Meet Robyn Benincasa!

When you read Outside Magazine, or blogs about adventure racing, you can’t help but wonder; what type of person actually does this?  Well, Robyn Benincasa, for one.  And here at Merrell®, we’re incredibly lucky to have a great relationship with her.  Robyn is the Captain of Team Merrell, a firefighter, a world class adventure racer, motivational speaker and to top it all off, a really really nice person.

Throughout the month, we’re going to introduce you to Robyn, through interviews and videos.  So that you, too, can get to know her. 

Take a look at the video below, for an intro into the world of Robyn Benincasa.

Let's Get Outside at the Merrell Oyster Racing Series!

This past Saturday, Merrell® got outside in Seattle at the Merrell Oyster Racing Series.  Because we like fun, adventure and racing, one of our tech reps, Pat, and his friends decided to throw on their orange and compete with the rest of the field.  Check out below, and what Pat had to say about the day.

What an awesome way to spend a Saturday in a beautiful city!  The Oyster Race is a great hybrid of physical and mental exertion, paired with fun team work and unique challenges.  I was a part of a relay team, so for much of the race, only three members would complete a challenge while the remaining members would rest up, recharge and enjoyed the setting! 

 As the race started, one of our teammates was selected to be “kidnapped”—they were blindfolded, put on a bus and taken to a random location.  In order to begin searching for our teammate, we had to solve a logic puzzle (not easy early in the morning!).  Once we solved the puzzle, we were able to reach our friend via cell phone, and decided on a place to meet.  Our “lost friend” had been given the location of the next check point—a waterfall park in the middle of Seattle.  After meeting up, we ran to the waterfall and got photographic proof of our stop.  Then, it was back to the staging area to check in, and get our next challenge.  The next leg of the race was to be completed by bike, we set out towards Volunteer Park—eventually climbing and counting the stairs of an old observation tower (again, much harder than you might think!)  When we finally gave the proper number of stairs to one of the race officials, we were given the task of finding the grave of a person’s name in riddle form—Bruce Lee.  Smart phones were Googling directions, and bikes were coming from all directions, converging on Lake View Cemetery; once again, for photographic evidence of our find. 

We raced back to the staging area (this time downhill, thankfully!!) and received our next assignment—a lengthy bike ride towards Mathew’s Park that ended with team members paddle boarding to a buoy in Lake Washington.  The paddle boarding was fun, but super challenging since our legs were totally beat from the ride.  After returning to the staging area we headed back towards Fremont for our final challenge—beer pong!  Our team performed beautifully and we were off towards the finish line in short order.

As we crossed the finish line, the we found ourselves in the midst of a cheering crowd, with pizza and good micro brewed beer in hand—not a bad way to end the day! 

Happy Founder's Day, National Park Service!

As some of you might know, this year Yellowstone, the first of America’s national parks, turned 138 years old.   After creating Yellowstone and understanding the need to protect and promote some of America’s most treasured lands, Congress continued to create parks in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Among them; Yosemite, Sequoia, Mt. Rainier, Glacier and Crater Lake, to name a few.  The management of these parks fell on the shoulders of the Department of the Interior, which didn’t exactly have an organization within the department to oversee the parks.  Without a governing body, the parks were vulnerable to competing interests, such as logging, water rights and road construction.  Recognizing the potential problems at hand, activists Stephen Mather and Horace Albright successfully lobbied congress and on August 25^th, 1916 President Woodrow Wilson approved legislation creating the National Park Service.  

The mission of the National Park Service was a simple one; conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.

Stephen Mather, Mesa Verde National Park 1925

Throughout the 94 years of the parks service, the NPS has overseen major expansions, such as the creation of Great Smoky National Park, America’s most visited national park.  The NPS has also taken ownership to preserve a number of historic battlefields, forts, and memorials.  Today, the NPS oversees 392 units made up of National Seashores, Lakeshores, Grasslands, Prairies, Parks, Monuments, Battlefields, Rivers and more.  With help from the National Park Foundation, the official fundraising arm of the NPS, public land conservation and preservation is at the forefront of education about the parks.  The National Park Service has an epic job, managing some of America’s most impressive and inspiring outdoor spaces;  the Grand Canyon, Denali National Park and Acadia National Park, to name a few.

Here at Merrell®, we think that the outside is for everyone, and so are our national parks and public lands. Which is one of the reasons why we’ve teamed up with the National Park Foundation. We aim to inspire people to get outside and explore our nation’s amazing and diverse national parks, seeking to create access and awareness for all.  

So Happy Founder’s Day, National Park Service!  Here’s congratulating you on 94 years and wishing you many, many more.  And now, we’re off to a park. We’ll see you outside!

Let's Get Outside at City Chase!

