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Outdoor UnfilteredBeyond the PR Speak: Business news and strategy for outdoor brands and retailers Author: Rock Fight, LLC
Want to know what's REALLY going on in the outdoor industry? Move past the PR speak and platitudes. Get the "why" behind the headlines with the unvarnished truth about the outdoor industry's biggest drivers. Host Eoin Comerford -- former CEO, marketer, and consultant -- brings two decades of industry scars and successes to the table. Hes calling out the missteps, celebrating the innovators, and dissecting the "playbook" used by the worlds leading outdoor brands and retailers. Alongside guest experts, Eoin dives into the topics that actually move the needle: - Market Drivers: Affordability, sustainability, and the "authenticity" gap. - Retail Reality: Whats actually happening on the floor vs. the boardroom. - Future-Proofing: Connecting you to the insiders shaping where the industry goes next. Stop skimming the surface. Hit play to get better informed, more connected, and a step ahead of the competition. Its way more interesting down here. Language: en Genres: Business, Management, Sports, Wilderness Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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The Importance of Emerging Brands, Yeti's 2030 Plan, and the Future of Watersports
Episode 31
Monday, 21 September, 2026
Today on the show Eoin Comerford breaks down why new brand discovery is the lifeblood of specialty retail, drawing on examples like Hoka, CamelBak, Jetboil, and Gnara's GoFly zipper to illustrate how emerging brands drive innovation in the outdoor industry. He answers a listener question from Kelly Strong, head buyer at Clearwater Outdoor in southeast Wisconsin, about how to manage open-to-buy allocation for new brands without spreading too thin. Then he digs into Yeti's investor day presentation and their plan to add one billion in revenue by 2030, covering international expansion into EMEA, the bags and soft coolers platform, cookware moves into Le Creuset territory, and the wildcard of technical performance apparel. Finally, Eoin sits down with Jimmy Blakeney, President of the Watersports Division at Solo Brands, to discuss the state of paddlesports, the OIA participation report showing 34 million Americans on the water, commoditization pressure from Amazon, Q2 growth of 59%, the Tommy Bahama partnership at Costco, and pricing discipline and MAP policy. They discuss the Solo Brands D2C thesis and what went wrong, combining Isle and Oru Kayak under one division, product innovation, and what a successful paddlesports company looks like in five years.Show Notes0:00 -- Intro and overview of the episode covering specialty retail, Yeti's growth plan, and guest Jimmy Blakeney.0:27 -- Why new brand discovery is the lifeblood of specialty retail, with examples from Hoka, CamelBak, Jetboil, and Narrows GoFly zipper.8:25 -- Listener question from Kelly Strong at Clearwater Outdoor about allocating open-to-buy to emerging brands without going too wide and thin.10:53 -- Sponsored break: Crux Retail on building bold displays for outdoor brands, including their work with Yakima at REI.11:49 -- Yeti's billion-dollar math: international expansion into EMEA, bags and soft coolers as the next billion-dollar platform, drinkware competition with Stanley and Owala, cookware moves toward Le Creuset territory, and the wildcard of technical performance apparel.16:55 -- Sponsored break: ISPO relaunches in Amsterdam November 3-5 with brands like Rab, DB, Hestra, and Fabletics.18:00 -- Jimmy Blakeney, President of Waterports at Solo Brands, joins to discuss Isle and Oru Kayak.18:43 -- The state of paddlesports: OIA reports 34 million Americans participated in 2025, up 10 million since 2019, but recreational kayak unit sales were down 13% in Q2.20:32 -- Commoditization pressure from Amazon, the patented Isle Link System, and how Isle differentiates at the $600-plus price point.21:31 -- Q2 growth of 59%, the Tommy Bahama licensed partnership at Costco, and channel strategy to protect the Isle premium brand.23:17 -- Pricing discipline, MAP policy, moving away from promotions, and rebuilding trust with specialty retail partners.24:39 -- The original Solo Brands D2C thesis, the DTC ticker, what went wrong with shared infrastructure across Solo Stove, Chubbies, Isle, and Oru Kayak.26:40 -- Combining Isle and Oru Kayak under a single water sports division and the synergies between the two brands.28:02 -- Converting casual paddlers to enthusiasts: the OIA report shows 85% of paddlers only go out four to five times a year.30:11 -- Why standup paddleboarding continues to be the fastest-growing segment and why it skews more female than other outdoor activities.33:37 -- Product innovation under Jimmy Blakeney: the Flywater micro skiff kayak, GearJunkie's Best of Show at ICAST, the Isle Link System ecosystem, Infinity Fiber technology and the Popular Science Innovation of the Year win, and Oru Kayak's Red Dot design award and plans for 2027.38:03 -- Specialty retail partnerships, the reset on MAP policy, in-season reorder growth, and double-digit pre-book growth for next year.41:35 -- What a successful paddlesports company looks like in five years and why margin and profitability must come first.Connect With UsWe would love to hear your thoughts on the show, inside intel, guest ideas, sponsorship inquiries or whatever's on your mind.Eoin Comerford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoincomerford/Email: outdoorunfilteredpod@gmail.comOur SponsorsISPO -- Unites the sporting and outdoor goods industry, inspiring global movement, protecting the places we play and providing a single, streamlined platform for the brands, athletes, buyers and innovators who shape the future of sport. ISPO relaunches in Amsterdam November 3-5, 2025. www.ispo.comCrux Retail -- Creating bold retail displays for bold outdoor-active brands. www.crux-retail.com/outdoorOutdoor Unfiltered is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.
