Devin logan
In Spring 2018, I joined The North Face in Joshua Tree National Park for a product launch, and I immediately knew one thing: I wasn’t going skiing. The California-based outdoor apparel and gear manufacturer was taking me rock climbing alongside a handful of media representatives and a collection of climbing’s most well-known athletes, bringing everyone together to unveil a selection of next year’s Spring and Summer apparel. I’d dealt with shirts and shorts before—that’d be the easy part—but to say I was nervous, uncertain of my climbing ability, was an understatement.
Thankfully, I had a friend in Devin Logan, two-time Olympian and maestro of halfpipe and slopestyle skiing. The 25-year-old shared my inexperience, a relief for both of us. Usually, we let gravity do the work, letting it urge us down a ski slope with relative ease; this time, we’d be going against its pull, ascending near-vertical walls, our only safety precaution a half-inch rope tied to our waist. The North Face has been developing top tier outdoor equipment for over 50 years, leading the pack in a wide variety of outdoor disciplines because of its commitment to providing adventure-seeking athletes the tools they need to get their respective jobs done right.
Presenting its latest warm weather gear in Joshua Tree National Park, bringing together the media, experienced product designers and world-class athletes, TNF immersed us in its philosophy of encouraging exploration, no matter how big or small the venture. “In Fall 2018, we showed a more expansive view of never stop exploring that lives both on mountain and in culture,” read the Press Release sent to media reps going on the trip. “In Spring 2019, we want to build upon these principals by continuing to enable people to break out of their ordinary and explore.”
After a day’s worth of climbing with the likes of Margo Hayes and Peter Croft, Logan and I sat down, cracked open a couple of cold ones and reflected on our day escaping the comfort zone. Hit the link below to hear more about Logan’s perspective on the experience, how it made her dig deep, appreciate the difficulty of learning something new and realize that inspiration comes in many forms.
