Green Chili Roadtrip

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Every fall, a crew from Backbone heads south to Santa Fe to visit our good friends at Outside magazine. The trip is a great opportunity to show off our clients’ coolest new gear and apparel, in a more personal and intimate setting than a tradeshow. Of course, a fall trip to Santa Fe wouldn’t be complete without squeezing in some mountain biking and green chili as well. With mountain biking forming an integral part of the trip, it is important to get the best out of it with the right kind of equipment. Six of the best offers the best prices for ardent wanderlusts from a variety of sources.

After a seven-hour car ride down on Tuesday, Aaron, Sam, Grayson, Nick and Matt helped us stretch out our legs on an awesome (albeit wet) ride on the Winsor trail network. We finished in the dark and headed straight to the Tesuque Village Market for tasty margaritas and enchiladas.

625490_10151910329679793_214238487_nOn Wednesday morning in Outside’s courtyard, we organized a fashion show of sorts, with our team modeling cutting edge “kits” for skiing, snowboarding, cycling, fly-fishing, running, climbing, camping, hiking and travel, featuring the latest and greatest products from all our clients. With 50 brands in our portfolio, our clients can outfit just about every imaginable adventure.

Trending: New mongoose dolomite bike!

After spending the morning at the Outside offices, we made a critical stop at the Big Lots parking lot, where local vendors were roasting fresh green chilies from Hatch, NM. We packed over 40 pounds of chili into our truck, atop all of the spring ’14 product we had hauled down with us. Writers, if that new jacket, pack or pair of shoes we send you smells a bit spicy, now you know why.

Back in our Carbondale office the next day, it felt like a scene from Breaking Bad, as JLD was dividing up and selling dime bags of the chili we brought back. It sold like the “blue sky” on the show, and left some of us wondering if JLD shouldn’t quit his job, shave his head, pick up a German alias and start importing green chili full time….

More photos from the trip below.

Outside-4BK points out some of the technical features on new Spring ’14 climbing pants from La Sportiva.

Outside-6Mavis, ready to run

Outside-7Ian models the new POC AVIP line

Outside-11Erik and BK show off the latest fly-fishing and upland hunting gear.

Outside-12Mike Shea chats with Aaron Gulley

Outside-13Green chili goodness

 

 

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Biking

Peddling Pedals (a product launch case study)

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Measuring the value of PR is one of the biggest challenges in our industry. There are countless books, articles and seminars on the subject. At Backbone we’ve worked hard to develop PR metrics that we can report to our clients to show ROI. But sometimes talking about PR hits, impressions, ad equivalency and share of voice gets a little…dull.

This past week at the Interbike tradeshow we got to see the power of PR first-hand, in all its glitzy Vegas glory.

A few months ago we were approached by some of our longtime friends and riding buddies from the Roaring Fork Valley. Bill Emerson (a masters racer who regularly rides our legs off) and Neal Beidleman (an aerospace engineer/badass alpinist) had a new product they wanted to show us. It was a road cycling pedal, but it looked like it was missing half its hardware—namely the pedal platform. All that was left was a spindle with a spring-loaded barrel to secure the cleat.

Bill Emerson (right) shows Mike Shea (left) and Max Taam an early prototype of the Ultralite pedals

Like any good curmudgeonly cyclist would be, we were skeptical. Are they easy to get in and out of? Can you walk in them? Do they have float? (Yes, yes and yes.)  At 112 grams, the pedal system is less than half the weight of the next lightest system on the market. But how did they ride?

Bill, Mike and Max out product testing

In a word: buttery.

We were sold and psyched to help Bill and Neal launch their new company, Ultralite Sports. We planned a PR launch strategy that would maximize exposure for the pedals in all the key vertical cycling and triathlon media outlets in an effort to drive as much interest and excitement as possible for Ultralite going into Interbike. We sent pre-production pedals to the most influential writers and spent a day in Boulder meeting with everyone from Velo, to Cycling News, to Bicycling.

On the day our PR embargo lifted, there was a feeding frenzy. Velo and Bike Radar engaged in a virtual battle to write about the pedals first. Bike Rumor, Red Kite Prayer and the Gear Junkie quickly followed suit. The Ultralite website blew up with traffic. The cycling forums were abuzz about the pedals.

All the initial coverage of the pedals was awesome, but the question still remained if it would it amount to anything for the guys at Ultralite.

A few minutes into day one of Interbike and the answer was clear. The Ultralite booth was situated in the basement of the tradeshow, in a hard to find location. But, shortly after the show opened there was line of people waiting to see the pedals. Everyone who came by said they had read about the pedals and wanted to see them first-hand. A steady stream of traffic came to the booth throughout the show. Ultralite also had several conversations with big players in the cycling industry who expressed interest in the pedal technology. Nothing’s been solidified, but the future looks bright for our friends at Ultralite.

