Work to Become, Not to Achieve

We recently signed on to work with Oxen Workwear. Based in Brooklyn, NY they are an aspiring new brand that crosses traditional work style pants with a more new school artisan approach.

Rather than us do the talking, we’ll let one of their consumers – with this excerpt from a recent email that includes horses and near tragedy.

I am trying to contact whomever it may concern to brag about Oxen workwear. I had a pair of the double knee carpenter khaki jeans. I purchased them for work and found them to be comfortable enough to wear riding horses and around the house because they fit perfectly.

I was on a horse ride one evening when tragedy struck. My horse reared up and fell on top of me. I couldn’t move, so the paramedics were called. When they got there, they unfortunately had to cut off the pants.

I write to tell you this story because the paramedics found their scissors to be inadequate for my workwear pants. In fact, I quote the EMS worker, “Where can I get a pair of these pants? These are the toughest pants I have ever tried cutting off, even tougher than Carhartt’s.” I told them I got them in North Carolina but wasn’t sure where I could get them near Rogersville, TN. While I am very disappointed I lost my favorite pair of not only work pants but everyday pants as well, I thought Oxen would love to hear my story. I would love to get a new pair of double knee khaki workwear pants as soon as possible, but I would also like to try the regular jeans. I would love to hear back from you regarding this story.

Sincerely,
Benjamin Stephens

Red Hill Rampage

I just got back from a great lunch time mountain bike ride on Red Hill, which was absolutely nothing like the Red Bull Rampage.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIQWg6M2J10&feature=related]

It’s amazing how much the sport of mountain biking has evolved in the past few years. The Rampage is the mutant love child of an X-Games BMX freestyle comp and full-on downhill mountain bike racing.

About the only thing my mountain biking shares in common with this is we’re both on two inflated rubbber tires. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we see BASE-biking, Shane McConkey style.

The World’s Greatest Ski Pass

According to Globorati today, Great Canadian Heli-Skiing has announced a $100,000 winter-long pass that gives holders unrestricted access to British Columbia’s Interior Mountains. The Platinum Heli-Skiing Season Pass, valid December 26 through March 28, includes unlimited daily helicopter rides to the range’s most secluded powder and a personal powder concierge to keep you up to date on current conditions.

Ummm…. I think I speak for everyone at Backbone when I say, Yeaaaah, I want one.

Inspired Mountain Quaffing

Skiing and drinking mix. Bota bags, mulled wine, peppermint schnapps.With the first snow flakes being twittered across the country, Skiing Mag recently highlighted some inspired mountain consumption with images of Cloudveil’s Gelande World Championships in Jackson Hole last March. Shot by Bob Woodall, the images highlighted the Village Cafe’s double black diamond expertise in downing drafts.

now catch it and drink it...

now catch it and drink it...

16 teams originally vied for the coveted crown with representation from Cloudveil, Black Diamond, Smith, Powder mag, Backcountry.com, the JH Air Force and arch rival JH Ski Patrol. But the VC really took it to the next level with inspired, athletic, creative chugging – truly the work of ski legend.

another verb usage of the word boot

another verb usage of the word boot

Oh, yeah and the skiing that day was pretty awesome too.

4 Pines with Back, 2mis, Jesse, PN, Dav and Charlie

4 Pines with Back, 2mis, Jesse, PN, Dav and Charlie

Now we just need it to snow.

Arrrrgghuably the Best PR Job Ever

Earlier this year I found out via Monocle magazine that some countries actually have PR representatives, begging the question…who does Djibouti’s PR and how do I get that job?
A few weeks ago however, the New York Times published the following article about a man who is the public relations representative for a group of pirates. I had no idea the wealth of possibilities that my future in PR may hold.

NAIROBI, Kenya — It was probably my 50th call. The line had always been busy. Or the phone had been shut off.

But on Tuesday morning, someone actually picked up.

“Can I speak to the pirate spokesman, please?”

Pirate p.r? Strange. Stranger still to be interviewing, via satellite, a band of seafaring thieves bobbing in the Indian Ocean 700 miles away from my table at a sidewalk cafe in Nairobi. These were the buccaneers who on Sept. 25 hijacked a Ukrainian freighter crammed with tanks and grenade launchers, and by last week had the world’s two most fearsome navies, the Russian and the American, breathing down their necks.

Somali pirates may not go for eyeliner like Johnny Depp. But they seem almost as image conscious. In the 21st century, pirates have talking points, too.

Like: “You only die once,” according to Sugule Ali, their official spokesman.

Or: “We see people who dump waste in our waters. We see people who illegally fish in our waters. We see people doing all sorts of things in our waters.” Also Mr. Sugule.

And: “They can’t catch us like goats.” Again Mr. Sugule, who I was told in no uncertain terms was the only pirate allowed to be quoted. Or else.

Mr. Sugule seemed nonchalant. Maybe a touch gruff. I could, I imagined, almost hear a cavalier shrug in his voice.

Not a lot is known about this particular public relations professional. He sounded like he was somewhere between 25 and 40. His band of pirates is part of a group of former fishermen who hijack ships off the coast of anarchic Somalia and ransom them back to their owners, often for a million dollars plus. Mr. Sugule said he was from the central region of Somalia; in a country where the real geography is clan, “central region” is code for the Hawiye clan and most likely the Habir Gedir subclan, which has not exactly thrown its formidable muscle behind Somalia’s fledging government.

“Sugule may not be educated,” my translator said. “But he’s definitely street smart.”

I was given his number by a high-level contact in Nairobi who was involved in trying to bring this drama on the high seas to a peaceful end. In our 45-minute chat, Mr. Sugule educated me on all matters pirate, including what his group calls itself (“the Central Region Coast Guard”) to why he became a pirate (“We are patrolling our seas”) to what they want (“just money”).

I asked Mr. Sugule if he ever went to school. So many young men in Somalia haven’t. The central government collapsed in 1991, putting a whole generation out on the streets, where the only real authority is the business end of a machine gun.

“These questions are getting strange,” Mr. Sugule said. “Call back later.”

Click.