Team Rookie Rampage
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Team Rookie Rampage is a collaboration between Checkpoint Zero and Mountains Plus. We're out to prove that adventure racing is not just for self-loathing sadists. With a little willpower, and the right gear (thanks Erik), anyone can do it. We hope you'll follow along as our handpicked team of newbies crawls off the couch and onto the race course. They'll be blogging about their experiences right here, all season long.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Hooray! I'm Official!


Photo by Mike Bitton
Ain't they purrrdy? In the mini-world that is Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, a business card is everything. Thanks to Boo at Footloose, now I have one!


A funny thing happened on the way to the Salt Palace Convention Center. My cell phone rings, and it's Jake Bennett, founder and CEO of Numa Tactical, the eyewear company I'm doing PR for this week at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. Jake's like, "Hey, where are you?" and I'm like, "At the intersection of South Temple and West Temple. Where are you?" And he's like, "I'm at Two-hundred South by the convention center. Let me pull around the block and pick you up, then we can carry the booth stuff in together." And I didn't know the stuff was heavy, so I'm like, "OK, see you in a few." Around he comes. In I hop. We've never actually met, so this is in fact an occasion of joy. We shake. We drive. We park. We carry a few boxes of what I thought were brochures, but might have been those really big lead sinkers for deep-sea fishing. Felt like that. Had to trade off carrying it, but Jake did most the work. We search for and eventually find our booth, and sitting right there is the sweetest sight for mildly sore, or at least somewhat frustrated, eyes, THE Boo Turner of Footloose Communications! So now Jake and Boo meet in person for the first time, just like he and I did about 15 minutes earlier. Boo tells me she has something for me and pushes a small cardboard box my way. Uh, what's this, I think. Oh! Could it be?! Oh, I hope it is...It IS! BUSINESS CARDS! I did the happy dance right there in the booth! On the front, it's got my contact information, and declares me part of the Footloose Communications family. On the back, it tells the holder we currently represent five clients: Numa Tactical (eyewear); OBoZ (shoes); Bridgedale (socks); nuun (electrolyte replacement); and the Reel Rock Film Tour (the climbing world's answer to those Warren Miller snow movies). Off the top of my head, looks like there's still room to add an outdoor adventure/travel clothing line, some stylin' backpacks, a reliable knife and tool company, brilliant flashlights, and a world-class kayak brand. Boo would really like a kayak brand. Anywhoo, I have new business cards. I'm gonna go fall asleep now with a big ol' smile on my face.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Back to Salt Lake City!


Photo by Mike Bitton
At the heart of Salt Lake City lies Temple Square. I shot this pic of the LDS Temple fom First Avenue, directly East of the historic building.


A year ago, I was here in Salt Lake City to cover the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show for the readers of Checkpoint Zero. I scoured the show for gear that would make adventure racers happy. This year, I'm on the payroll of Footloose Communications, a PR firm based in Seattle and led by Boo Turner (hi boo!). The client she's got me working with the most is Numa Tactical, a new eyewear company out of New York City. Did you hear about Numa's sponsorship deals with Checkpoint Zero and with Primal Quest? Uh huh, I'm a little matchmaker!

Outdoor Retailer starts Thursday, but I'm here a bit early. I went to college in Utah, so still have ties here. For the duration of the Outdoor Retailer Show, for example, I'm staying with Nelson Wadsworth, a former photojournalism professor I knew 15 years ago at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. He and his wife live in Salt Lake City now. Perfect opportunity to catch up!

Long-time amigo Jeff Hunter still lives in Logan, where he toils as the editor of a magazine put out by the daily newspaper, the Herald Journal. I tease. He's got a sweet gig at that mag, writing features, shooting his own photos, and darn near setting his own hours. Sweeeet. Jeff's coming down from Logan on Thursday night for some drop-dead delish Mexican food at the Red Iguana restaurant on the East side of Salt Lake City.

I'm also looking forward to meeting Mrs. Yak, AKA Alexa Angell, who's coming to town with His Yakness (Paul Angell, founder of Checkpoint Zero). Yak I like. Spent many an hour motoring around the Primal Quest Utah course with him last summer. But I'm eager to meet Alexa. I suspect she's the real brains behind the Checkpoint Zero enterprise. More tomorrow.

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