Potter Climbs Delicate Arch

[Billygoat]

Hey, we need that over in the HOT CHICs thread

 

 

[JayB]

High quality rant by John Long on the Potter/Davis thread at supertopo:

 

"Doug Thompkins (North Face and later Esprit) was the original golden thumb, fat cat textile tycoon and meta oranginc Andy, and every other 60s era Yosemite climber with bid-ness aspirations followed Doug's coattails - Chouinard, Robbins, and who knows the rest. (Little known secret: it was Thompkins' wife who had a little clothing line called Plain Jane which triggered the whole shebang).

 

The Thompkins work model was a great one - plenty of time off for adventuring (kayaking in the 80s, mainly), make exciting and comfortable clothes, have them made in Hong Kong (one year he exported more than a billion dollars of threads out of HK). The advertising (especially with Chouinard) was 60-70s faux coolio, always anchored at some level with real folks who were projected to be just a little more connected, smelly, hip, talented, natural, and basically more lyrical than the rest of us.

 

These meta cool "common Joes" were seamlessly woven into the branding, which on the face of it was always a grass roots kind of fandango but in fact was spun that way and orchestrated down to the last adverb per what was said and who said it. Again, the unstated credo behind all those photos and all that ad copy was that these were the authentic folks, the real people, devoid of put-on, guff, ego, self consciousness, et al. They had more meaningful relationships with their dogs than you did with you wife or boyfriend. The result was a proto spontaneous wheat grass yubba dub concoction of yams, organic burgers and precious new-age mottos declaring most anything that would vouchsafe their current stand as being the nee plus ultra of organic swank spiritual back room hand job tomfollery, all for the price of their 100 dollah organic under wear. There's cult aspect to all of this jive, as well, and manifests in the negative judgement toward anyone who fails to embrace their "save the environment" campaign as the only viable pursuit of mankind, now and forever.

 

What you have when you scrape off all the social accretions and insider hip hoppery is an expensive but great product you are likely to get sick of before it wears out. Admit it--Patagonia product is peerless and it always has been. Just about all the other stuff, especially the core message, suffers mightily not from lack of content, importance and relevance of theme, and commitment to same, rather the method of discrimination is such that it's in-grown and hierarchical. It's not an intellectual organization nor should it be one, or could it ever be one, but you'd like to see a little more original thinking coming out of the place.

 

But that's their business. I just think it's a shame that they have decided to use a grass roots approach of featuring real people doing real things and then show those real folks the back door once it came time to pay some little bit for the pleasure."

[Raindawg]

And Big Lou continues f@#%ing over the rest of us on the Big R right now!

 

What is it that His Lou-ness CONTINUES TO DO to "the rest of us on the Big R right now!" that makes him worthy of such disdain?

 

I suggest that we have a BIG case of Lou-envy.

 

Originally Posted By: Bug

And what does "Big Lou" mean to the British anyway?

 

I believe it tranlates to "large toilet"

 

Your woeful attempt at insulting HRH Big Lou fails miserably as British slang for "toilet" is not "Lou", but "loo". Perhaps you should take a seat on the latter and consider how you might best apologize to the former.

 

 

[chris]

Patagonia dropped Dean and Steph from the ambassador program.

 

They claim it isn't delicate arch fall-out.

 

Source?

So far, no one has cited a creditable source for this information. I didn't see any mention on Patagonia about it, and Mr. Potter and Mrs. Davis-Potter are still listed as Ambassadors.

 

Perhaps this thread belongs in Spray.

 

It hasn't been announced to the public yet... it was only communicated last week internally so unless you are affiliated with Patagonia to some degree you wouldn't know.

 

It was on SuperTaco a week ago More like "If you don't have an internet connection"

So I found the thread on SuperTaco, claiming the entire rock climbing Ambassador team has been dropped. Seems kind of stretch to say everyone was let go because of the Delicate Arch solo.

[MisterMo]

High quality rant by John Long on the Potter/Davis thread at supertopo:

 

"Doug Thompkins (North Face and later Esprit) was the original golden thumb, fat cat textile tycoon and meta oranginc Andy, and every other 60s era Yosemite climber with bid-ness aspirations followed Doug's coattails - Chouinard, Robbins, and who knows the rest. (Little known secret: it was Thompkins' wife who had a little clothing line called Plain Jane which triggered the whole shebang).

 

The Thompkins work model was a great one - plenty of time off for adventuring (kayaking in the 80s, mainly), make exciting and comfortable clothes, have them made in Hong Kong (one year he exported more than a billion dollars of threads out of HK). The advertising (especially with Chouinard) was 60-70s faux coolio, always anchored at some level with real folks who were projected to be just a little more connected, smelly, hip, talented, natural, and basically more lyrical than the rest of us.

