 20th anniversary of the Sea Otter Bike Fest in Monterey, California is underway under sunny skies. Surrounded by rolling hills, the venue is perfectly situated in what seems naturally built to host bike racers of all disciplines. There was even a Gran Fondo this year, a tradition started in Italy as an endurance race to attract riders of all levels. We are selling socks to the cycling masses and connecting with the folks that put our products through the paces.

Brad is networking with the girl's teams we sponsor. Great partnerships are building and DeFeet had product on the podium with the top three teams in the women's Road Race yesterday.

Our California reps, Linda and John Elgart are here and Linda placed 2nd in the over 35 category in the road race. She is the first woman to race in our new women's base layer. Congratulations Linda! Great race and great start for this new product in our line.

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Brad and I landed in San Fran almost at the same time and headed to Monterey but first we just had to hit the beach and soak in the Pacific at Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Brad got busy capturing some Facebook material. I was just happy to stand there and breathe and listen to the surf. Its hard to beat the beauty of this coastline. Nice to have this break before the work begins.

We are here for the Sea Otter bike Classic.

My First Customer

From the first one aisle space on 14th st in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Gord's Running Store has grown to become the city's Premier running destination. I can still remember how happy I was to sell my first 2 dozen pairs of DeFeet Aireator socks some ten years ago, but I could not have predicted how much this first customer influenced my decision to stay in this business. Gords Running store is now in an upscale part of Calgary is recognized for the outstanding service offered by Gord as well as his expertise in precision fitting.

Gord's reputation extends so far beyond his bricks and mortar location. He has been a consistent sponsor of many local run events, contributor to local charities too numerous to mention, a track coach who helped so many of us with speed work and a loyal friend and supporter to his suppliers...... and of course his "Zen" approach to tortuous stair workouts??

Gord is also a kind of philosopher king of running. It was not uncommon to leave his store and spend much time digesting and thinking about the depth of what he had just said.

Gord also has a special place for us as he welcomed my sister Syl when she arrived here from Colorado several years ago and has been a consistent support in her sometimes very difficult but very successful running career. He is by far one of the most influential people in her success including the support she feels now being at the top of her game.

Gord himself is still a competitive runner specializing ultra distance events. He definitely goes the distance!

Go Gord Go!!

Consumers make a series of quick conscious and unconscious decisions that may take only a matter of seconds as they scan rows of merchandise. Once interest is peaked, information on a product's package has to be clear, simple and it needs to speak to the potential consumer in his/her own language.

DeFeet is an international company with a reputation for delivering a top quality product and this needs to transcend into the written word.

DeFeet's French translator is of special importance with the high volume of sales in Canada, a country in which French is an official language, and also very important with DeFeet's recent acquisition of the Tour de France license and growing sales in France.

Michel Brule has translated almost all of DeFeet's current packaging into French. As a former Professor of Sociology at the University of Montreal, a career involving the promotion and preservation of French Culture and Language, and a Doctorate from the Sorbonne in Paris, information about DeFeet products is communicated with the highest degree of precision and professionalism possible.

Allez-Allez DeFeet en 2010!

Help me information....

Well it is now Google maps, but I found my destinations in Memphis, Tennessee. And of course, I could not stop in here without a visit to Graceland, the stately Elvis Manor surrounded by an RV park, Heartbreak Hotel and countless shops selling heaps of "King of Rock n Roll" stuff. There is of course the Lisa Marie Jet parked in the lot across from the estate that adds flavor to the whole experience.

John Greer, head of our rep group extraordinaire for the Southeast, and I visited Fleet Feet here in Memphis and it was without a doubt one of the more upscale running stores I have visited across the country. The new location is clean, classic and comfortable and filled with a steady stream of customers. We wish them lots of success success in their new digs.

Nashville Notes

I found myself singing "I'm going to jackson" (Johnny Cash) for the last two days. It is probably due to being in the home of the Grand Old Opry and all the signs pointing to Jackson TN and then Jackson MS...and of course Nashville was the home of Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United Sates. It is nice to be able to sing in a car when no one else can hear!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbYW6AdUEts

Nashville is a fabulous city and home to Vanderbilt University. One very cool shop adjacent to Vanderbilt is Cumberland Transit, a 15,000 sq ft retail store that caters to University Bike and Outdoor enthusiasts. Mike Modesto is the manager there and is very knowledgeable about the industry, fabrics etc.

