^Photographer credit: Jay French (NZ)

RUN / MTB / Hike NZ

content residency

Wānaka, Aotearoa / New Zealand | 1 - 14 February 2026

The Outsiders’ next Content Residency will take place in Wānaka this February, bringing together elite trail runners, MTB athletes, and storytellers to capture New Zealand’s late-summer mountain environment across alpine, lake, and forest terrain.

This residency brings together global-calibre athletes and creatives across film, photography, and storytelling. Over two weeks, the group will film across trails, ridge lines, backcountry access points, and key MTB locations in the region — producing a flow of high-quality content naturally integrated across multiple athletes and aligned brand partners.

Throughout the residency, content will be shared across a combined 1M+ following across athletes, brands, crew, and aligned partners — creating a cross-pollination effect between audiences already deeply engaged in running, mountain biking, endurance, and adventure travel. This aligned multi-brand environment is what makes The Outsiders Content Residencies so effective: everyone contributes to one production block, allowing investment to stretch further and deliver stronger ROI.

The crew is led by Justin Mayers (Westbank Media, US) — director and cinematographer for some of the world’s best snow and action-sport athletes (including Sammy Carlson and Colby Stevenson) — supported by award-winning outdoor photographer Jay French (NZ), who works globally across MTB, snow, run, and adventure brands.

We handle all logistics, athlete management, contracts, production, and delivery. Brand partners know who is involved before committing, with careful alignment and no conflicts.

Our pilot Snow & Ski Content Residency in Wānaka (check it out here), delivered with Defender (Land Rover NZ), Helly Hansen, DB Journey, Nikon, and more, proved the model works — with 812,000+ combined following across athletes, brands and crew. Even teaser content from an Outsiders account with only a few hundred followers delivered 50,000+ views, 1,600+ engagements, 123 shares, and 40 saves — before counting athlete and brand amplification.

With everyone embedded in one production block, each investment reaches further — delivering high-value content, broader reach, and meaningful outcomes for all partners.