 

These meta cool "common Joes" were seamlessly woven into the branding, which on the face of it was always a grass roots kind of fandango but in fact was spun that way and orchestrated down to the last adverb per what was said and who said it. Again, the unstated credo behind all those photos and all that ad copy was that these were the authentic folks, the real people, devoid of put-on, guff, ego, self consciousness, et al. They had more meaningful relationships with their dogs than you did with you wife or boyfriend. The result was a proto spontaneous wheat grass yubba dub concoction of yams, organic burgers and precious new-age mottos declaring most anything that would vouchsafe their current stand as being the nee plus ultra of organic swank spiritual back room hand job tomfollery, all for the price of their 100 dollah organic under wear. There's cult aspect to all of this jive, as well, and manifests in the negative judgement toward anyone who fails to embrace their "save the environment" campaign as the only viable pursuit of mankind, now and forever.

 

What you have when you scrape off all the social accretions and insider hip hoppery is an expensive but great product you are likely to get sick of before it wears out. Admit it--Patagonia product is peerless and it always has been. Just about all the other stuff, especially the core message, suffers mightily not from lack of content, importance and relevance of theme, and commitment to same, rather the method of discrimination is such that it's in-grown and hierarchical. It's not an intellectual organization nor should it be one, or could it ever be one, but you'd like to see a little more original thinking coming out of the place.

 

But that's their business. I just think it's a shame that they have decided to use a grass roots approach of featuring real people doing real things and then show those real folks the back door once it came time to pay some little bit for the pleasure."

 

Love it!

 

 

 

 

Edited March 25, 2007 by MisterMo

[joblo7]

And Big Lou continues f@#%ing over the rest of us on the Big R right now!

 

What is it that His Lou-ness CONTINUES TO DO to "the rest of us on the Big R right now!" that makes him worthy of such disdain?

 

I suggest that we have a BIG case of Lou-envy.

 

Originally Posted By: Bug

And what does "Big Lou" mean to the British anyway?

 

I believe it tranlates to "large toilet"

 

Your woeful attempt at insulting HRH Big Lou fails miserably as British slang for "toilet" is not "Lou", but "loo". Perhaps you should take a seat on the latter and consider how you might best apologize to the former.

 

that dick went to the moon?????? no way? golfing? really? on tv? 60's? stfu.

[Raindawg]

BIG LOU reviews his royal alpine troops!

 

 

[joblo7]

potter climbed arch? if he enjoyed it, then what's the problem?

he's a little narcissistic, but that's his job.

[catbirdseat]

BIG LOU reviews his royal alpine troops!

 

My eye! That's the Band of the Grenadier Guards.

[joblo7]

the other day i'm climbing mt washington nh, with my kid and we're threading thru rocks and ice, following the trails and i feel like a criminal when i go off trail and ride the vegetation.save the moss!. then we get to the mf summit and there is a group of tourists that go there in a heated snowcat/bus.!! climbing up the 'auto-road'. in winter. eco tourists?

[Raindawg]

Yet further proof that Big Lou is Alpine Royalty!

 

 

[Billygoat]

[Blake]

 

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/dean+delicate/-/pv_design_details/pg_1/id_16651936/opt_/fpt_/c_666/

[The_Rooster]

Yet further proof that Big Lou is Alpine Royalty!

 

 

So much for credibility. What exactly is this supposed to mean?!?

 

 

 

 

[Can_You_Believe_It]

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

 

Delicate Arch conquered by motorcycle.

 

Reports have been confirmed that an unknown rider has made the first successful drive through of Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park, Utah. The motorcyclist made several attempts before finally getting up the courage to make the daring achievement. At one point he made several circles in the large basin just below the famous arch, defying gravity by riding up high on the edges of the natural amphitheater. In a final effort after picking up the necessary speed, he tore through the arch, reaching speeds of over 80 mph.

 

The rider is quoted to have said, “You know, I was like at one with nature out here. I was like a crow or something, flying through the arch, you know, free as a bird. Umm, it was like the purest riding I have ever done in my life.”

 

The arch, one of Utah’s most famous landmarks, garnered international attention when top alpinist Dean Potter illegally free soloed the arch this last year.

 

An unnamed photographer was present at the time of the amazing feat. He has agreed to release the following photo as proof, but requests to remain anonymous, as he fears legal action from the National Park Service. In a telephone interview he stated, “You know, that Dean Potter guy really screwed it up for all nature lovers. Now we can’t even ride our bikes wherever we want to anymore. We just want everyone to know that our sport can be enjoyed in harmony with all other user groups. You know, we come and go so fast when we’re out on the trail – you hardly know we are there. Whereas climbers, they hang around for so long, clanking their gear around, constantly yelling at each other, it’s really quite disturbing.”

 

The National Park Service could not be reached for comment.

 

[denalidave]

I call BOGUS, but convincing nonetheless

[AlpineK]

I just like the picture. It's fake but who cares.