Swiftwick, one of our big competitors, dominates the sock business in run and bike shops in Nashville but it is totally understandable as they manufacture in Tennessee. Its nice to see folks supporting the local guys.

North Carolina Morning?

I suppose its to be expected that we would wake up to a winter wonderland in March of 2010 since North Carolina has experienced its worst (or best if you are a skier) winter on record. In fairness, we were at over 5,000 feet on Beech mountain home to the highest ski resort in the Eastern US and also famed for its hill road that Lance Armstrong stated was the climb that made him realize he was ready to comeback after cancer.

Despite the snow, Hope, CFO and co-founder of DeFeet, and I ventured out for a power hike on a trail that had no signs, on a road we could not find, but hike we did on this unknown trail through mud, snow, streams and found that this would make for excellent trail running or mountain biking when the snow eventually goes. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Yellow Brick Road

The Yellow Road is not only an outdoor road but leads indoors right to the office and the yellow door of the founder of DeFeet, Shane Cooper. This week was spent at headquarters in Hickory/Hildrebran North Carolina. Business is booming here and DeFeet continues to manufacture almost 100% in the United States. In an area that was once the hosiery and furniture manufacturing capital of America, but that has now lost so much of its industry to the overseas markets, their is tremendous pride at our factory knowing that we can continue to operate a thriving business right here at home and help keep jobs and industry in this country.

Jill Patton, VP of Manufacturing, has over 30 years of experience running a company in the hosiery business and we are fortunate enough that she came over to DeFeet a few years ago and has been critical in helping DeFeet prosper through tough economics times. Jill is also very politically connected locally and is on city council here in Hickory - we love that!

With our great team here, there are many more miles to travel on the Yellow Road.

Art meets the Outdoorsman

Art appreciation is very personal. This portrait of Will Manzer, CEO of of EMS, is created entirely from gadgets and gear necessary to explore the outdoors. The skin on his face is a topo map, his teeth are climbing rope, facial outlines from parts of old glasses, etc.

Eastern Mountain Sports, a New Hampshire based Outdoor Industry leader with 67 locations across the nation, is a retailer whose buyers appreciate DeFeet products and feature our socks as a leading brand in the cycling department in 30 of their locations.

The creed at EMS resonates respect for individuals, employees, customers, and suppliers. We are fortunate to be a part of this and it sure is a nice drive into the hills to get to this hidden gem of a corporate headquarters in Peterborough, NH.

Goodales is the Goods

This is the largest independent bike shop I have ever set foot in and probably the largest display of socks I have seen in any bike shop in the country. My kind of place! From an aeerial view, it looks like it could house military operations but it is all bikes from one end of the property to the other. Located in Nashua , New Hampshire, a pretty New England city, home to a once thriving textile industry that has all but disappeared. But the cycling industry here is thriving and Goodales has the market cornered.

The shop history goes back to 1919. The current owner, Brad HIll took over in 1971 and his pride and passion for his shop, the State of New Hampshire and the ibike business is inspiring. He understands how to build a successful business in our industry. Brad reminded me of the story of The Old Man in the Mountain which I vaguely remember from childhood as my grandfather grew up in NH. Years ago, DeFeet made socks when the Old Man in the Mountain crumbled. There is much De-History I discover in my travels.

Guru Custom Museum

Long torso, short legs, long legs no torso - makes no difference what the proportions are, the state of the art ultra precision measurements taken at the Guru custom lab ensure that everyone one of any shape and size can ride a bike with a perfect fit.

100% manufactured in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Guru is a custom builder with a reputation for building beautiful bikes and also for extraordinary service and concern for their customers. The front-end staff in their showroom are welcoming and clearly all have a passion for their brand and their sport.

Located on the funky St Laurent St in Montreal (The Main), The Guru store is more museum than shop with a minimalist design that conveys so much about the artistry and the ride.

Bravo a l'equipe Guru!

