Nike ACG
The backcountry is my happy place, and I love working with brands that feel the same way. Nike ACG is a prime example.
From product launches to athlete profiles, I channel my passion for the great outdoors into insight-driven copy that inspires consumers to take it outside.
Becky Bristow, Professional Kayaker
Female athletes have long been inspired by those who came before them. But in the world of extreme kayaking, Becky Bristow had no female role models to learn from—because quite frankly, there weren't any. So Bristow blazed her own trail on Class V rapids, carving out a niche for herself in a sport traditionally dominated by men.
The way Bristow sees it, testosterone has nothing to do with it. "I don't have anything to prove out there," she says. Maybe not, but her feats on the water would have most guys heading to shore. Like making a first descent off a 40-foot waterfall in Ecuador. Or plunging through a wild stretch the Sierra Madres, where the water drops an average of 350 feet per mile.
Bristow travels 300 days out of the year, searching for rivers that have yet to be run. And while she loves the thrill of a first descent, she also maintains a healthy sense of perspective. "Any new river will always be a personal first descent, no matter who has been there before me, she says. "I have to admit though, there's a real sense of joy when I'm the very first person to see a river from the seat of a kayak."
It's a sense of joy she hopes more women will have the chance to experience. One thing is certain though—thanks to Bristow, extreme kayaking will never again be a sport without a female role model.
Nike Comm Technology
Speak Freely.
Nike ACG Comm technology was born out of necessity and inspired by the people who would come to depend on it. Almost two years ago, we met with Portland Mountain rescue and Mount Hood Meadows Ski Patrol to discuss their communications needs. Both groups rely heavily on 2-way radios to coordinate their efforts, but their bulky harnesses made their radios hard to hear and nearly impossible to access in the extreme mountain conditions.
Using their insights and feedback, we designed an ergonomic, quick-access communications vest with an imbedded speaker near the ear, a microphone near the mouth, and a push-to-talk button at the chest. For the first time, it allowed both teams to stay mobile without having to stop to access their radios. Today, the Nike ACG CommVest is standard issue for the pros up on Mt. Hood. Now available to outdoor athletes in a jacket and backpack, Nike ACG Comm technology means that the days of hassling with a hand-held radio are, well, over and out.
COMM Vest
Is that the call of the wild, or the call of a 2-way radio buried under zippers, layers and gloves? It used to be hard to tell. But thanks to the Nike ACG Comm Vest, outdoor athletes will actually be able to hear when a call comes through on their radio. Better yet, they won’t have to stop in the middle of an epic powder run to respond. That’s because the Comm Vest fully integrates a 2-way radio system into a weather-resistant winter vest. All functions are instantly accessible, allowing the lines of communication to stay clear—even when the weather isn’t.
David Crane, Outdoor Ambassador
Talk about a great gig: Nike ACG hands you the keys to. a brand-new Ford Explorer and a shiny Airstream trailer and tells you to the hit the road for a year. The lucky fellow who can now claim the title of Nike ACG's first Outdoor Ambassador is 29-year-old Minnesota native David Crane. He's made the outdoors his workplace and playground for the last 16 years, so he knows what he's about—but that doesn't mean he anticipated all the challenges he would find on the road.
Last September, David pulled out of the Nike campus armed with a lucky bamboo plant and a trailer full of Nike ACG gear. 16,000 miles, five oil changes and one lost bamboo plant later, his journey has taken him across six states and countless adventures. On any given day, David might find himself dodging cattle, forest fires, or L.A. traffic, about which he says, "Changing lanes is like skiing through the forest. You just go, man."
In addition to getting to take the ultimate road trip, David says being the Nike ACG Ambassador has another perk: It gives him the chance to give back to the communities he temporarily calls home. "I participate in a lot of trail and river clean-ups, organize fundraisers, and work with groups like Outward Bound," he says. "The whole idea of helping wherever you're at is really rewarding."
So rewarding that David admits is will be tough to turn in the keys when his year is up. But with seven months left to go, he's still got plenty of miles left to rack up on his odometer. So if you see him coming down the road, give him a honk, a wave, and plenty of room to change lanes.