Eoin Comerford reports from the reinvented ISPO in Amsterdam, now under Raccoon Media Group ownership after relocating from Munich.

With 25,000 registered attendees, the outdoor section featured the Scandinavian village plus a new British section with Rab, Berghaus, and more. Notable absences included The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, and Patagonia, though US buyers from REI and Backcountry were active on the floor.

The snow sports section featured a Snowfest Village rail jam, though many snow brands have migrated to Pro Winter in Bolzano. The co-located run event lacked the major footwear players that dominate The Running Event in the U.S.

Then, recorded live from the ISPO podcast studio, Eoin sits down with Drew Eakins of Reima, the Finnish kids' outerwear brand founded in 1944, and Charlie Pym of Berghaus, the British brand founded in 1966 and now part of Pentland Brands. They dig into the European brand playbook for cracking the US market: channel strategy, product curation, D2C vs. wholesale, fulfillment strategies, brick-and-mortar strategy, and more. Brought to you by Royal Robbins, and Aarn Packs.

SHOW NOTES

2:38 -- ISPO Amsterdam first impressions and 25,000 attendees

7:30 -- ISPO after party and overall verdict on the show

10:27 -- Live from ISPO: Drew Eakins (Reima) and Charlie Pim (Berghaus)

13:36 -- Berghaus previous US market entry and withdrawal

14:38 -- Reima's 20 percent US business at 30-40 percent growth

16:12 -- Why European brands target the US market

18:09 -- Channel split surprises and the D2C-first reality

46:45 -- Amazon strategy: Reima pulls back, Berghaus bides time

50:17 -- Final advice: have a plan and hold it loosely

CONNECT WITH US

We would love to hear your thoughts on the show, inside intel, guest ideas, sponsorship inquiries or whatever's on your mind

LinkedIn: Eoin Comerford -- https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoincomerford/

Email: outdoorunfilteredpod@gmail.com

Outdoor Unfiltered is a production of Rockfight LLC.

OUR SPONSORS

ISPO -- 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. www.ispo.com

Royal Robbins -- We're building on a legacy and belief that nature and adventure can feed the soul. In the world of digital screens and AI, that idea is more relevant now than ever. And we're seeing it resonate with a new generation of outdoor consumers who are looking for experiences, connection, and versatile products that support the way they want to live. https://www.royalrobbins.com/

Aarn Packs -- Aarn Packs give you a more comfortable backpacking experience by using Balance Pockets that help you spread your pack weight around your center of gravity and allow you to keep your posture natural. https://www.aarnpacks.com/

In this episode of Outdoor Unfiltered, host Eoin Comerford breaks down the latest quarterly earnings from Columbia Sportswear, VF Corp, Brooks Running, Garmin, and Shimano, unpacking what the results reveal about the state of the outdoor industry.

Eoin connects the dots across all five reports, highlighting the divergence between technical performance brands and apparel-driven stalwarts, the role of tariffs in suppressing US consumer demand, and elevated inventory levels at Columbia, VF Corp, and Garmin heading into a potentially promotional holiday season.

He also shares his ISPO week schedule, including a panel on the future of active outdoor storytelling and a live podcast recording on European brands entering the US market with executives from Reima and Berghaus.

In the second half of the show, Eoin is joined by the founders of the Outdoor Rec Collective -- Gary Montes de Oca, Steven Barnes, and Bryan Wachs -- who are launching an ESOP holding company model to reimagine investing in the outdoor industry.

They discuss the problem of extractive capital destroying iconic brands like Montrail, Cloudveil, Eastern Mountain Sports, Moonstone, and Marmot, the structural advantages of an ESOP holdco with tax-free cash flow and portfolio diversification, their target investment criteria across hard goods, soft goods, and services, and their vision for creating wealth for the workers who underpin the authenticity of outdoor brands.

Time Stamps

3:15 -- Columbia Sportswear earnings: Sorel, Prana, Mountain Hardwear

6:56 -- VF Corp earnings: North Face, Timberland, Vans, Ultra

11:00 -- Sponsored by Aarn Packs

12:27 -- Brooks Running: 13th consecutive quarter of growth

15:40 -- Garmin: outdoor segment up 20% on Fenix 9

18:29 -- Shimano: bike components signal industry recovery

21:01 -- Connecting the dots: what earnings mean for outdoor

24:19 -- Sponsored by Royal Robbins at GOA Connect

27:26 -- The problem with extractive capital in outdoor

33:58 -- The ESOP holdco model explained

Connect With Us

We 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.com
• All contact and sponsor info is listed in the show notes.

Outdoor Unfiltered is a production of Rockfight LLC.

Our Sponsors

ISPO -- Unites the sporting and outdoor goods industry, inspiring a 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. www.ispo.com

Royal Robbins -- Building on a legacy and belief that nature and adventure can feed the soul. In the world of digital screens and AI, that idea is more relevant now than ever. And we're seeing it resonate with a new generation of outdoor consumers who are looking for experiences, connection, and versatile products that support the way they want to live. https://www.royalrobbins.com/

Aarn Packs -- Aarn Packs give you a more comfortable backpacking experience by using Balance Pockets that help you spread your pack weight around your center of gravity and allow you to keep your posture natural. https://www.aarnpacks.com/

Today on Outdoor Unfiltered, host Eoin Comerford (former CEO, advisor to outdoor brands, and founder of Outsize Consulting) breaks down the top 20 sales and marketing mistakes he sees emerging outdoor brands make.

Then, trend forecaster and brand strategist Jeanine Pesce of Range joins the show to unpack the state of innovation in the outdoor industry.

Plus a look back at Jeanine's landmark "The Modern Outdoors Woman" presentation at Outdoor Retailer and the shift from gender to DEI in the industry.

SHOW NOTES

1:54 -- Eoin Comerford introduces the top 20 sales and marketing mistakes for emerging outdoor brands, drawing on his work at Outsize Consulting with over 20 brands since leaving Moosejaw.

25:13 -- Interview begins with Jeanine Pesce, trend forecaster and brand strategist, on her 20-year career, Range agency, Range Magazine, and work with Outdoor Retailer's Venture Out section.

26:52 -- Whether the outdoor industry is truly in a "sea of sameness" or if smaller brands are quietly out-innovating the big players.

35:53 -- How Benchmark pivoted from sandals to clogs using the same DNA and why it became an identity piece for the outdoor consumer.

37:50 -- The role of collaborations in outdoor, from early Supreme x The North Face to today's oversaturated landscape and the need for internal criteria.

40:00 -- The analog comeback: why print, running, foraging, and slow movement through the woods are reshaping product and storytelling.

45:28 -- Whether the outdoor industry's 18-to-24-month development cycle can or should compete with fast fashion's two-month turnaround.

47:44 -- The push toward circularity and deproduction.

CONNECT WITH US

We 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.com

OUR SPONSORS

ISPO -- 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. www.ispo.com

Crux Retail -- Creating bold retail displays for bold outdoor-active brands. www.crux-retail.com/outdoor

Aarn Packs -- Aarn Packs give you a more comfortable backpacking experience by using Balance Pockets that help you spread your pack weight around your center of gravity and allow you to keep your posture natural. https://www.aarnpacks.com/

Outdoor Unfiltered is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.