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rwedgee
Ice climber
canyon country,CA
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Mar 10, 2007 - 11:17pm PT
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OK I came in a little late but "trail running" has an ambassador? Actually two.
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mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
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Mar 10, 2007 - 11:22pm PT
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Sorry for the cynicism here, but who the jell came up with the term "ambassador" for paid climbers? Whose needs are they serving in this self-defined (or assigned) roll?
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0uch!
climber
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Mar 10, 2007 - 11:23pm PT
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Thanks Blinny. This is an outrage! I can't beleive someone would do something like this. THese imposters are posing as other people in order to tarnish their reputations!
That is far worse than any of the atrocities that Dean has committed.
And to top it off, you have now ruined a great thread.
Losers.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Mar 10, 2007 - 11:43pm PT
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Why such a plethora of disdain for those with sponsorship?
As if the majority of us wouldn't be thrilled to be in a position of being paid to climb.
You know....I looked at the Timmy O'Neil schedule, and clicked the "previous" schedule page, to get an idea. From what I can see...it sort of sucks a lot of time - having to make appearances all over the place. Most of the dates were not "time for climbing" dates.
Some people like that sort of thing, traveling, traveling, traveleing. But not me. I would be a bitter broad, having to do the slideshow sometimes nigtht after night, city after city.
I like a more quiet life.
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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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Mar 10, 2007 - 11:52pm PT
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Will the real Timmy please stand up?
(These two are silly.)
Something tells me that if Patagonia was going to issue a statement, it would be through official channels.
Neither characters seam to be real. Though they do have entertainment value and are doing a great job with derailing this thread.
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 10, 2007 - 11:58pm PT
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I believe the next ambassadors to Patagonia will be Tucker Tech, Todd Gorden, Locker, and Russ Walling.
Maybe JuanDeFuca as an alternate for the new astronomy moon eclipse clothing attire.
It will only just get much better ............
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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Mar 11, 2007 - 12:04am PT
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I thought when you ate peyote the "puke and chuck" part came first and then you reached nirvana.
Maybe I should read this epic thread backwards instead.
Think I'll go back to eating my Ahi Tataki. Ciao.
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Matt
Trad climber
places you shouldn't talk about in polite company
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Mar 11, 2007 - 12:07am PT
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"but when the best are held back for lack of funds, when their big dreams are never realized, we're all the losers for that"
yo largo, you are (and have been) right about a lot, but when big dreams are plastered on the front page in a negative light, or if the involve fixed gear being summarily abandoned on a backcountry route for months/seasons/years, those dreams are not helping us all win, and their absence is not costing us jack diddly squat, IMHO.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Mar 11, 2007 - 12:18am PT
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"I believe the next ambassadors to Patagonia will be Tucker Tech, Todd Gorden, Locker, and Russ Walling. "
OE-800 has Ambassadors? or is it Green Label Ambassadors?
There would be tough competition from Klaus and Billy Russell. There's only so much room on top.
;-)
Karl
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 11, 2007 - 12:25am PT
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On a serious note, it's quite shocking that they canned the program. I wonder why they did this.
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labrat
Trad climber
Nevada
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Mar 11, 2007 - 04:07am PT
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In response to JLP.
Mountain Hardware is now owned by Columbia. Has anyone noticed a change in the MH's quality, products, or direction?
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Tomcat
Trad climber
Chatham N.H.
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Mar 11, 2007 - 10:27am PT
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All these people were pulling down hard before they were sponsored,it's not necessary,and I think it's very bad for the sport.
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Mar 11, 2007 - 10:57am PT
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So these folks lost their "jobs" - well shiit howdy. Welcome to the real world. I bet most of us have been there at one time or another. So they might have to pound nails or slop hash so they can earn enough money to go climbing. Oh the horrors.
Personally, I think all of the sponsored "athletes" stuff is lame. It does matter whether you are Tiger Woods smacking a little white ball, Jeff Gordon spewing oil while blowing down the track, or Dean Potter doing the first nude, chalkless, ascent of the Sistine Chapel while singing god save the queen, it all about advertisement. And now there is even a sense intitlement with some. We are all whores and pimps we just sell ourselves and our wares in different ways. Some people are better at it than others.