Leaving the Olympic City

It was hard to leave all the energy of Vancouver behind and face the 10 hour drive back across the Rockies. Fortunately, we have DeFeet customers along the way and I was able to catch the 1000 meter speed skating event on the television at Runner's Sole in Kamloops. I had a pair of Share the Road socks with me so offered that as a fee - that seemed to be greatly appreciated. Canada won Gold which made it especially exciting.

The most daunting aspect of this drive is the dreaded Roger's Pass which is usually snow covered and icy at this time of year. But, as the whole world knows now, there is no snow in Canada this year or at least it is only in the very high alpine! But, even in the best of weather, the dark tunnels and roads of this pass terrify me. As I approached the pass, the sun was going down on the mountains so I took some photographs to divert my mind away from driving. It truly is beautiful country up here.

I will resume blogging when I do some traveling in the east in a few weeks......I have some serious office work to catch up on. Au revoir.....

Canadian Cross Country Olympic Ski Team

One of the biggest highlights of this Olympic visit was to meet the members of the Canadian Cross Country Ski Team at a reception held for sponsors and friends of the team at Canada Olympic House at Whistler this evening. DeFeet has been a sponsor of the team since 2008. This is a World Class organization with the warmth of a local club. This is not a sport for the faint of heart and Nordic skiers record some of the highest VO2 measurements in the world. We look forward to seeing them race more the coming days.

After a spectacular drive on the new Sea to Sky highway, we arrived at the Whistler venue and were greeted by the Team Director and an RCMP officer. We were also serenaded by two Swiss gentlemen who played Alpenhorns to the tune of Amazing Grace. The Swiss have had great success at these Olympics and they are celebrating!

Thanks to Mike for these great photographs.

Colbert Crowd

A crowd of thousands gathered in a mud soaked open air field to listen to Steven Colbert insult every possible stereotype of Canadian culture. Despite a long wait on a brisk morning, he did not disappoint the crowd. He was downright insulting including a risque question to a well liked Provincial Minister of East Indian descent about which Caste he belonged to? Nice. He seemed to struggle a little with his Canadian funnies and had to do a few retakes, but no doubt it will be hilarious when it airs on the Colbert Nation later this week or next.

Red Mittens

The official Olympic colors are green and turquoise, but it is a sea of red that dominates the landscape in this Olympic city. Russians, Brits, Austrians, Swiss (OK, they have matching flag colors) stand in long lines to buy crates of these Red Mittens.
These mittens are a good practical national symbol as it does get cold in Canada; that is, most years. Vancouver is experiencing the the warmest winter in 120 years! Actually, it seems it is the warmest Winter Olympics on record. This just might change Canada's reputation as the frozen tundra and may also add credibility to Al Gore's Hockey Stick theories about Global Warming. The mass of Olympic humanity here could also be raising CO2 levels???

MEC is a Happy Place

After a few hours of meetings at the MEC headquarters, a store visit was in order to see yet another sock rack.....but, this was no ordinary rack. MEC is known for their knowledgeable staff so I asked to photograph our sock wall and was not only granted permission but staff member Anna obliged. Got to love that enthusiasm!

To be surrounded by all the patriotism of the Olympics, it was fitting to have a scheduled meeting with MEC, arguably one of Canada's companies that best represent the essence of this country's values and where I have had the luxury of meeting so many good citizens passionate about their work and the preservation of our environment.

Vancouver Vibe

After Bode's bronze and a little work it was back on the Vespa into the downtown action. The energy from all over the world has lit up Vancouver. The Olympics unites us in such a positively charged environment.

The Hudson's Bay Company whose heritage is tied to the fur trade and part of Canada's early history, is the daily centre for frenzied shoppers looking for Olympic merchandise, especially those red mittens. We joined the madness this evening and then Mags and I strolled down to the harbor to photograph the Olympic cauldron. - lets hope those floating petrol stations aren't too close!

Creativity is everywhere. Native sculptures and totem poles are surrounded by modern art and giant murals with slogans that inspire. Its always good to see some black and yellow action shots too!

Syl is up at he crack of dawn to train, sometimes with Newman, her new little friend who loves to run with her. The rest of us are trying to keep up. She is gearing up to race the demo snowshoe race after the close of the Olympics. She is part of the team that treat such athletes as the Speed Skater Clara Hughes and Hayley Wickenheiser, the Captain of the Women's Hockey Team so we get lots of good reports from the front lines.

