In this issue, Kike (key-kay), already on his third instalment, tackles the burden of the solo athlete in both the gravel world as well as climbers in the outdoor industry. Please do hit reply with feedback and be sure to connect with him on insta & linkedin!
It's no secret that the sports business model has always required a star ecosystem. ‘Stars’ that we all relate to, judge, admire, loath, love, or even hate. That brings audience, engagement, better visibility for the advertisers and sponsors and and ultimately, growth for the sport. This creates long lasting societal effects, because of the relation to personalities more than just products or teams.
Some sports, like road cycling, share that traditional playbook: world tour races, nail-biting results, epic finales, and duels on legendary landscapes, brutal conditions and technical terrain all broadcasted globally.
Climbing, on the other hand, has never entirely figured out its playbook. The great outdoors is tremendously inspiring for so many athletes yet not the most entertaining to watch (maybe until NatGeo’s Free Solo). Several attempts at outdoor comps have failed, and now, including this year's Olympics, the hopes are in the indoor style set-ups that are more creative, fun, safe and entertaining– for both the public and the athletes.
In a way, climbing has been in the same pickle as gravel racing but for longer: new athletes are forced to become content creators, or, put another way: the cost of the star ecosystem relies mainly on individuals.
Of course, gravel & its business model are growing fast. (I would love to check numbers and compare with climbing, which is also growing fast!) Competition and races play a huge roll: they create the concept that should bring the talent and audience together via a compelling proposal – ...but I’ll leave that for another time.
As marketeers and creatives, we should strive for a common goal to understand that building a star ecosystem is necessary to grow the sport, not just in quantity, but in quality.
Nowadays, a lot of athletes' efforts are devoted to social media, and we keep forgetting the key is easier and simpler storytelling and journalism. When we googled Keegan Swenson's Leadville win, it wasn't insta that popped up it was Escape Collective!
For our stars to become myths, their stories need to be amplified, their efforts supported (sometimes with a more traditional infrastructure around those athletes), and their victories not just posted fleetingly to doom scroll oblivion but preserved and adored for years to come.
Maybe if we all sharpen our vision, we will find the ways to better support athletes to do their thing, and we can, in turn, foster a cohesive media landscape around them that creates timeless content and stories for the ages – avoiding silo'd best intentioned yet short-sighted efforts that we see in the influencer realm.
We don't have all the answers but we're getting the convo going! And, on that note, #watchthefemmes!
Thank you for reading!
with appreciation,
Kike
Upcoming Events
Save the Date! Twotone Turns 10 | Nov. 29!
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August
- 🇳🇱 & 🇫🇷 12-18 Tour de Femmes
- 🇳🇱 24 Venlo Vice City BMX Comp
- 🇫🇷 24-31 Further
- 🇳🇱 31 Best of Marnix BMX Comp
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September
- 🇨🇿 5-8 Bohemian Border Bash Camp
- 🇳🇱 15 Velocio Ride Series Amsterdam
- 🇪🇸 20-22 Sea Otter Girona
- 🇳🇱 27 Dox Under The Tracks
Bikes
Driedaagse was a success!
Keegan Swenson four-peats at Leadville 100
Ryan Simonovich
Recently signed as a SILCA ambassador to take his commitment to marginal gains to the next level, Keegan managed to nab his fourth Leadville top podium spot! Bam!
GCN's Carspiracy
Definitely a UK perspective on this pervasive issue that though much less of an issue in Amsterdam, still exists in the Netherlands and most certainly in the USA where I'm from. Check out the 19m short docu here. Props to GCN for a public-interest piece!
Ideas
Hype is overhyped
Inspired by Amsterdam Interviewed me for their debut Season
🎤 "Today we're inspired by the world of creative cycling media in Amsterdam as we meet Jon Woodroof. Jon shares his story in the cycling industry, how it all started with Twotone, moving from the US to Amsterdam 10 years ago and what it was like to build his community and start a new life here.
🚲 With 17 years of cycling experience, Jon gets things done on two wheels. At Twotone, he's spent nearly a decade connecting people through cycling, drawing on his startup consulting and sales background. His global journey, from Moldova to India, enriches his work and travels."
You can listen to the episode here.
Loic Le Meur Says There Are No Mistakes
Loic Le Meur
"A mistake is very relative to who decides it is wrong." Some solid Monday morning food for thought for you! I bet you'd agree there are sooome mistakes but we know what he means. ; )
Friends
Ronnie Romance & Alex from HUNT go ATB
LBO Fietskoerier Five Panels, Stickers, Mugs & Shirts
LBO Koerier webshop
My friend Ken runs LBO Fietskoerier and offers same-day businesses-to-business delivery within Amsterdam, handling shipments large and small. Whether you're near or far, you can rep & support with some sick LBO merch!
Morgan Meredith's Freelance Portfolio
Radness
Le Mastrou & La Dolce Via in France's L'Ardèche region
Kike sent me this one as I love trains and cycling! La Dolce Via is today one of the most important cycling routes in France, not only for its magnificent landscapes and favorable terrain, but also for its role in preserving one of the nation's most significant heritages: Le Mastrou, the steam train of the L'Ardèche region. Very cool film and worth a watch for some holiday inspiration! 😄
Thank you very much for reading!