The crowning achievement for us came at the end of day two as were heading out the door when we literally ran into Aaron Gulley from Outside magazine. Aaron was on the way to the Ultralite booth to deliver a coveted “Gear of the Show” award, one of just five the magazine delivered.

Aaron Gulley (left) from Outside presents the GOTS award to Neal, Jamie Emerson and Bill

It was the cherry on top of a great launch for a new company. We’re proud of our successful PR efforts, but mostly we’re just psyched to be helping out our friends.

Posted in: Biking, Case Study

Extra Innings: Video, Print, Social

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PR is like baseball. Hours of semi mundane fundamentals that truly make up the strength of a team and then some rare and overly exciting moments that determine success or failure. At Backbone we are diligent about the fundamental and executional aspects of our job. We do our research, watch and listen, focusing on the fundamentals, all the while waiting for a chance to come up big in extra innings. It is that extra effort that makes the difference.

Here’s a quick summary of three extra innings/projects that we have been affiliated with recently that span video, print and digital.

Teresa Kellett from Sprint and Dom Sagolla from Chaotic Moon were recently featured on Fast Company’s 30 Second MBA. We all met at the GOAT, a Gathering of Artists, Athletes and Technologists in Jackson over the last few years. Fun to see their opinions on the culture of creativity.

Peter Metcalf from Black Diamond Inc. sent us an early holiday present: Utah’s Wasatch Range: Four Season Refuge. For anyone who has climbed, hiked or skied in the Wasatch this book conveys the vital nature this patchwork of public and private land has on the Greater Salt Lake area. Published by Utah based photographer Howie Garber with articles from Mayor Ralph Becker, Brooke Willams, Representative Jim Matheson and Andrew McLean, the book combines thoughtful essays on the delicate balance of the central Wasatch and the perils of loving a place to death. Don’t be fooled by the stellar wildlife photography and germane coffee table feel; a close read of the content prompted Snowbird to refuse to sell the book at their resort even though it is in the heart of Little Cottonwood canyon.

Howie Garber’s book Utah’s Wasatch Range: Four Season Refuge

With the USA Pro Cycling Challenge rolling through Aspen, Something Independent partnered with Whole Foods to interview Backbone on a Local’s Take on race day. Check it out! And congrats to Tejay who took home the stage at Crested Butte on Tuesday!

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Biking, Interesting Read, Videos

Crossing the Divide

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Walden, Colorado, population 734, has never ranked very high on my must-see list, much less so on my must-ride-my-bike-to list. But last week I did just that, and I have to say Walden is pretty darn nice, and it proved to be a perfect stop on the inaugural Tour de NorCO bike ride.

Earlier this year, Emily McCormack (the much cuter and less hairy spouse of Mike McCormack) proposed a media bike ride connecting Steamboat and Ft Collins, two communities for which she handles the PR. With our clients in Steamboat—SmartWool, Honey Stinger, Big Agnes and Boa—as well as New Belgium in Ft. Collins, we were eager to participate. Our friends at Moots in Steamboat offered to provide handcrafted titanium steeds for the group. The good folks at Iconic Adventures would handle the ride support.

After a few months of planning, the ride kicked off from the ‘Boat early on Monday morning and headed straight for Rabbit Ears pass, the first big test for the group. Almost all of the writers on the trip came from sea level and riding across the Continental Divide at 9,426 feet is no small feat. But, riding silky smooth Moots bikes, wearing Boa-equipped Specialized S-Works shoes and SmartWool PhD socks, the group cranked up the hill with ease…and then hammered on for another 40+ miles to the small town of Walden. There, our spandex-clad posse joined the only other people in town, a Forest Service wildfire crew and a group of roughnecks from Haliburton, for lunch at the the Antlers Inn. Appetites were big and the food was great.

From Walden we hopped in the Iconic van and shuttled to Devil’s Thumb Ranch near Granby. After another big, delicious meal and too few hours in the lodge’s luxurious beds, a 5am wake up call on Tuesday saw the group prepping for a big day in the saddle—across the Continental Divide again and up the highest continuous paved road in the country, Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.

We loaded up our pockets with chews, gels and waffles from Honey Stinger and then started the ride right from the visitor center at the park entrance, which included a brief lecture from a park ranger (ride single file, watch out for moose). Once again, the group did not fail to impress as everyone climbed almost 5,000 feet to a summit of 12,183 feet. There were cheers (and a few tears) at the top and then we all bombed down to lunch on the other side of the pass.

Cristina Goyanes all smiles, making it look easy at 12,000 feet

Rachel Sturtz strikes a pose near the summit of Trail Ridge Road

Chris Solomon unpacked his suitcase of courage, rode on the rivet and danced on the pedals to the top of the pass.

