ACM’s Distraction In Action #17
Impressive inventions, running directions, and Netflix mentions: five links that are dominating our chat
Your new Distraction In Action email from All Conditions Media is here. Scroll away to get a look at the latest links and talking points from our team chat, so they can successfully distract you from work just as much as they did us…
1. RUN AND RUN AND RUN AND RUN AND…
Here’s an insight into the somewhat sadistic mind of ACM’s long-distance FKTer, Stu Duggal:
“I like the idea of a race that could, in theory, go on forever.”
He’s on about an endurance concept called an infinity loop - a punisher dreamt up by US runner Chad Kellogg (RIP) which entails *puts visual thinking cap on* running the infinity symbol up, down, and around a summit. And Stu’s a big fan.
“It’s cool because you could apply it to any local summit, so it’s not like a ridiculously inaccessible challenge that doesn’t make any sense. Slightly off-topic, but when I was at [brand name redacted] someone got in touch asking for kit for a challenge that involved him walking up Snowdon with a rowing machine on his back, and then rowing 2km on it at the top. Literally, WTF.”
Elite infinity loopers Jason Hardrath and Nathan Longhurst don’t need any hefty home gym equipment to toughen up their new project, though. Journey to Infinity follows them as they kick-off a mission to get proper loopy around Mexico’s tallest volcano, Pico De Orizaba, and claim the route’s first and only FKT. Stu, obviously, gives this film five popcorns out of five. You do you, Stu.
We learned: Stu won’t lend you his rowing machine.
2. CHEER ON THE WOMEN OF THE MUCKLESHOOT TRIBE
Which brings us neatly to this soul-soothing article. It’s all about a summit Journey To Infinity’s Jason Hardrath notched an infinity loop FKT up (around?) back in 2019 – the Pacific Northwest’s Mt. Rainier. Also known as Tahoma or Ta Ko Ba, if you’re Rachel Heaton or a part of her indigenous Muckleshoot tribe.
As a cultural educator for her community, Heaton has realised that, despite her tribe owning around 96,000 acres at Tahoma’s base, no Indigenous woman – from Muckleshoot or any other tribe with ancient links to the mountain – has ever reached its 14,000ft peak. She, along with six native women and zero climbing experience collectively, is out to change this and re-establish the ancient connections between local Indigenous peoples and the mountain they honour.
“I’m a strong believer in protecting Mother Earth for the seven generations ahead,” she says. “I believe the best way for us to do that is through connecting people to the land. Because how can you protect something that you’re not connected to? The only way you can get connected to that is by getting outside.” Yeah, we like that.
We learned: Tahoma was renamed Mt. Rainier in 1872 by - you guessed it! - a white British Royal Navy officer named George.
3. DISCOVER THE SECRET TO A LONG RELATIONSHIP
After 12 years of working with Arc’teryx, we should be way beyond our honeymoon period by now. We should be passive-aggressively rearranging the dishwasher cutlery basket while firing an endless tirade of quiet tuts at each other. But not us! As our newsletter last week outlined, the relationship with our longest-standing partner is still very, very cool. It might be down to our work together mainly consisting of dancing at the top of mountains, spinning huge wheels at 80s game-show-themed film nights, or holding “business meetings” in the backcountry. Or it could be because we’re both still bang into the idea that brought us together back in 2010: that the outdoors is for everyone. It’s more or less the theme running through their huge (as in, biggest ever) global No Wasted Days campaign, which we’re now in the process of getting out there. Check it out. It’s massive.
We learned: German pretzels played a small and salty role in getting ACM and Arc’teryx together.
4. GET A GB SKATE UPDATE
A few newsletters back, we told you all about our work with Breaking GB – the non-profit organisation taking Great British breaking to the Olympic arena next year. And more than a few years back, we worked with the GB Park and Pipe team on a strategy that helped get medal-winning snowboarders Billy Morgan and Lizzy Atkin to the 2018 Winter Olympics. What we’re saying is, we know a fair bit about helping action sports cross the tricky tightrope over the global mainstage and the core’s “you’re selling out” argument.
It's why we’re giving a big-up to The Thing, and Skateboard GB’s nuanced yet boldly open approach to communicating their own Olympic journey. “We want to win but in the right way” sorta nails it, doesn’t it.
We learned: Yeah, still not sold on the old Pit Vipers.
5. STOP READING THIS NEWSLETTER
While some of us are out here putting in the hard yards to distract you from your daily deadlines, those important emails that need a response, like, yesterday, and that weird smell coming from somewhere in the fridge, there are a few out there who’d argue our time could be better used. Folks like Australian design student, Alexander Burton. With the time he could have spent reading our newsletter and its references to kitchen white goods (two in one issue!), he’s been messing around with inventions that put not only us, but the global car industry too, to shame. Burton’s created a kit that will turn diesel and petrol cars into hybrid electric ones for as little as £2,640, and bagged a national James Dyson Award along the way. Clever boy. Go read all about it while we weigh up our life options.
We learned: Burton’s world-shaking inspiration? His family’s 2001 Toyota.
CREW TO-DO LIST
Every fortnight, one ACMer reveals the tasks that’ve been getting their head cogs whirring, so we can all make sure they’re working hard enough introduce our super talented crew and showcase what they bring to our creative process. This week it’s the turn of ACM’s Polar-expeditioning account manager, Hannah…
You made it all the way down here? Here’s a gift for your troubles:
END OF THE ROADER’S BONUS NUGGET
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