The ocean reminds us that all living things are constantly moving, changing - every living cell is fluid. We are really drawn to it.....and I have taken every possible second this weekend to watch the surfers.

Surfing looks Zen but intense - kind of like skiing, which is intense and sometimes Zen. My Yoga for Surfers DVD has inspired me to build up core strength to learn and understand this sport someday.

Pacific Sunset

By good fortune, my travels landed me in San Diego just in time for the Tri Expo. I headed straight for Mission Park as I knew this would be a great microcosm of this MultiSport world that is such a core part of our business. And sure enough, walking into the Expo, the first person I saw walking out was Michellie Jones, a long-time sponsored DeFeet athlete.

After a hot lap around the Expo, an in-depth discussion (me listening) with an expert from CEP on Compression socks, I settled in to talk with David and Jeff of Speedfill, a new and unique aerodynamic hydration delivery system. Two local brainiacs who are on to something big.

Then it was off to find another beloved bike store. Colnagos, Merlins. Litespeeds - the Bentleys of bikes were all out on display at California Bicycle. As a bike shop in La Jolla, CA, you can carry the best of the best. It was such a treat to finish my work day wandering through this beautiful shop

After checking in to a familiar motel up the coast, I headed to the beach to watch the sunset over the ocean. Words can't describe how it feels to be here on a Friday night after a long week and witness this stunning Pacific sundown. I just stood there until I got cold. Lucy, my Yoga breathing made it even better!

A T-Shirt Promise

A promise is a promise. Kevin, owner of Tribe MultiSport, insisted on giving me two t-shirts from his store but the deal was that I had to have my picture taken wearing one of these T-Shirts beside a Canadian Mountie, perhaps a Grizzly Bear or any other possibility that would give Tribe some good "marketing" exposure.

I will keep my promise and will have some photos taken and when I am back in Canada and this blog will include photos of me wearing this shirt so that Kevin knows I am living up to my end of the bargain!

Tribe is a triathlon store extraordinaire. It has something for everyone with bikes, head to toe apparel, nutrition, a coaching studio, and the staff that like talking about socks - it doesn't get better than that! Thank you Andreas for being so enthusiastic about testing out new socks! Samples are on the way.

Rage is Good

Peter, the owner of Rage Cycles, welcomed us into his world of bikes! On a main street in Scottsdale, this little property was once a 1940s bungalow he has converted into one unique blend of hard core MTB, Downhill and BMX bikes and gear with a few classic Road bikes to complete the collection. Peter's handiwork is evident in the detailing on the inside of the building. The shop has a vintage feel especially in a corner where he has a few beautiful Bianchi's tucked in with some old prints of the cycling greats such as Fausto Coppi.

It's kind of like an Old Curiosity Shop of Cycling treasures and trinkets from the past and the present.

A garage museum at the back of this shop is filled with an array of colorful Cruisers surrounded by walls of old LPs. I could have spent hours in here just looking around and the best part was that Peter and his mechanics made us feel welcome - always a big plus wen I walk into an off road shop!

Phoenix Rides

My visit to Phoenix is worthy of three separate posts. The people I met and stores visited were each so unique.

Slippery Pig bike shop, in the heart of Phoenix, is located along the route of the sleek new bike friendly Phoenix Light Rail system. In fact, the train doors seem to invite cyclists to hop on board.

The Slippery Pigs are knowledgeable folks with whom Bryan Cowan our AZ rep is very good friends. Bryan former BMX specialist and has raced both Road and MTB and now does Downhill for fun! He is especially appreciated for his mechanical ability - even though he is a rep, he is often found in the shop fixing bikes.

Somehow Bryan and I got on the topic of the Military? Turns out his Dad was a Navy Seal in the Pacific arena in WWII. My Dad is a Military History Encyclopedia currently writing a book on WWII. Made for some heavy lunchtime conversation to accompany our Burritos. But, Lest we forget......

Mission Santa Fe

I had three DeFeet missions to accomplish in Santa Fe this morning. The clock struck noon and I only had two done. I had to get back on that road to hit my next destination before sundown.

