Icebreaker - Pure Merino

Ever dreamed of being a rock star? Suiting up backstage in tight and shiny clothes, sporting a ridiculous hairdo, and walking on stage to play in front of a crazy crowd of groupies with your band mates? I know I have, and after the recent Icebreaker US Operations Party: “Unplugged” I now realize I work with many fellow rock star daydreamers.

Recently, the Icebreaker Portland office was given the opportunity to live this dream; everyone logged off their computers, temporarily quit their day jobs (not really, we love Icebreaker!), and proceeded to do what every rational person wants to do, become a rock star! Led by none other than our fellow operations team (A.K.A. – “Band Managers”), we split into four groups “bands” and flocked the streets of Portland in preparation for our first gig.

We quickly learned the first lesson of being in a band: getting gigs is not easy business. A lot of quality band practice (drinking, eating, and socializing) must happen before a band is worthy of trying their hand on stage. After creating new lyrics to the famous tune “Stand By Me”, our bands headed out on an adventure where we were given a bag of costumes, professional hairdos, and even a photo shoot at our very own recording studio! By the time we ended at Breken Kitchen for the show, our bands were ready to give the anxious groupies a concert they would never forget.

Our very own Matt Putnam, U.S. Demand Planner, accompanied the four bands with his guitar and well tuned voice as we all belted out our versions of “Stand by Me”. If only you could hear the creative, somewhat vulgar, yet always smooth, verses our bands came up with, then you would be first in line for our next big show (Location: TBA).

After amateur hour, the real musicians got on stage and showed us a thing or two about stage performance. Matt Putnam put aside his demand planner demeanor and got on stage to play a set of impressive songs for the crew of mismatched Icebreaker rock stars. The closing act, Kurt Foster, Sr Merchandising Manager, and Jeremy Dietz completed the night in style with their Americana/country music that had everyone clapping for an encore!

Group Consensus: Maybe we cannot give up our day jobs just yet; however, there is no reason we cannot all be rock stars at heart, especially at Icebreaker!! ROCK ON!!

- Robby Ringer, Icebreaker US Customer Services Representative

As a Yank PR guy who’s had the great fortune of working for this wonderful little company called Icebreaker for three years, I’d heard the tales about the annual New Zealand Christmas Party. This year, luck and timing took me to Wellington for a big strategic planning meeting, which was timed around the annual festivities.

First, coming from the land of Political Correctness (the USA, where this would be called a “Holiday Party”), I have to say how wonderfully refreshing it was to throw PC to the wind! These Kiwis know how to party, laugh, let loose and have fun. Wow, how liberating that is!

The theme for this year’s party was The Love Boat, and all the New Zealand Icebreakers were divided into teams (9-10 people), and were given $300 to design their own costumes.  This is a highly secretive process.

I was invited to join the Icebreaker Surf Life Saving Club team, and we immediately changed our names to become our Surf Alter Egos: Chad, Kandi, Rock, etc.

We wore authentic New Zealand Life Saving Club shorts and floppy hats, and screened our own IBSLSC t-shirts.  We also were outfitted with well-filled drink bottles, swimming caps, zinc to paint/decorate ourselves with, “sunnies, whistles, beach balls and bumbags.”

At the anointed hour, all the teams gathered for the party’s start in the 2^nd floor kitchen.  And what a spectacle!  There were teams dressed as Popeye & Olive Oyl, Sharks, Damaged Goods, Modern Day Pirates, Cruise Ship Entertainers, Baywatch cast members and more.  The bubbly was passed around, and the celebration of an amazing year (and a ton of work) began.

I’ve been told that Icebreaker has been banned at many establishments because of their parties – and that now we resort to bookings under assumed names. This year, the Social Committee brought in some party experts – event company CluedUp – and we were soon greeted by the Love Boat captain and first mate, who escorted us outside to our surprise destination.  We began in Waitangi Park alongside Lambton Harbour with a giant rope tug of war, followed by a hilarious game of tag, then an all-team conga line.

The unruly bunch was then walked over to Parade Cafe a few blocks away where the top floor was converted into a gaming casino and teams competed for chips.  After dinner, everyone moved to the downstairs disco in the hull where we were entertained by a breakdance group, some awesome drummers and, yes, political correctness aside, a beautiful burlesque stripper. (This would never happen in the States!).  Everyone then got down to dancing!  At a certain point the lights were turned on and the remaining everyones were kicked out!

The next day at 10:45 everyone is required to show up at the ‘Xmas Party Hangover Goodness Gathering’ for pies and sausage rolls in the kitchen. (Hangovers are called “hurt heads” by the Kiwis.)  Not much work is expected to get done (in past years some folk have even managed to sleep under their desks), but it’s good for people to see each other, and lots of people headed off to “work from home” later in the day.

Some favorite memories:

• All the Icebreaker men who couldn’t wait to wear women’s clothing as soon as the party began. (Is this a Kiwi and/or European or Icebreaker thing?)
• Our Icebreaker Surf Life Saving Club team composing our raunchy “Slip, Slop, Slap” song (you’ll have to get the lyrics from someone else).
• All Staff emails the next morning, asking if anyone out there went home with my jeans shorts, sunglasses, hired costumes etc!

The Love Boat has sailed off to 2011.  Happy holidays, everyone! Be safe and well.

- Lee Weinstein, Icebreaker Communications

Our CEO Jeremy Moon turned the big 4-0 on Wednesday (Sept 2nd).  We celebrated in style with a surprise birthday bash in Wellington.  The night was full of the usual Icebreaker party antics, including an Irish Dance by the birthday boy himself and our French team…