Fred Hammerquist gets it, and this is no easy task. He gets the passion, drive, and soul that compel people to climb mountains, run marathons, ski in remote places—because he’s one of them. Equally important, he knows how to communicate what most of us only know as feelings, to combine words and images in ways that inspire and motivate and that, for our purposes here, help companies achieve their goals. Over a long career founded on a love for adventure, helped new brands find their mission and established but struggling brands find their way. When it comes to connecting the outdoor culture with the outdoor industry in ways that deliver results, there’s no one better.

—Steve Casimiro, Founder, Adventure Journal

Hammerquist has a rare blend of decades of agency experience, paired with an intimate understanding of the outdoor customer—a perspective honed through a lifetime of skiing, climbing, and cycling. While at K2, I followed Hammerquist as he moved from one agency to the next because he constantly delivered inspired, authentic storytelling that was always on point and on brand.  He was much more than our ad agency; he was a true steward of our brand.

—Mike Hattrup, Director of Skiing at Eleven, US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame

I had the opportunity to work with Fred when he was the principal and managing director of Hammerquist Studios. When I was with Zipp/SRAM we sought out his agency due to its outdoor sports and lifestyle brand expertise. They also brought an informed consumer perspective to their work, as they were passionate cyclists, triathletes, alpine skiers, climbers, and watermen. Fred and the team were instrumental in helping us achieve our goals of increasing our brand’s marketing professionalism and expanding our brand relevance beyond triathlon and into road and cyclocross markets. I valued Fred’s willingness and ability to challenge our thinking and business norms based on marketing principles and his experience working with high-performance, high-end outdoor brands. The knowledge and leadership that Fred provided were critical to our brand’s success and my personal growth as a marketer.

—Andy Paskins