The Content department decided to bring back its long-lost tradition of “Picnic Olympics” this year on Tuesday, April 9^th.  What a windy day it turned out to be!  At least I didn’t get slapped in the face by a flying hamburger again this year! 

The fun-filled shindig took place at Pecos Legacy Park, where everyone donned their Content t-shirts and creatively decorated themselves in their team colors.

While Dickey’s BBQ set up the catered spread of beef brisket, pulled pork, potato salad, baked beans and other picnic favorites, six teams feverishly scoured the park for scavenger hunt clues.  There was no actual hidden temple, but it was Team 1, the Purple Parrots, who claimed victory in this event. 

With bellies too full for any intense physical activity, the next round of competition involved five Minute to Win It-inspired games.  This fast-paced event really had everyone cheering each other on!  From fishing pennies out of pantyhose to stacking dice on Popsicle sticks, the hidden talents of some Content members became all too apparent.  Team 3, Vitamin C-ya, pulled ahead of all others in this round.

No one was safe from humiliation during the final round of competition!  Teams battled it out in several relay race games, which included jumping rope, running like a chicken, hopping like a frog, and more.  Team 4, Cruel and Unusual Content Chaos (AKA: Your Worst Nightmare), took first place.

As you can see, team and family spirit was in full swing at the Spring 2013 Content Picnic Olympics.  Some great prizes were awarded not just to the overall winning teams of the games, but also to these honorable mentions:  Team 5, Green Eggs and BAM!, for best team name and Team 2, Pinky and the Brains, for best use of team color.  A great time was had by all, and hopefully history will repeat itself at Content’s next Picnic Olympics this fall!

A few brave Zapponians participated in the Ragnar Relay here in Vegas this past fall. The 195-mile overnight running event from Lake Mead to Sin City tested the endurance and stamina of our Zappos team, but in the end, team spirit prevailed and everyone had a great time testing their limits and making memories that will last a lifetime. Great job Zappos team!

Last month, 25 of Zappos’ finest got together to race across the desert on their bicycles. The teams competed as either ten or five-man teams all the way from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, completing a total of over 500 miles per team. It was an amazing team-building opportunity. People would sacrifice sleep to pull over and support their teammate on the road, giving them water to drink or just dousing them with water to keep them cool. 

I was able to break in my new Shimano PD-R670 Ultegra Level SPD- SL pedals in a race.  It performed beautifully as expected.I also wore my Pearl Izumi Tri Fly III for the first time, and they were the most comfortable cycling shoes I’ve ever worn.  

Our team would like to thank Smith Optics for donating PIVLOCK V90 sunglasses for the whole Zappos team. I have never had professional-level sunglasses before and they make a huge difference on the road.

Recently all of the Merchandising Assistants from the Zappos Mechandising, Inc. gathered at the park for a fun filled day. Everyone participated in several activities such as a scavenger hunt, relay race, BBQ, and ended the evening with bowling.

The Zappos Development, Inc. Content team held their first ever recognition happy hour to celebrate the accomplishments of their team, as well as introduce them to other members of the Zappos Family. The Content team is responsible for creating the witty and informational descriptions for all the products on Zappos.com. Thanks to the content team, we don't have to settle for potentially plain and or unentertaining descriptions of the items we see! Special thanks to Danielle T. for putting on this very cool recognition get together and team building event!