Mission 1 - The Running Hub, a store that carries New Mexico custom DeFeet run socks. Nice to check in there and hear that despite this tough economy business is steady.

Mission 2 -Dave at Bike n Sport, a DeFeet dealer serviced by our distributor QBP (thanks, Jeff!) gave me a great run down of the market in Santa Fe and some of the challenges. I also got a run down from a knowledgeable floor rep on the a top of the line Specialized and Gary Fischer mtn bikes - I wish I "got" more about bike mechanics. Nevertheless, it is art to me and I enjoy it from that perspective.

MIssion 3 - not accomplished - A visit to see the new REI 28,000sq ft store. Fortunately, REI visits are part of my ongoing mission on the yellow road.

The adobe architecture and the pious missions of this city are part of the reason that Just being in Santa Fe is so inspiring. A brief walk by the Designer Warehouse near the plaza was worth a quick look to check out colors and trends by leading edge companies such as Knoll and Herman Miller.

So I thought I was done with the snow, but I hit Flagstaff and was planning to stop there but it got pummelled with more of the white stuff - not a chance was I going to stop where it was too cold again! I continued south dropping 4000ft in altitude in about an hour to yet another Super 8 refuge north of Phoenix.

Thanks to Coeur de Pirate (Beatrice Martin, my cousin's daughter) and her beautiful music that make my drives so much more bearable. She is lighting it up in France and has gone Gold there on her first CD. Her music keeps me connected with the family, my French side that is, and my aunt Helene especially who makes sure to remind me to eat well on the road - 4 bananes aujourd'hui Helene!

www.myspace.com/coeurdepirate

Hockey talking Cyclists

I thought we should have been selling hockey socks for the first half of our visit with Colorado Cyclist today. Hockey talk is so familiar and even though it is boy language, it is nice to reminisce about skating on cold ice rinks and run down arenas. Chad, our buyer there is an avid hockey player with some great hockey stories to tell. Oh, and he is an avid cyclist too.

In any case, It was a good lead in to presenting are Wool line, including our current hot commodity, the UnDWool base layer. Wool is definitely catching on as a base layer in the cycling world. It might be good for hockey too?

I've been wearing my UnDWool for almost a week now with only one wash. Probably time to change it up tomorrow, but it sure makes for easy packing.

Colorado Cyclist is in the heart of Air Force Academy territory in Colorado Springs, an imposing place especially as with a backdrop of 14,000ft peaks.

A quick visit to the Title 9 shop to see how DeFeet socks were merchandised with their new Spring Collection, then it is was back on the road towards Sante Fe, NM - a nice evening to drive, but a long and very desolate road with barely another car in sight. Its in places like this that it makes it hard to believe there are 350 million people in this country.

Thank goodness for audio books!

Bike Density

OK, Roddick just hit another Ace so I can tune out from the Aussie Open to update the day's travels.

Arriving in Boulder, CO always feels soooooo good. There is something about the Flat irons backdrop that seems to absorb the sunshine and make this such a warm place to be. It is a Mecca for many of the world's best runners and other athletes who need high altitude training - 5,430ft!

I have only met Andy Ames of Excel Sports a few times but am always amazed at how modest he is considering his incredible athletic achievements, including being the 2004 National Masters Mountain Running Champion. Andy agreed to test our Trail 19 running sock - that will no doubt be about the best feedback we can get! Thanks, Andy! Excel carries lots of DeFeet products, including some sharp looking custom Excel Lev-Lite socks.

A stroll up Pearl St lands Ryan and I at University Bikes, aptly named as Boulder is home to the University of Colorado (any College kid's dream home away from home). This shop is like a mass of humanity in bike form - every color, shape, size, coming out of the ceiling, on every wall and every inch of floor space and iall organized so it looks like art. Rumor has it they move bikes per square foot than any other bike shop in the country. And they have a new bike fit centre upstairs - no sq ft is wasted.

Colorado Colder than Canada?

