PATAGONIA FIRES AMBASSADORS

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deuce4

Big Wall climber

the Southwest

Mar 10, 2007 - 09:39am PT

methinks a troll is around....

dank

Trad climber

the pitch above you!

Mar 10, 2007 - 10:26am PT

THEY TOOK 'ER JOBS!!!

jstan

climber

Mar 10, 2007 - 10:31am PT

I was trying to make my earlier post at the time
the ST site was going to "slow motion". No clue
as to why it repeated.

elcapfool

Big Wall climber

hiding in plain sight

Mar 10, 2007 - 10:48am PT

How timely if true...
I was just going to drop them an email informing them that I just bought a competitor's product due to their continued support of Potter.

TwistedCrank

climber

Hell

Mar 10, 2007 - 10:50am PT

I wouldn't mind if the door hit them on their way out.

angie

Boulder climber

slc

Mar 10, 2007 - 10:56am PT

I think this is so sad. I look up to those climbers. Lynn Hill inspired me to start climbing. Katie Brown has had such a hard time with being a teenage star and then quitting climbing and then now she is still climbing because she loves it. I was disgusted with people tearing down Dean Potter because he climbed a rock--that's what he does, and there's no one like him. I met him and he was really genuine and nice. I respected Patagonia more for standing behind him. It must be awful to be so committed to climbing, and then to have people criticizing you for anything they can think of. Maybe some people are jealous that those climbers have been supported. Which is pretty sad, to me. They have put their whole lives into it, and it seems like they work really hard for not very secure lifestyles.
I got a copy of Steph Davis's new book at the trade show, at the Patagonia booth. The whole book is about how she has dedicated her entire life to climbing and also working to become a better person. She talks about how Patagonia has supported her emotionally, and how they are a second family to her. It made me think even more of Patagonia.
If this is all true, I think it's pretty heartless on Patagonia's part to take all those people's dedication and then throw them away, not to mention a pretty bad message to send after their new catalog they have out (which really inspired me too). It seems like a big lie to have that catalog if they dropped all the people they have in there. A lot of people make clothes, but I thought Patagonia was also about having high ideals.

Ain't no flatlander

climber

Mar 10, 2007 - 11:01am PT

Not a troll. Lynn was at the BRC on Thusday and confirmed that all the athletes lost their sponsorship.

elcapfool

Big Wall climber

hiding in plain sight

Mar 10, 2007 - 11:10am PT

Ang, blow me. I've got polypro with more climbing experience than you.

Kevster

Trad climber

Evergreen, CO

Mar 10, 2007 - 11:31am PT

Angie,
I used to think like you do about DP, met him in Yosemite and he was super helpfull and supportive of me and my "project". Actions speak louder than words though, and with him leaving his crap at the base of Half Dome for 2+ years(saw it in person), fixing ropes and leaving crap strewed about on Mt. Watson, and leaving ropes fixed on the Salathe Headwall for 2 seasons. All to support his attempts to climb El Cap, HD, and Watson in a day as well as the Salathe in a day. Amazing goals to be sure and super inspiring. Unfortunately not the most environmentally friendly gestures.

It is not the goals that have most likely caused this event, it is the methods. I have no doubt that Dean has a strong back country ethic, unfortunately for him it was not as strong as his drive to succeed. Most likely YC decided to can the whole project vs just one or 2 athletes because he sees the trends and is not supportive of it.

Just my 0.02 cents.

Karl Baba

Trad climber

Yosemite, Ca

Mar 10, 2007 - 11:43am PT

I'm happy when fine climbers get sponsorships. I like my fellow climbers and like when they get opportunities, swag, and travel.

It will be informative regarding Patagonia to see "how" they fired these guys. Was there proper communication and reasoning or was it rude?

But I don't think Patagonia "owes" the climbing communiity sponsorships. I look up to Dean but the Arch affair didn't help Patagonia and the guy was much more likely to be seen wearing old cutoffs and a T shirt rather than free Prepagucci swag.

Perhaps they've reasoned that the money (must be between $100,000 and $500,000 a year) that the sponsorship program cost them could be better invested in actual environmental programs or carbon credits or ???

Those climbers are welcome in my world anytime, and it's hard not to take the sides of those who you have something in common with. But let's get more facts and reserve some judgement until we know the whats and whys?

If sponsoring atheletes advances a company's cause, then Patagonia will go downhill because of this and competitors will pick up the atheletes and gain ground. In time, Patagonia may realize their mistake and revamp their program.

But if sponsorship didn't serve Patagonia, and perhaps the athelete's were exploiting rather than contributing to the company's goals, then that's another story.

I don't know myself. It was nice to see the team in Yosemite once in awhile, particularly Brittany, just because.

Peace

Karl

angie

Boulder climber

slc

Mar 10, 2007 - 11:48am PT

Dear Kevster and El Cap Fool,
Why don't you just go climbing, and send good energy to others? I don't understand all the negativity on this website--maybe that's why Patagonia decided to stop sponsoring climbers. They were probably tired of seeing the negativity that all you "real climbers" use their names to spread. It must be nice being perfect, but you might want to ask yourself why you have so much hate inside.
Peace, Angie.