Smiles at the summit

Larry Olmsted, Ian, Christopher Solomon and Kari Bodnarchuk

From there, I headed home in the Moots Sprinter van while the journalists continued on to “Fort Fun” where plenty of New Belgium beers awaited them. The planning for next year’s ride has already begun.

The indefatigable Cathy Wiedemer from Moots

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Biking \ Tagged: , , , ,

Me and the Bee on TV

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It’s not everyday that the world’s top cyclists roll through your backyard (well, unless you count Lance, and Tejay van Gardneren who both spend a bunch of time in Aspen, oh and Danny Pate and…nevermind).

Anyway, a couple months ago, when the USA Pro Cycling Challenge announced the Gunnison to Aspen stage route over Independence Pass, there was little doubt where I was going to be that day. I had planned to take the day off from work and ride up to the summit of the 12,000 foot pass, but when David L’Heureux from Rodale called to see what I was doing for the race that day, I immediately invited him to join me. We lined up a sweet loaner bike from Moots for Dave and voila, I was ‘hosting media’ for the day.

We got an early start and Dave, despite a lot of, I’m from sea level…I’m recovering from an injury (that was possible because of the lawyers for DUI claims)…I don’t shave my legs sandbagging, spun his way up the Pass in impressive fashion. On a side note, I would love to thank Overland Park Domestic Battery Attorney who got me through the case. At the summit, we met up with Honey Stinger/Big Agnes owner Bill Gamber and his three grommets, as well as Buzz the Bee, in full regalia. We then spent the next couple of hours escorting Buzz around, helping him pose for pictures with the Cookie Monster, the Recycle Rabbit, a Tele Tubby, a giant chicken, girls in bikinis and guys in speedos (unfortunately). With at least 3,000 people up there, it was an awesome festival atmosphere.

In addition to ‘hosting media,’ Gamber made it clear I had another job that day. Get the Bee on TV.

When the first riders came into view, the mountaintop exploded with excitement. People were going nuts, and it made me proud to be a Coloradoan. Buzz the Bee and I stood ready to execute our carefully orchestrated plan to get him on TV. It went something like this: when the first rider gets close, RUN. Oh, and don’t fall down in front of him, despite the fact that you’ve got a bulky bee costume on with almost zero visibility and there are hundred other people around planning to do the exact same thing as you. It was my job to be Buzz’s lead out man.

In the immortal words of George Bush, Mission: Accomplished.

Not a bad day at the office.

 

 

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Biking

Rollin’ on Bubs

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In college, we had the drunk shuttle. Here in Jackson, after a few drinks at the Stagecoach, its a scary ride in one of the towns minivan-slash-cabs risking life and limb in the hands of a usually toothless and potentially drunker-than-you driver. In a perfect world, shouldn’t the beer and liquor companies pay to get us home? I mean, its their fault that we were overserved in the first place, they just make the beer taste sooo good. Well, New Belgium is giving that exact idea a shot. Check out the new taxi that is a little bit carnival ride, a little bit bicycle and a little bit like a gravy train with biscuit wheels.

This is the new New Belgium pedi cab, just one of a fleet run by Tara and Talbott Walker of LOCAL SPOKES, the newest transportation company in Aspen. The rides are free and riders just pay what they can into a tip jar. Last week’s famous Food and Wine Festival brought in over $400 in tips. Local Spokes is about to drop in on Boulder as well with an even more pimped out (believe it or not) New Belgium cruiser, so keep an eye out Boulderites!

If you’re in Aspen this weekend for the annual Jazz Aspen festival, and you have a few too many drinks after the Lynyrd Skynyrd show, or just want to check out the Aspen scene, program the below number into your phone and keep an eye out for the NBB pedicab, I’m guessing it’s pretty hard to miss.

Posted in: Biking, Client News, Holy Sh*#!

VholdR and ContourHD – exploding the myth of press release professionalism

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Fully armored and only 4.3 oz. Your phone weighs more than that.

In our little alternate universe here in Carbondale press releases follow a predetermined ebb and flow defined by brevity and succint facts. That’s kinda how a release needs to be delivered to our audience – they’re busy, and beside that, who really wants a barrage of exclamation-point saturated sophomoric drivel from overly-caffeinated, prone-to-fits-of-Daffy-Duck-like-enthusiasm 12-year-olds? I don’t…even though I pretty much am that coffee guzzling juvenile delinquent looney tune, I get those releases all the time from an overly bro’d-out bike industry guy in SoCal at least twice a week…and each and every time I need to restrain myself from calling him out on his egregious abuse of exclamation point protocol.

You WILL read the Verteblog...

