PORTLAND, Ore. -- Andrew Muse of Park City, Utah has been sitting outside the Columbia Sportswear store in downtown Portland for 16 hours. He's usually kite surfing, jumping from waterfalls or touching the muzzle of a wild moose. There's no wildlife here on Broadway and Southwest Taylor Street. Just a golden retriever.
"This is my dog Booter, he's my adventure companion," Muse said.
He's waiting for the store to open so he can interview for a job he desperately wants: Director of Toughness.
If that sounds made up, it absolutely is. This is a first for the company.
"We're hiring two people to travel the world and test our gear in kind of the most challenging circumstances imaginable," said Scott Trepanier, Columbia's director of communication.
Columbia Sportswear put out the call a few months ago to adventurers around the country. From 3,000 applications, the Oregon-based company picked 90 to interview in Portland and 90 to interview in New York City.
In Portland, Andrew Muse was the first to show up at the door. Right next to him, another competitive person towers over many of her fellow candidates.
"I think what they're doing is pretty phenomenal for athletes and adventurers around the world," said Kedzie Gunderson, a former University of Oregon basketball player who also wants the chance to travel the globe on Columbia's dime.
The two people who get the job will spend most of their time in the field, testing Columbia equipment from the Arctic to the equator and beyond. The pay is $26,000 for six months.
So how does Columbia pick the right candidate? In a process modeled after American Idol. To get a peek inside the interview room and to see KGW's Reggie Aqui grill the candidates as part of Columbia's panel, watch the video above.
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