874,000,000 gallons water has been used to make snow at Keystone this year according to a veteran skier I met on the lift today. What? I said "you sure that's not too many zeros" having never thought about how many gallons of water are used to ensure we have ski runs. I hope some soaks into the soil or evaporates back in into the atmosphere to have some environmental benefit? Yikes!

I should have taken my Slalom Fischer skis out of the car instead of my girly all mountain light K2s that are fun in lots of snow. But I confess, they are much heavier and a pain to carry from the free parking area to the lift. Oh well, at least the edges were sharp so eventually I found my mojo on the icy slopes. But, it was colder than the Canadian Rocky mountain skiing here today in the low single digits (fahrenheit) and below zero with the wind chill. In Canadian terms (celsius) about -30 at the top of the mountain so my day was shorter than planned!

A few days ago, Shane asked me which sock I prefer, the Ski D or the Talon. I usually wear the Talon as I like that there is nothing extra on this lightweight thinnest option. I decided to wear one of each today to test them both out in these conditions. I definitely got a little extra stability in the boot with the Ski D today. I have a great pair of Atomics but they are not racing boots so, in these icy conditions without a racing boot, the Ski D performs better IMO.

No Yellow LInes on the Vail Pass

I am happy to write from the uber-comfort of my dear friends Mare and Darrell's home in Keystone Ranch, Colorado. They kindly offered their home as a resting place for me before my upcoming week of work in Colorado and continued travels. This is a winter paradise and a very luxurious place to put my feet up after some harrowing drives. I hope to get a day on the slopes tomorrow.

There were flashing Warning signs for miles before I hit Vail Pass. I had to get over this 10,000ft+ summit to get here. I have done this pass in the summer in the past but it did not prepare me for this winter experience and the road covered in snow. Needless to say, not a single yellow line visible on this road. In a rented Toyota Camry Hybrid with dec tires but not ideally equipped to head over this terrain, I went through at a snails pace.

Nice to have a glass of wine and sit by a fire tonight.

Stop when All Goes Dark

After a long drive through southeastern Utah and some long stretches of desolate highway, I hit I-70 dreading a the high altitude road as Shane sent me a text saying he had heard there was bad weather. I braced myself for it but it never came and the drive was spectacular at sundown with the snow on the red rocks -I was almost tempted to take that right turn south down to Moab.

But the road got dark, and I got tired, and the mind got dark so Grand Junction was as far as I could go. It took all my energy to make it there and find a hotel. Dinner at a Red Robin with with what seemed like 5000 kids having birthday parties. I ate my soup and got out of there as fast as I could.

Sleep the only solution at this point.

Salt Lake City Runs, Bikes, Skis etc....

The Wasatch Mountains of Salt Lake City provide an incredible playground for cyclists, runners, skiers, hikers etc. We love coming here for Outdoor Retailer and usually try to "play" for at least one day or so in the mountains when the work is done. Over the years, usually with my best friend, Syl, who happens to also be my sister, we have done some epic rides and runs through the mountains here. I believe it was one of these rides that my elite level runner/cyclist sister turned to me quoting one of her favorite songs (Sarah Mclachlan) said "hold on to yourself, this is going to hurt like hell" - yup, it did but its always a good hurt.
Good memories in SLC so always nice to be back.

This time I did not "play". BUT, I visited a few shops that sell things that we like to play with. One of the top 100 bike shops in the US is in SLC. Contender Bicycles is one of the most beautiful shops I have seen in my travels; actually, it feels more like a museum. with all its top of the line bikes that look like pieces or art the way they are merchandised. Contender is a great supporter of DeFeet products and always have a great display of our product. They are located at 900S/900E in a very funky little neighbourhood with a great cafe just across the street.

A brief stop at the Salt Lake Running Company on Foothill Drive was great. I met Joel, the manager and Mark who both said they would like to especially test our trail running product. I should have known - with all the great canyons around SLC, it is a trail running heaven.

Syl, remember the Wasatch Wobble?? DeFeet used to sponsor the OR Run and one year some runners decided it would be be fun to try bare-naked running at the event.......a wee bit awkward especially in the parking lot refreshment line.

