YETI Blog
Jose Wejebe – Loss of a Legend
Jose Wejebe lost his life on April 6, 2012 in a plane crash outside of Everglades City, Florida. We were saddened and shocked to receive the news, as we imagine anyone who knew Jose was.
He had been a Pro Staffer with YETI since 2010 and was a true legend in the fishing industry. He went above and beyond promoting his love of fishing and we are proud to have had him represent us. He was a great friend, a good man, and he will be missed.
Customized Cooler Radio
Summer is just around the corner, and already people are gearing up for fun around the water. Of all the things you could forget to pack, leaving behind the cooler and the radio are among the greatest party fouls. So why not make things easier on yourself by having them be the same thing!
A YETI employee caused a stir around the office when brought in his newly customized YETI burnt orange 50. A local company, Aquatic Audio, added speakers to the lid for him, effectively combining the two most important party accessories into one easy package. It’s a cooler radio!
If you are nervous about cutting holes into the top of such a premium cooler, don’t sweat it. It is still fully functional. All the electronics are water resistant and take up very little space inside. The radio can be plugged into a socket or run off a battery for up to 12 hours, plenty of time to make it down the river. The ice lasts just as long as always, too. So no fear of warm beverages at the end of the day, either.
When I asked our now very popular YETI employee what prompted him to spring for the customization, he said, “Convenience. My friends and I are always hanging out by the pool or going tubing, and this just makes it so much easier. It’s all just right there.”
Whether you take the leap to combine your cooler and radio, or go the old fashioned route, we at YETI just have one tip. Don’t forget the ice!
Team YETI Gets Down and Dirty
You could probably have guessed, but YETI employees are every bit as tough as our coolers. They are so tough they put grizzly bears in headlocks and shave derogatory statements into their fur, like “prissy bear”. Several of them took part in the Run the Jailbreak mud run on March 31st in Austin, TX. If you are unfamiliar, a mud run is an obstacle course race that is usually 5K in length and can have as many as two dozen various obstacles. The obstacles are specifically designed to test the runner’s agility, strength, stamina, and most importantly, their willingness to get completely filthy. One our accountants that ran said the most challenging part of the race was “running while being soaking wet”.
Could use a little more mud
It was a mixed group for the race. There were seasoned mud run veterans with several races under their belts as well as first timers. Seasoned or green, everyone was excited and ready to see what they were made of. When asked what the most challenging part of the race was, the only girl in the group gave a very Miss America answer.
“Trying to look pretty, even though I got muddy!”
Team YETI might continue to be a fixture at local mud runs in the future, too. One of our account managers boasted that next time he would run it “backwards and barefoot”.
If you happen to be in the Austin area participating in a mud run, keep an eye out for us. Team YETI is hard to miss.
Much better!
YETI Dealer Display Contest
Recently, YETI held a Dealer Contest where we asked our dealers to show off their creativity in how they display YETI coolers in their stores. The response was everything we expected. Over 70 dealers sent in their photos of how they display YETI coolers on their showroom floors. Our dealers had every reason to pull out all the stops, too. Over $10,000 worth of YETI-credit was at stake.
Each dealer was required to submit photos showing a close up of the YETI cooler display, placement of the display within the store, and the front of the store itself. The following criteria were considered in determining the winners:
- Effectiveness and creativity of display
- Location of display within the store
- YETI signage in display (signs and banners)
Competition was fierce and the judges had a difficult time choosing between all the great entries. Now that the dust has settled, we are pleased to announce the winners…
Drumroll please…
Third place: Five Points in Valdosta, GA
Second place: Boeh’s Building Supply in Helena, OK
First place: Neuse Sport Shop in Kinston, NC
Special Congratulations to the top 3 finishers, each of whom knocked the ball out of the park with their YETI displays. Kevin Herrington of Neuse Sport Shop had this to say about YETI Coolers:
“Neuse Sport Shop likes to carry YETI coolers because Neuse Sport Shop wants to provide the very best quality products for our outdoor enthusiasts and YETI is ‘Top of the Food Chain’ in quality and effectiveness for coolers.”
Given the number of high-quality entries we received, several others were in strong contention for the top 3 spots. We’d like to recognize the short list below that we consider worthy of honorable mention:
Crowder Brothers Ace in Bradenton, FL
Ful-O-Pep Ranch & Garden Center in Cuero, TX
H&M Lumber Co. in West Helena, AR
Jack & Ann’s Feed & Supply in Immokalee, FL
Safford Tire & Hardware in Safford, AL
UV Country in Alvin, TX
Thanks again to all the dealers that participated. Time and time again, our most successful dealers have demonstrated how a great YETI display can drive door swings and phenomenal cooler sales within their stores.
