What is this company & how did it start?
Well, let's get into it: A few years ago after my pilgrimage to Utah, I found I was dabbling in some outdoor activities just a touch more dangerous than what's available on the East coast. A small hill was now an 11,000 ft cloud touch peak, lazy rivers were now class V rapids. I think you probably get the picture. While the landscape is undeniably beautiful, there is an element of constant peril. The adrenaline that comes with mountain biking 10,000ft ridgelines and shredding 20ft wide couloirs tends to help you forget about the inherent danger out here. The rewards of these activities are unlike anything else. The views, the thrills, the people you meet. You weigh the risk vs the benefit and you send it.
Ultimately, the inception of this idea was born from a day of mountain biking in the Wasatch Mountains. I was on the downhill and coming up to this corner with a good 80 ft drop on the other side and entered the corner at roughly MACH 10. About half way through the corner my rear tire slid out, which meant my bike and I were heading for this "small" cliff. Thankfully there was enough sagebrush and rocks to bring me to a halt before yeeting myself off the edge. Tail between my legs and skin littered with dirt and rocks, I finished my lap and called it a day. A tale of many that ultimately lead to this brand.
I believe it was the next day or so, I was heading back East to visit family and friends. I hit up my best friend Dan Brown (@Downtowndb13), a very rad tattoo artist. (Please go check out his work!) Now let’s be clear: I've asked Dan for countless stupid tattoos over the 2 decades we have been friends. I think, to this day, this is the only time he didn't roll his eyes at me. I left the studio with a very staunch but subtle reminder (Don't Die) on my front brake wrist. I did this solely to remind myself to enjoy everything, send it hard, but to take a second to mitigate risk. Plan your routes better, carry a couple more things in your pack, remember the people that want you to come home.
This will forever by my reminder: don't stop doing something because it's scary or dangerous. Don't give up on a dream because you might fail. Don't stop living your life because of an injury. There is a risk involved in every aspect of life. You choose to do these things because it's important to you, someone you care about, or it's a necessity for your survival. The best we can do is learn and mitigate risk to the best of our ability all while enjoying what makes us feel most alive. Adapt and overcome, regret nothing, do what you want to do, just “Don’t die!”
More to come for sure!