DECKED Goes to GoPro Mountain Games

The DECKED crew rolled into Vail, Colorado for this year’s GoPro Mountain Games — and what an event it was. Four days of outdoor fun, inspiring athletes and mountain town vibes made this one for the books.

We brought our A game. Our ambassadors David Gravette and McKenna Peterson brought the adoring fans. And absolutely nobody brought enough grip strength to win the Tough Guy Challenge.

We watched dogs absolutely SEND it during the dock jumping competitions, cheered on fearless slack liners and speed climbers, and somehow became close friends with the Vail police — turns out, they’re just as into grip strength challenges as we are. Here are the highlights.

BREAKING THE FIRST RULE

We set up camp (actually a booth) right in middle of the action, and did what we do best: spread the good word of DECKED to the people. Then we did what we do second-best: went out and talked to the other cool outdoor brands. In the process, however, we broke the cardinal rule of working an event: “Don’t go shopping.” But with so many cool outdoor brands, how could we not? We left with lighter wallets, but lots of cool new gear.

BRINGING THE STAR POWER

itting awesome events like GoPro Games is always a treat. But it’s even better when we’ve got the star power and magnetic personalities of our ambassadors. We’re talking about pro skater David Gravette and pro skier/fishing boat captain McKenna Peterson. They brought the energy every day, whether talking gear, injuries, or just trading big mountain and fishing tales.

Sure, that meant some of our traffic came by just to get David and McKenna’s autographs, but that’s just life when you’ve got famous friends. Speaking of which, check out our Instagram for info about future events. You never know who we might bring along next.

MANY TRIED. ALL FAILED.

Next up was our signature attraction: The Tough Guy Challenge. It’s a grip strength competition so menacing that only the strongest of grabbers dare lay their veiny hands upon it. Lucky for us, there were many such people in attendance. We had a line of Colorado rock climbers come through, boasting about their grip strength. Unfortunately, none were tough enough. Come on out to our next DECKED event if you think YOU have what it takes.

UP THE CREEK, ALL WEEK

David Gravette and our resident dad joke aficionado Casey Hawkes burned the candle on both ends all week — hiking up the Eagle River to drop a line in the water just about every morning and night before and after the expo. They even caught a couple fish. Yes, this meant they were extra hungry at the end of the day, but that just comes with the “get after it” lifestyle.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and made this year’s Mountain Games unforgettable. Vail. We’ll see you in 2026. We’ll be bringing the fun — and the grip trainers — with us. Training for the Tough Guy Challenge 2026 starts now.