As most people know, at Merrell® we’re all about getting outside whatever way you’d like.  For us, one of those ways is urban adventure races.  The two that we really like are the Merrell Oyster Racing Series, which takes place in 6 sixties across the US this summer and fall.  The other is City Chase.  It’s a worldwide series, with a races held in cities all over the place.  The winners from each city then compete in a national race, and those winners go on to compete for the worldwide prize.  Not too shabby. 

We’ll be at the race in Chicago this weekend, and we’re sending one of our Merrell staffers to compete.  Since it’s a two person competition, she’s dragging her husband down and they’re going to spend their first anniversary, City Chase style.  Because really, what is more fun than spending your first anniversary on city wide scavenger hunt doing crazy stunts?  Take a look at the video below to see what kind of crazy action goes on at City Chase.

If you’re in Chicago, come down to the Merch Mart and say hi.  We’ll see you there!  Can't make it to Chicago?  Take a look at the rest of the City Chase schedule, you'll thank yourself!

Let's Get Outside at the Merrell Oyster Racing Series!

Have you ever visited a city and thought how fun it would be to do off the wall things?  Like diving in one of the tanks at the aquarium, going down a huge slip n slide in the city park or tasting a sampling of local micro-brews? (Okay, maybe that last one isn’t so off the wall).  Well, we have, and thankfully, the Merrell® Oyster Racing Series has too!

The Merrell Oyster Racing Series is the Ultimate Urban Adventure Race.  Not sure what that means?  Basically, you take all of the fun of adventure racing; biking, kayaking, running, etc. and add in fun, quirky mystery disciplines.  You know, like cruising down a mega slip n slide in the middle of a city park or diving in a tank at the aquarium.  Something that might get you arrested if you tried doing it on your own.  But unlike adventure races where courses are made and trails blocked off, this is in the city, where normal everyday activity is happening around you. No streets are shut down, no course directors there to tell you where to go next.  You might stand out a little, wearing a bike helmet as you eat/drink local fare and try to decipher clues along the way.  But hey, that’s all a part of the fun.

The race hits 6 cities this summer, with each course having crazy checkpoints to hit. Of course, you won’t know those checkpoints until you’re mid race and finding them out on the fly.  To enter, you just need a team of at least 3, but up to 6 (depending on the category you enter in), your entry fee (a good portion of this goes to local charities) and a fun spirit.  Oh, you’ll also need a bike, bike helmet, cell phone, small first aid kit (safety first!) and a digital camera.  Check out the FAQ’s for any other info you might be interested in.

Last year, the Merrell team competed with Oustide Magazine in the Portland Oyster.  We didn't win, but it sure was fun! So what are you waiting for?  Grab your friends and your bike and get ready to get outside and go racing, Oyster style!  We’ll see you there!

Name the Next Merrell

Here at Merrell®, we’re all Outsiders.  And we make no secret about it; we love to camp, run, hike, canoe, walk the dog and just plain get outside.  So when it comes to naming our shoes, we all give it a solid effort, thinking of names that can best embody what the shoe stands for, and how we can best use it when we’re playing outside.  When we were looking at our latest shoes, we had a brilliant (if you ask us) idea – why not let the rest of the Outsiders name some shoes.  And so the Name the Next Merrell contest was born!

We figure we have a new lightweight, versatile, breathable, waterproof shoe that will be hitting the shelves; so – what would YOU name it?  And why?  What’s the inspiration behind the name?  And nothing is off limits, just click, enter your submission and your choice is in!

We really value all of the feedback and creativity from the Outsiders.  So let us know, what will you name the next Merrell?!

Let's Get Outside at the Outside Lands Festival!

A truly international city, check.  Amazing cuisine, check. Great music, check. Iconic landmark, check.  The opportunity to get outside and experience all of the above? Quadruple check.  Held at Golden Gate Park, the Outside Lands Festival kicks off Saturday, August 14^th in San Francisco.  The event features local cuisine (A Taste of the Bay Area), local wines (Wine Lands), great music and of course, all of the charm of San Francisco. 

We’re excited to be a part of the Outside Lands Festival.  In fact, we’re so excited to be a part of the festival, that we’re holding a VIP Party at our Merrell San Francisco store beforehand.  The party is on Thursday, August 12^th and will run from 8-10pm.  There will be food, music and giveaways every 15 minutes.  We'll be giving away shoes, swag, and the grand prize - three VIP prize packs, consisting of 2 VIP passes to Outside Lands Festival, and head to toe Merrell gear.

So come on down, and bring your friends.  To us, everyone is an Outsider and everyone is a VIP.

The details:

Merrell San Francisco

285 Geary St (In Union Square)

San Fran, CA 94102

415.834.9605

Get Outside with Merrell!