Thanks to Marg for her great shot of the snowboard art and the Cauldron.

Way to go Bode!!

Not only is Bode Miller one of the most exciting skiers to watch, he is a big fan of DeFeet socks and we sponsored him for a few years. And Bode calls it like it is. SO good to see him on the podium in the Men's Downhill.

My Olympic Ride

No better way to tour the city and Olympic sites than on a Vespa to get around the Olympic gridlock. Thanks to cousin MIke blasted around the city and took in Granvile Island, home to Swiss House, the inner harbor, and Stanley Park. Thanks to his energetic Marg who is driving some IOC folks around in official we have had the luxury of moving about with ease through the maze. Vancouver is so alive and today was a beautiful sun shiny day!

Mike and Marg's place gives us a full on view of Olympic City from their rooftop.

How about that Jennifer Heil? That is quintessential Canadian Class! Oooh and just heard the Canadians won Gold in the Men's Moguls!! Wicked!

La Suisse ou La Suede

Quand on a des grands amis des deux pays c'est difficile a decide pour quel pays??? Alors, j'etais pour les deux mais les Suedoise on domine!!

What a treat to see these women play. Actually, I liked it so much because it was clean hockey - no fighting! Sorry boys!

Alleluia

K.D. Lang - is there anyone else on this planet that can do that?

The Great One

We were sitting in the hotel and all of a sudden people started running out - Gretzky's motorcade on the way to the harbour were passing right in front of the hotel. We ran out, joined the mass of humanity running down the streets chasing the great one. It was Just mind blowing to experience the impact of the greatest athlete in Canadian history.

thanks to Melanie Thomson who managed to get this photo where we were standing.

Countdown Clock

Its Vancouver so it was raining but we didn't even notice with all the lights, color, energy, as we stood waiting for the clock to countdown to kick off the 21st Olympiad. Syl was in the stadium - lucky dog, and we watched from the outside and the Hotel Vancouver drinking wine and martinis to celebrate this incredible event. It was so great to have people from all over the world to celebrate with.

The 16 year-old songbird who sang Oh Canada in the most beautiful rendition in memory set the stage for the Opening Ceremony that blew us all away.

We sat in the the Beautiful old Hotel Vancouver until.........

Terry and the Torch

One of Canada's national heros, Terry Fox is immortalized in a statue overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Terry was a 20year old in 1980 when he embarked on a journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific running with one artificial leg the equivalent of a marathon a day. He ran a total of 3339 miles (5,373 km) before he had to abandon journey as his cancer had spread to his lungs. The Marathon of Hope lives on and Terry is one of this country's greatest heros.

On the eve of the Olympics, the local television station here wanted to do an interview with Rob Reid, who not only resembles Terry, but was instrumental in having this monument erected in Terry's memory. What great timing to be here for all of this.....and to hold an Olympic torch that was run in Victoria.

Debbie and Bianca, check out the message. For whatever reason, you both were the first that came to mind when I read it.

Volunteer Victoria

I came to Victoria to visit more bike shops and of course our long-time retailer, Frontrunners Footwear, owned by Rob Reid, the perpetual motion ideas man. He has not only run for Mayor, runs a few businesses but he also runs twice a week with Every Step Counts, a charity that helps individuals struggling with mental health issues or housing problems.

This is an organic West Coast city filled with artists, thinkers, runners and triathletes by the herds. Some of the Canada's biggest names in Canadian Running including Rob himself and such renowned triathletes as Simon Whitfield (two-time Olympic medallist) and Lori Bowden (Ironman winner) call this place home.

Frontrunners is host to the Royal Victoria Marathon and has welcomed some of the legends in running community. Some of these folks have donated their shoes for a display at the store. Bill Rodgers, Dick Beardsley, Lorraine Moller, Joe Hendersen, Bart Yasso are just a few of the greats whose worn out shoes are on display in this running museum of a store.

Good weather also brings in its share of down and out Canadians who can cope better living on the streets in this milder climate.

This mix of Art, Athleticism and Philanthropy does produce some rather unique initiatives. Although I am not sure it if it is art, the Running Shoe Tree more than met its goals for donations of cash and shoes for women in need.