Anyhow, back on the Yellow Road headed South and East to CO. Wanted to get to Keystone, but didn't make it beyond Grand Junction.

Winter Outdoor Retailer Show

After driving for a few days solo, its kind of nice to be around people - lots of them! Interstate 15 straight south to SLC was an easy go and especially nice into a spectacular sunset.

I met my favorite boss man genius, Shane and that always feels like seeing family......although he kinda scared me with his new "gangsta" look - apparently a men's week necessity.

We have a new rep in Colorado so we hooked up with Ryan Guay, who is indeed looking like he will be a DeFeet rep extraordinaire with his stellar cycling background, having worked with his father's "Outdoor" agency and his charming personality, not to mention, his entourage of the incredibly cool people he introduced us to including his wife Kat and her company colleagues from NEVE. NEVE is a company from Boulder that makes sweaters that are stylish and classy.

We got to introduce Ryan (see pic with Lynn and I) and his friends to one of my favorite people in the industry, well one of my favorite people period! Lynn Nielsen, buyer from MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op, Vancouver, Canada) and I met yet years ago when she was my buyer for DeFeet socks. She has since moved on at MEC but we still meet every OR (not to mention that I crash at her place every time I visit Vancouver) at the same restaurant in the Hotel Monaco, SLC. Good food but service could have been better this time around. We might have to change venues....

Nice to be sort incognito not having a booth at the show. Shane and I walked the aisles and met with potential customers and suppliers and we learned so much in a day. Nice to have that luxury once in a while instead of standing at the booth. We will continue to do Summer OR with a booth and always make sure we come to Winter OR to learn and see what's out there.

The show was buzzing. People are generally positive but some cautious about 2010 will bring. At DeFeet, life is good - we are very excited about the future and we continue to innovate.

A Very Cool Sport

Driving just West of Yellowstone in an area called Island Park, my yellow road turned very white. I was not a happy driver but I took it very slow - after all, I am from Canada and am used to this, right? Wrong....but on this desolate road I noticed a pick up truck parked on the side of the road and looked up and saw one skier and one snowboarder sailing down a mountain. Yup, a kite skier and a kiteboarder.

Looked so cool and they made it look easy but they were coming down that slope fast. I have to enjoy from the road because I have sworn off the temptation to try any fringe or new high speed sports after hurting badly for months from a concussion last Fall. It's beautiful to watch.

Breathing in Bozeman

This is my first post of 2010 and my first post to "Perspectives From the Yellow Road". With all the kilometres/miles I drive, it made sense to document all the interesting places I see and most importantly the fascinating People I meet along the way.

Bozeman, Montana. I don't come here often but I love this town. I love the mountains but sometimes they can be foreboding and claustrophobic- not here in Bozeman. The mountains are close here but the big sky makes me feel like I can breathe. It is the gateway to Yellowstone National Park which is apparently the largest active volcano on earth - I never really thought about that as we think of volcanos as cone-shaped things, but indeed those Geysers of Yellowstone mean things are brewing there all the time.

Bozeman feels like a mix of cultures - it is organic, healthy, has a cool main street and fun shops. Rockwood Coffee Shop is funky and has great tea and muffins too. Bozeman has both grunge and style, a mix of the old and new. Ski bums and ski bunnies. Fisherman and Hunters. People love to fish here. Even though I don't fish, I get why with the peaceful streams and rivers around here.

Chalet Sports is an Outdoor specialty store in Bozeman that rocks! They stock great gear and even have a few locally "grown" apparel brands.

Bangtail Bike Shop is one of DeFeet's good customers. Recently relocated to what was once a Masonic Temple built in 1866 on a hip corner on main street - you can't miss this shop because even though they sell bikes, it has a huge horse statue on above the front entrance. The shop doubles as a Nordic Ski Shop for the winter months. Thanks to one of the buyers there who sent me back on my yellow road (which eventually turned white) the scenic route towards my next destination, Salt Lake City for the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show.