Largo I have to disagree about this stuff of dreams. If you want it bad enough you will figure out how to it - which might even mean getting a real job. Or in some cases quiting your job. Thats life folks - get over it - its hard.
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roslyn
Trad climber
washington
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Mar 11, 2007 - 12:02pm PT
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Like others have stated folks get canned every day and we move on. No one died.
As for sponsorship, i worked in the bike industry for many years. Riders were pulling down top buck in the 90's. I often felt these big names didn't do a hell of a lot for the sport. The grassroot sponsorship programs always worked better. Give a weekend warrior a bike and some schwag and they'd be the best ambassador and really represent the sport. They weren't out to make a living, but enjoyed getting out there, riding their bikes and having a good time. The big names, on the other hand, had big heads and egos and really didn't get into giving good representation to the company.
give product to the masses.
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Neil
Gym climber
Here and there
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Mar 11, 2007 - 12:15pm PT
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I have always really looked up to the people that Patagonia sponsors. I'll never climb 5.14 or send multiple Grade VI climbs in a day, but the achievements of these folks inspire me to dream big and push my limits. Somehow I'm saddened if they've been let go.
I don't know the ins and outs of the situation, but I'm further saddened by some of the callous responces of folks on this site. I've been fired before, "unceremoniously" and unexpectedly. We all know that it is part of "business", but being fired, for whatever reason, seriously upsets the life of the person who got the axe.
If it go down like it was suggested by hirigger, then mostly I feel bad for the folks who have to look for subsistence elsewhere. Good luck to you all. Thanks for the inspiration; you're climbing accomplishments, past and future, will continue to give me psyche!
Cheers,
Nate
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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Mar 11, 2007 - 12:20pm PT
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I think the issue is probably more one of celebrity than sponsorship. I have spent some decent time with a fair number of the rock ambassadors and they were really great people. As a "nobody" in the rock world and an average climber at best they still roped up with me, shared beers with me and waxed philosophical with me, and I genuinely enjoyed their company. I've met 'heroes' of mine in the past who failed to impress me as people, and I don't enjoy spending time with them. I enjoyed spending time with most of the rock ambassadors, and I don't know where all this negativity directed at them is coming from.
Largo raises a poignant question about sponsorship in general, but I'm not so sure its the sponsorship that gives people egos, nor do I think its necessarily self-importance that makes people seem egotistical. The rock "heroes" are people too. They have insecurities and bad days and people constantly coming up to them expecting them to live up to an image of greatness. I'd be kinda defensive too if that was my reality rolling up to the crag. It also means that people are ready to judge you, and judge we do.
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Indianclimber
climber
Las Vegas
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Mar 11, 2007 - 12:52pm PT
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I don't think the story here is what will the fired climbers do for a living now,it is why would a company make such a drastic
change in the way it does business ,bad publicity,financial woes
shift of product lines upcoming sale or merger etc
I guess time will tell
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dank
Trad climber
the pitch above you!
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Mar 11, 2007 - 12:58pm PT
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I thought they hired some dickhead who gave everybody the axe.
You know, there once once was a country...
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JLP
Social climber
Fargo, MN
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Mar 11, 2007 - 01:08pm PT
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Mountain Hardware is now under Columbia? Bummer. I would guess perhaps you'll see more Mountain Hardware China Lite in the ski shops or Macy's. Who knows. Today, I think the stuff is a pretty good.
I have to disagree with Largo's comments about the size of climbing companies and sponsered athletes. Not sure where you got your numbers, but they don't sound right. How many MM is Black Diamond? 250M? I don't think so, but could be wrong. I would guess maybe 50-150M and that they are pretty much the biggest, no?. Now how big are Adidas and Nike? Not much money in climbing, even for Patagucci. Some accountant had to have been freaking, looking at the ROI on a 100-500k investment in dirtbags who's only appearance on CBS was for breaking the law.
 JLP
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