YETI Jockey Box at Austin Homebrew Supply
Homebrewers are a different breed. They have passion equal to that of sports fans and hunters. That passion was very evident at Austin Homebrew Supply‘s recent parking lot party. Despite frigid temperatures and blasting wind, beer fanatics filled the parking lot and waited in long lines for local craft beer served from the YETI. 
A jockey box magically transforms beer warm enough to burn your tongue into a delicious, frosty beverage via coiled tubes submerged in ice water. We’ve featured the jockey box several times before on our blog. Our neighbors, Live Oak Brewery, surprised us with their own ones (filled with their amazing product, of course). Find detailed instructions to build your own jockey box here.
The jockey box wasn’t the only YETI product featured at the AHB parking lot party that day. A YETI Roadie giveaway was prominent on the flyer for the event. We were so happy to be part of the event that we even offered a second Roadie for the raffle. We also gave away one of our newest products at the YETI table, the Tarpon beverage entry tool.
It’s perfect for popping the top of a cold beer if you haven’t gotten around to making your own jockey box just yet. The entry tool features a twist-off wrench, church key and can tab opener, so no matter what your drinking, we’ve got you covered.
The Roadie giveaways were a huge hit. People stuck around for an extra two hours because they had to be present to win. They definitely took advantage of the ice cold beer served from the YETI jockey box, too. The winners were thrilled and couldn’t wait to test out their new cooler. Judging by the crowd, they’ll probably test how long it will keep beers cold.
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Look Who's Using YETI
George Pugh
"This is the best customer service I have ever received on any type of product that I own."
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Arnie Chandola Northwest Voyageurs Little Salmon Lodge
"YETI coolers are one of the best I have seen. Simple, tough and keeps ice for 5 days in 117 degree heat!"
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Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC)
"The YETI Tundra coolers withstand smashing, prying, scratching, biting, and tossing by hungry bears."
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John Merwin Field Editor, Field & Stream
"Having spent a lifetime using cheap coolers with hinges and fasteners that inevitably break, I'm glad to see that the YETI is built like the proverbial brick outhouse. There are 2 full inches of insulation inside the rotomolded body and lid. Hinges are recessed toavoid knocks, and the lid has a massive, freezer-type seal."
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Pat Reeve & Nicole Jones Driven TV
"We use our YETI Coolers when traveling out of state to hunt big bucks. They are durable and most importantly keep our meat and capes cool so we can get them back home for processing! We don't leave home without one!"
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Babe Winkelman Good Fishing and Outdoor Secrets TV
"YETI Coolers are superior ... from the hinges and latches to the tough-as-nails construction. Best of all, they keep everything colder, longer! You can spend less and get a cooler that will fail after a couple years of hard use. Or you can step up to a YETI and own the world's finest cooler that will never let you down."
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Rick and Julie Kreuter Beyond the Hunt TV
"As professional guides we want professional equipment. YETI Coolers are definitely professional grade!"
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Dick Scorzafava The Radical Bowhunter
"The YETI Coolers are the Rolls Royce of all coolers. I have taken mine on several flights already and they even stand up to the baggage handlers in the airports. That's the quality I need in a product."
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Flip Pallot Legendary fisherman/ TV show host
"I've been buying coolers all my life! So have you! I'm THROUGH, DONE, FINISHED! I've got my YETI now. All I have to worry about is what to put in it."
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Mike Hanback Big Deer, Inc.
"I got the YETI Tundra cooler, it's awesome, a real hunter's tool."
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Capt. Scott Swartz Founder of the Florida Fly Fishing Schools and Atlanta Fly Fishing School
"I bought the YETI 105 Tundra today. Wow, this thing is built like a truck!"
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Bob Popovics
"Just received my 85qt. Tundra..What a beauty!! GREAT quality is an understatement!"
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Brad
"I just received my Tundra 65 qt YETI!! I figured it would be built better than the competition, but I dint think it would be THIS STRONG. The handlesand hinges are great, the seal is superb. Hell, its built better than the 'fridge in my home!! We learned a tough lesson in Houston after Hurricane Ike. There's no such thing as too much ice chest. It's a fact, we may not haveanother hurricane for another 10 years...OR we may have a cat 5 NEXT YEAR, either way, I'll be better prepared with this YETI cooler."
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William Gillespie
"I just took a 45qt. and 65qt. YETI Tundra for testing on a 5 day Smith float in Montana...Impressive!"
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Jeff McDonald
"Ya'll build one tough cooler. I have a fishing camp on Big Lake in Hackberry Louisiana. When Hurrican Ike came through, we had 5 ft of water under the camp from the storm surge. I found my YETI a quarter mile away, some 100 yards back in a tallow tree swamp. Other than a few scratches, it cleaned up very well. I am very happy to have it back. Great product!"
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