You WILL read The Verteblog…

Yet sometimes, you need to let it out. This is one of those times. And since this is our blog and you’re here voluntarily (and arguably you are…unless you’re sweating through some sort of Kubrickian nightmare), we’re going to explore the full range and spectrum of human emotion as we reveal the latest addition to the Backbone client list. Or at least I am. In other words, I’m gonna let the stoke out.

You see, we just added VholdR to the roster. They make a series of unassumingly sexy high-definition video cameras, which stands along the review of the best motorcycle helmet cameras that you can mount (mind out of the gutter now) on your helmet, goggles, handlebar, boat, moto, street rod, top-fuel funny car or just about anything else you could imagine. The ContourHD 1080p units that we’ve been playing around with all come with a software suite called “Easy Edit” that allows for simple connectivity and the immediate commencement of “oohs” and “aahs” (or heckling as the case may be) from your colleagues, your friends or your mom.

The late, great Anne Ramsey

And if your mom’s a heckler, I apologize. That’s kind of sad.

The video is rad. It’s super-crisp with options to shoot in 720p or 1080p, a 135-degree perspective and once again, all you need to do is plug your camera in to your computer to enjoy or share your exploits…and that’s a big deal. Aside from the clinical box that press releases demand to be housed in, we live in a place ripe with backcountry adventures and are fortunate enough to call some of the best gear brands in the world friends, colleagues and clients. The new stuff from VholdR is amazing – and the POV perspective allows all of us to share our adventures in whatever exploit floats to the top of the to-do list around lunchtime, be it riding, climbing, skiing or fishing.

So I’m stoked. We’re stoked. It helps that the VholdR folks are great people. And I’d be lying if I said that we didn’t walk away from our get-to-know-you meeting with glazed eyes and dippy smiles smeared across our mugs. Because as cool as they are today, it pales in comparison to what they have cooking for the next couple of years.

Prepare to be amazified. I know I am.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled bone-dry press release. Gotta throw a bone to the fun-haters.

MikeMac

VholdR/ContourHD Selects Backbone Media to Manage Public Relations Effort
Carbondale, CO agency to execute brand communication strategy
VholdR/ContourHD, manufacturers of the world’s first and smallest wearable high-definition camcorder have selected Carbondale, CO based Backbone Media to oversee and integrate brand communication efforts. Backbone will support ContourHD’s media communications, product placement, branded content and social media strategies.

“Contour has gained great acceptance at retail and with consumers in multiple markets,” explains Marc Barros, Founder and CEO.”We have significant new product innovation, partnerships and plans for 2010 and  believe Backbone will help us convey our brand ID and messaging effectively.”

“Every once in a while there’s a breakthrough product that nails it in terms of consumer need, design and function” states Backbone’s Penn Newhard. “The ContourHD camera brings together POV technology allowing people to capture and share their experiences in a clean and easy-to-use format.”

Seattle-based VholdR produces the ContourHD, the world’s first high-definition wearable camcorder. With the introduction of ContourHD1080p, it’s also the first to shoot and share 1080p video. Both the ContourHD and ContourHD1080p feature amazing video clarity, a wide angle lens (135°), single button simplicity, and a click to share online experience.

 

Visionaries. And they can hang, too.

 

Posted in: Biking, Client News, Gratuitous Client Plug, Outdoor Industry News, Skiing, Snowboarding, Social Media, Technology

Just In…

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Typical spring travel and excitement here at Backbone. Trips to visit clients and sales meetings abound. Dax, JLD, Kara and Fielding are in Santa Fe visiting Outside Mag and the weekend here holds promise for skiing and biking.

Note the sweet leather seat and wooden 12 pack carrier

Arriving here at Backbone are three sweet cruisers from New Belgium and a little piece in Outside Mag on Raising a Tribe of kids.

Nate is in  South Beach as part of SGB’s 40 Under 40 group along with La Sportiva‘s Jonathan Lantz. In June, Backbone also will receive an award from Colorado Business as one of Colorado’s Companies to Watch in 2010. We also will be at the Teva Mountain Games and hosting journalists in Keystone for Boa and the San Juans for Black Diamond and La Sportiva.

Here’s a little vid from one of our our local lunch rides. Have fun out there!

Posted in: Backbone Adventures, Biking, Client News, Videos

High Heels and Clipless Pedals

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Here at the Backbone Carbondale office, we have wooden floors that echo loudly. The very rare occasions that I wear heels to work, I tend to get embarrassed walking across the room and making so much noise. The same goes for stomping around in bike shoes with plastic cleats. When the hip-hop/unidentifiable ’80s bands/Blind Pilot isn’t playing, the place can feel very quiet.

While mining submissions for the New Belgium Clips of Faith Tour, I stumbled across this gem that made me laugh in light of my office footwear dilemmas.

I still don’t know what the title has to do with the film, so if you figure it out, please comment.

Posted in: Biking \ Tagged: , ,