Well, it certainly has been quite the year.
ElevenSkys hikers, Constantine and Magpie, finished their NCT (North Country Trail) thru-hike this past week. 187 days of hiking, countless meals of ramen, multiple scars upon their bodies and souls. 4,833 miles, one trail, two hikers, thousands of cows... it feels like the set up to a joke, but believe us the joke is in the very reality of the situation.
May 1st, 2021: The Start Date
November 3rd, 2021: The Completion Date
Was it the fastest known time?
Yes.
Was it "fast"?
Well, we like to believe it will come to be known as the "longest speed record"... so who is to say...
ElevenSkys now has meaning, now has credibility, now...means something?
Each sky in our name now stands for each national scenic trail.
Each sky has been felt, seen, experienced.
Each sky has been a part of the whole.
Yet, who is to define the definition of "meaning"...
Anyhow, the founder (Constantine) has now become the 1st person to ever Thru-Hike all 11 National Scenic Trails, his partner (Magpie) the first woman to thru-hike the North Country Trail.
Yet, this is a story for another time, another post, another "Legend."
Instead, this post is about the one and only "Legend" himself. The man, the myth, the "Legend." The man who defies all physical bounds of the human body as well as all mental bounds of the human mind. The man who pushes the limit of what is physically endurable as well as pushes the limit of what is socially acceptable. The man who runs, hikes, suffers countless miles... sometimes with a watermelon in a stroller. The man who looks at two left shoes before a race and wishes he had a third foot, because two lefts don't necessarily make a right, but three definitely would. The man who somehow has embodied the soul of a tiger and each year transforms closer and closer to his true form. Man, tiger, a hybrid of the two...who is to say? All we can do is sit back and watch the evolution...or devolution... as he continues to test the limits of what a human with fur and stripes can truly accomplish.
The saying goes: "You don't go looking for a "Legend", but sometimes the "Legend" finds you.
We are thrilled to announce ElevenSkys' partnership and collaboration with Jeff Garmire - or, as he's known in the hiking, running, and outdoor world, the one and only "Legend."
ElevenSkys and "Legend" decided to come together and see what happens when you put multiple long distance hikers in the same creative space. At first we thought... well lets see if we can put two hikers on the moon and see what trail they could create... okay that was too legendary, at least for now. So we tabled that idea, and instead set our sights on creating a piece of gear that anyone can use. If you are a Legend, if you are on your way to being Legendary, or your Legend has just begun, these shorts will go with you as you create your own Legend.
We are incredibly excited (and a tad bit scared) to see where this partnership can take us. Will we, too, soon be running until we hallucinate, crushing miles like tic-tacs, or frothing at the mouth as if we were a tiger?
Who is to say? What we do know is that we're thrilled to be able to partner together to create a product for you all. No matter the trail, the miles, the experience, the animal spirit you have to embody to outlast the competition, these shorts will last as you chase after your own Legend.
On another note, not as legendary, but exciting nonetheless, we have a new colorway available for this fall season! The Sunset Shorts are your go-to colorway as the leaves change and fall reaches full swing. Blaze orange so they can be worn over thermals as the temperature drops and the hunting season begins. Stand out amongst the crowd with our new line!
From legendary, to exciting, and now back to legendary news. Due to all of your support we have continued to grow. With this growth, we have been able to expand our productions and expand our horizons into new and exciting fields. As we continue to become a more diverse and expansive company, we always want to continue to give back to the very people that made this possible, you.
We continue to keep the love, will always continue to keep the love, for the community that has given us the opportunity and privilege to outfit you for any adventure.
As other companies grow, their margins increase, because they're able to produce products for cheaper in larger quantities. Yet, their prices for the same products remain stagnant. Their bottom dollar is less and their profit more. We want to break that mold. Yes, we are a company, we still need profit to survive, but not at the expense of our customers. The relationship between company and customer is not singular. It is a relationship of growth together, one feeds the other.
We started this company because we wanted to give back to the community that has given us so much. We aim to create gear that will out-perform and out-last any hike, run, or adventure you can throw at it; create gear that any hiker, any runner, any adventurer is proud to use again and again and again; gear that is top quality. We have achieved this. Now our next achievement, and all of our achievements moving forward, will be in the form of giving back to you. Always.
If you noticed on our products page, we have now and for the foreseeable future, brought all our prices down. This reflects our savings due to growth, that we're now passing on to you. The shorts, every pair of shorts, is now only $49.99. The pants, every pair of pants, is now only $59.99. We become better because you give us a reason to want to be better.
Well, that's it for now.
News about "Legend", then to regular exciting news, then back to "Legendary" news.
What a road we have been on together. What a trail we have all been on.
What "Legend" will be next?
Sincerely,
ElevenSkys