Here at Merrell® we’re involved in really cool things all year long.  That schedule gets thrown into hyper mode during the summer months, when you can find us at a slew of outdoor events, all across the country.  We’re everywhere from adventure races to urban chases to mud runs to food and wine festivals to music festivals and more.  So, if you’re going to be having fun outside this summer, check out our schedule below and see where you might run into us.

April

4/17 – Little Big Adventure Series - Richmond, VA

4/25 – Merrell Down and Dirty Mud Run - Los Angeles, CA

May

5/8 – 5/3 Riverbank Run - Grand Rapids, MI

5/8 – Project Athena Racing Series - San Diego, CA

5/8 – Red Tail Adventure Race (Big Blue Racing Series) Livermore, CA

5/8 – XTERRA Del Valle Triathlon (Big Blue Racing Series) Livermore, CA

5/15 – Collegiate Sports Nationals - Austin, TX

5/22 – City Chase - Philadelphia, PA

5/22 – Merrell Oyster Off Road - Glenwood Springs, CO

5/28 – Mountain Sports Festival - Asheville, NC

June

6/4 – Mountain Jam Festival - Hunter, NY

6/5 – National Trails Day - local events throughout the country

6/12 – City Chase - Boston, MA

6/19 – City Chase – San Diego, CA

6/20 – Burton Creek Trail Run (Big Blue Adventure Series) Tahoe City, CA

6/26 – XTERRA Tahoe City Triathlon (Big Blue Adventure Series) Tahoe City, CA

July

7/9 – Forecastle Festival – Louisville, KY

7/8 – Park City Food and Wine Classic – Park City, UT

7/10 – Ocean Blue Adventure Race (Big Blue Racing Series) Halfmoon Bay, CA

7/11 – City Chase – Seattle, WA

7/18 – Merrell Down and Dirty Mud Run – Philadelphia, PA

7/31 – Lake Tahoe 24hr Adventure Race – Kings Beach, CA

August

8/3 – Outdoor Retailer – Salt Lake City, UT

8/5 – Steamboat Wine Festival – Steamboat Springs, CO

8/7 – City Chase – Washington, DC

8/13 – Outside Lands Festival – San Francisco, CA

8/21 – Mitchell’s Run – Rockford, MI

8/21 – City Chase – Chicago, IL

8/21 – Merrell Oyster Urban Adventure Race – Denver, CO

8/28 – XTERRA Incline Village Trail Run – Incline, NV

8/28 – Merrell Oyster Urban Adventure Race – Seattle, WA

September

9/18 – Project Athena Racing Series – Nashville, TN

9/18 – Little Big Adventure Series - Raleigh, NC

9/18 – Merrell Oyster Urban Adventure Race – Portland, OR

9/18 – Tahoe Big Blue Adventure Race – Truckee, CA

9/24 – Nor’easter Festival – Lincoln, NH

9/25 – Gazelle Sports Metro Trek – Kalamazoo, MI

9/25 – Merrell Oyster Urban Adventure Race – San Francisco, CA

9/25 – City Chase – New York City

9/29 – Emerald Bay Trail Run (Big Blue Adventure Series) Emerald Bay State Park, CA

October

10/3 – Project Athena Racing Series – Raleigh, NC

10/3 – Merrell Down and Dirty Mud Run – New York City

10/10 – Merrell Oyster Urban Adventure Race – Austin, TX

10/23 – Merrell Oyster Urban Adventure Race – Nashville, TN

10/14 – USARA National Championship – Dallas, TX

10/31 – Merrell Down and Dirty Mud Run – Sacramento, CA

November

11/5 – Iceman Cometh Expo and Race – Traverse City, MI

And the list doesn’t stop here.  We’re always getting involved with local events all around the country.  So if you want to see us, let us know and we’ll try to get outside with you!

Let's Get Outside at the Steamboat Wine Festival

Here at Merrell® we’re involved in different kinds of events, all year long, from adventure races to urban chases to wine festivals. Yup, wine festivals.  This upcoming weekend we’ll be at the Steamboat Wine Festival in beautiful Steamboat Springs, CO.  Going into its 7^th year, the Steamboat Wine Festival brings in over 3,000 people, all getting outside to socialize, enjoy the scenery and taste wine and spirits. 

Not only do we love getting outside in unique ways like at wine festivals, but this year, the Steamboat Wine Festival helps to support the Steamboat Stars, the local adaptive recreation club.  The Steamboat Stars provide adaptive recreational opportunities for disabled people.  Be it skiing, biking or fishing, the Stars help people find and participate in their outdoor passions. And we’re all about supporting groups that help everyone get outside.

So if you’re in ‘the Boat’ this weekend, keep an eye out for us.  We’ll see you outside.