Kevster

Trad climber

Evergreen, CO

Mar 10, 2007 - 11:49am PT

Have to also mention that I am a bit of a hipocrite, for I have left gear at crags for the season before. Never sitting around or on the cliffs, but hidden in drybags under rocks. I have also cached gear on El Cap to aid in my freeclimbing attempts. Some of you may think these are minor infractions, but what would happen if everyone started doing it? Can you really consider an ascent valid if you have to prep for it? Did you really freeclimb El Cap if you spent 2 weeks caching your gear so you did not have to do the real work of hauling?

These questions have altered the way I think about some goals of my own. I have started taking the harder path, vs. the easy way out. Maybe these changes will effect my probability of sucess, but at least at the end of the day I feel I have not compromised my values in order to ensure sucess.

Angie, sorry you see our responses as negative or hate based. Like I said I like DP and look up to most of the ambassators. BUT that doesn't mean it is OK to trash things. Maybe you should do some reaearch on this site about the HD and Watkins incidents before you jump to judge. You will notice I did not jump on the wagon condemning DP in either of those posts although I knew from talking to him his involvement in both. Maybe you are just to new to climbing and still "starry-eyed" about the current "Hero's". Maybe you just have not found a true hero to look up to yet?

(Edit: Re reading I realize I was being an a$$ to tell you to find a real hero, who am I to say who your heros are. I will admit that until a year ago Dean Potter was one of my biggest heros. Freeclimbing El Cap and Half Dome in a day....soloing Fitzroy..come on the guy is a LEGEND. But even legends screw up,
were all human.)

angie

Boulder climber

slc

Mar 10, 2007 - 11:55am PT

Like I said Kevster, glad you're perfect. That makes it okay to judge others, at least from what I've read in the Bible.
peace, Angie

John Moosie

climber

Mar 10, 2007 - 12:21pm PT

Hi Angie, (edited to try and take the snide tone out)

Maybe its you who needs to wake up. You didn't address any of the concerns like the loss of access and the loss of good will caused by Dean Potters stunts. The park rangers weren't too fond of him leaving his stuff on routes for years. This gives other climbers a bad rap and just causes problems.

I seriously admire their abilities and accomplishments, but I don't have to admire their attitudes nor their behaviors when they come across as privileged. That smacks of elitism. No thanks.....

If they were all fired together because of a couple of them having poor attitudes, then that is wrong. Keep those who show respect and dump the rest.

If Patagonia wants a great Ambassador, then hire Chicken Skinner for his great effort to clean up Yosemite. He gives climbers a great reputation and serves the public. Climbing isn't just about who can climb hardest.

As for your attitude towards Kevin. Don't you think you are doing the same thing you accuse him of doing with your snide tone ? You misquote the bible when you tell people it only says to not judge. It also goes on to say that if you are going to judge, then judge according to righteous standards because this is the same standard that you will be judged by. Kevin has already admitted to having second thoughts about his attitude and he admits to needing to take the beam out of his own eye first. How about you? Why not give Kevin the same break that you are asking him to give to the Ambasadors ? Maybe you should reread this thread and take a look at peoples concerns. Are some of them overboard ? Maybe... But also maybe it is that some of their concerns are real. Some of Deans stunts have resulted in greater restrictions for climbers. How do you answer that ?

And by the way, I think that Patagonia's Ambasador program is a good thing and I hope that they treated the climbers with respect. The same respect that you seem to demand of others. I hope this is all just a troll.......

Moosie

Ain't no flatlander

climber

Mar 10, 2007 - 12:36pm PT

The only reason Dean didn't get canned last summer was he and Steph had brown-nosed Melinda for years. Nobody at Patagonia had the balls to stand up to YC's wife.

feelio Babar

Trad climber

Sneaking up behind you...

Mar 10, 2007 - 12:42pm PT

Lynn and Kauk should be signed for life. period.

I met Steph Davis once...all I can say is I now understand how she got the tongue in cheak nickname she does....If those were thier "ambassador" skills....they sucked...big time.

caughtinside

Social climber

Davis, CA

Mar 10, 2007 - 12:47pm PT

What? Someone got laid off? THat never happens!! Those people might, oh, I don't know, have to find new jobs or something!

Like the rest of us!

Seriously though, that sucks for them. But, it's part of life if you're a non equity employee of a company. They're all very talented climbers, I'm sure they won't have much trouble finding new industry jobs or sponsorships.

I seem to remember a flap a couple years ago when TNF dropped Lynn Hill. She still seems to be climbing, and TNF is still making overpriced fleeces, so life goes on.

Matt

Trad climber

places you shouldn't talk about in polite company

Mar 10, 2007 - 12:53pm PT

bvb wrote:
" i think the arches BS has finally come home to roost."

that hit the nail right on the head.

perhaps the real drama will quietly play out between DP and some of these other pattagucci ambassadors, whose cushy meal tickets have all been revoked.

so, you don't think this happened largely because of the wreckless self promotion and irresponsibe behaviour of one person, and the way pattagucci felt it reflected upon them and their image?

you could be right, who knows?

i would be curious how many of the other former ambassadors agree.