Julbo USA CEO Nick Yardley came to the U.S. in December of 1986 from Yorkshire, England and never looked back, creating a new life for himself in the Northeast.
An avid and skilled climber, Yardley worked for the International Mountain Climbing School in North Conway, New Hampshire for 10 years, first as a guide, then as Head Guide and eventually as Co-owner. Nick was also on the Mountain Rescue Service A-team for 10 years and was MRS Director for seven.
Although Nick just turned 48, he´s not slowing down at all. It seems like he´s just getting started, actually. Read on to find out more about what drives the leader of Julbo USA to do extreme ultra marathons, act as ´belay slave´ for his kids, and get up at 5 a.m. on cold winter mornings to run.
How did you go from a climbing-focused career to running a performance optics company?
I loved guiding and it was great running the climbing school – but after 10 years I knew that if I ever wanted to do something else with my life now was the time to build on my success in the school. Climb High approached me to be their East Coast Sales Manager; I declined, but they came back with an offer of National Sales Manager and I accepted.
Julbo was distributed by Climb High at the time and this is when I first got aquatinted with them. Mammut purchased Climb High in 2000 and I stayed on as sales manager until 2002, but was lucky enough to have the opportunity to set up the USA Julbo distribution, which I have been doing ever since.
Which sport would you say is your primary passion?
Trail/ultra-running and fly fishing seem to dominate my non-work time these days, though in winter ice climbing jumps up the list; most of my rock these days I do as a belay slave to my kids – both are strong climbers.
Why is Julbo USA a good fit for you?
Julbo is focused on providing the best possible product for serious active users; they work hard to provide the best product for specific sports, be it mountaineering, skiing or running. I believe in the product and am proud of the company, what it does, and what stands for – it´s nice to go to work each day with that feeling.
The Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc http://www.ultratrailmb.com/ is coming up – thoughts, fears, hopes?
Well, my hope is to finish in a reasonable time! It's a great race and a very tough race and weather conditions can cause some serious problems. So I'm cognitive of the serious nature and uncertainty of the race, but very much looking forward to it.
How did you do in the Western States 100 http://ws100.com/?
WS 100 was an amazing experience for me – truly a special weekend. I was very lucky and all went very well. I ran a conservative race and finished with gas left in the tank at 22:56. It was my first 100 and such a special one to have done – really great memories for sure.
Why do you like doing these crazy races?
Time gets special as you grow older, and I realized that an 8-hour day of climbing really meant 4 hours climbing and 4 hours belaying, but 8 hours running is 8 hours of exercise! I love moving swiftly through the mountains, be it in the Alps or Wind Rivers. Living in Vermont this is the best way to live those dreams and stay fit.
How do you balance family, work, and pursuing your passion(s)?
This was a great year for me to do WS 100: both kids are largely out of house and at college or traveling so I could really focus on my interests. I'm lucky to have very good running partners to help keep me motivated. Much of my running in the winter is done at 5 a.m. before work, so a good running partner is key to provide the motivation to get out of bed in a snow storm.
Running balances very well with work: I can do it on the road and on a workday, be in the office by 8, and have 10 to 15 miles under my belt for the day – if I need longer I can double head it and head out in the evening. Running is a simple sport and that simplicity is what I love. Work, family, etc. can get complicated and stressful at times, but pounding the trails deep in the woods is a very basic pleasure that requires no special equipment or skills.
