Beyond the original brand.
Of course, Mr. Ueda started "Ruy" not only because he wanted to run in the clothes of his choice. There is also the reality of trail running, a sport in which prize money is not the only way to make money.
The main part of my activities as an athlete is sponsorship fees. Although I am able to support my family with those fees, I feel that relying solely on sponsor fees is unstable in this age of the Corona disaster. If I can create other sources of income, it will be easier to move freely when there is another pandemic or change in environmental factors in the future.
I also have some thoughts about the current outdoor industry. I feel that there is less sponsorship and support for young trail runners than for veteran runners. I think there is a bit of an imbalance when you think about the future.
I also have a vision for the future in which I hope to somehow increase the number of opportunities for young athletes to be active within the framework of "Ruy. But, well, I simply want to have friends I can run with (laughs).
We also hope to make some kind of contribution to the mountain world by making sales. We are the ones who are allowed to use the mountains. There is a mountain trail in Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, called Ito Shinmichi (Ito New Road), or it used to be, but it was abandoned at the end of the Showa period. There is an effort underway to reopen this trail, and we hope to use some of the proceeds to support its restoration.
My grandfather worked at a hut on nearby Mt. Noguchigoro, so I have a connection to this field. Wouldn't it be wonderful if buying "Ruy" could lead to the restoration of Ito Shinmichi? Personally, I would like to be involved in volunteer work for the restoration. Trail runners are very mobile anyway (laughs).
