The North Face

Mar 30 | Rizzuto and Noel Take Day One of The North Face Masters of Snowboarding

By The North Face

The best big mountain snowboarders descended on Kirkwood Mountain Resort’s “Lookout Vista” today for Day 1 of The North Face Masters of Snowboarding, presented by PrimaLoft.

With 14 inches of snow in the past 24 hours and more on the way, conditions were prime for the opening day of the two-day competition, which establishes the field for the one-run, winner-takes-all finals.

The athletes used the new snow to their advantage with huge airs and stomped landings the theme of the day. Topping the women’s field with her smooth and fluid riding was Mammoth’s Tiffany Noel with a score of 75.67. In second on Day 1 was Kirkwood local Casey Lucas with a 75.33. Rounding out the top three was another Californian, Squaw Valley’s Iris Lazzareschi, scoring 75.00.

Winning Day 1 for the men was Jamie Rizzuto who dominated the field with a score of 90.67. The Fernie local racked up this high score by hitting the chute air followed by a triple-stage cliff drop, finished with a massive method grab off the bottom windlip. Rizzuto also won Day 1 at stop #1, at Crystal Mountain, with a huge lead. He will be a favorite heading into the finals.

In second for the men was Squaw Valley’s Sammy Luebke, with an 84.33, followed by Charlie Hoch from Wolfcreek with a third-place score of 83.33.

Due to another full day of snow tomorrow, with forecasted totals of more than a foot, event organizers are delaying the finals until Sunday, April 1.

"A perfect scenario is coming in,” remarked Event Director Bryan Barlow. “Forecasters are predicting colder temps and heavy snow for the next 24 plus hours.” “This will give our final day optimal conditions for these riders to throw down on the Cirque".

The finals, held on Kirkwood’s famously steep venue, The Cirque, will be broadcast live at http://thenorthfacemasters.com/ beginning at 11:00 am PST.

As an open event, The North Face Masters provides an opportunity for both established and up-and-coming riders to put together a winning run during two days of fierce competition.

The North Face Masters of Snowboarding is presented by PrimaLoft and supported by The North Face, Subaru of America, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Bern, Lib Tech, Gnu, Mountain Sports International, Comcast Sportsnet, Snowboard Magazine, Clif Bar, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, Crystal Mountain and Kirkwood Mountain Resort.

For full results please visit our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/thenorthfacemasters

Mar 30 | Harrington: Getting There, Kathmandu, Trekking to Basecamp

By Emily Harrington

March 30, 2012

Every day is new.  There's constant change and sensory overload in the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells we encounter each day.  It has been so hard for me to put it all into a coherent and concise piece of writing right now.  Our impeding arrival at basecamp, acclimitization process, and eventual summit attempt are all looming, swirling around in my mind like a dizzying hurricane of doubt, excitement, and anxiety.  I can't keep it all straight, so forgive me for being scattered.  Here are some ups, downs, and facts of the trip so far:

We first arrived in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal about two weeks ago.  It is a totally crazy place to me.  I found it difficult to comprehend the culture and way of life there.  Simultaneously chaotic, spiritual, impoverished, beautiful, and suffocating.  We visited three notable places during our first days there: the Pashupatinath Temple, the Boudhanath, and the city of Bhaktapur.

Pashupatinath Temple, one of the most significant Hindu temples in the world, and the holiest in Nepal.  Human cremations take place there, out in the open along the Bagmati River, which flows into the Ganges River in India and eventually reaches the holy city of Varanasi.

Boudhanath Stupa, one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu and one of the largest stupas in the world.  This is perhaps my favorite place I've visited in Kathmandu.

Bhaktapur, an ancient Newar city located on the outskirts of Kathmandu.  It is a very prominent center for architecture and traditional art.  The way of life there seems untouched and well-preserved within the ancient walls, a time capsule. 

Trekking to Basecamp

Flying into Lukla was scary for me.  The plane is so small and the mountains are so big and I was terrified of crashing.  That said, I was in awe once we landed, because the mountains ARE. SO. BIG.  And they just get bigger and more powerful the deeper we travel into the Khumbu.

Hiking to Namche

Namche Bazaar, at 3,440 meters; it is the main trading center in the Khumbu Region and one of the most modern and populated towns in the Khumbu Valley.

Sam, Cory, Conrad, and I are wearing these monitors on our chests 24/7 throughout the entire trip for the Mayo Clinic researchers.  They are arriving to basecamp in a few weeks to conduct further tests on us in an effort to understand the effects of high altitude on the body and relate it to heart failure symptoms.  The monitors gather all kinds of information that I don't completely understand, including measuring our hearts 256 times per second.  Whoa. 

Sam sporting the monitor with the specialized TNF baselayer

 

I caught some sort of sickness in Phortse after a big day of hiking from Namche.  My chest hurt, I started coughing and wheezing, and had a terrible headache.  I was so bummed and upset about it.  I rested there for two days while most of the crew visited the monastery in Tangboche. Today is the first day I feel better.  I am realizing that being sick, tired, or just “off” is a high possibility for the next month or so, and there's not much to do about it but try and rest well and deal with it.  Patience, patience, patience.

We spent some time at the Magic Yeti Library in Phortse, reading with the local kids. They sang to us, practiced their english.  It was a pretty cool experience.

We arrived in Pangboche yesterday and had two Puja ceremonies.  The first one was with Lama Geshe at his house.  It felt like a very intimate and personal event.  We each received Kathas and necklaces with special knots tied in them, in addition to cards with notes personally written to each of us by Lama Geshe himself.  The second one was held at the monastery in town.  The lama there chanted and played a gong for a while before giving us each a blessed katha.

Lama Geshe gives his blessing to Sam

Puja at the Parlibu Monastery

The magestic Ama Dablam (6856m)

Mar 29 | Explore Fund Grantee Profile :: MODEL

By The North Face

To learn more about the Explore Fund visit www.ExploreFund.org, applications for spring and summer grants are open through April 6th. 

In nature color doesn't matter, gender doesn't matter, and neither does age. Rather, experience is the essential skill necessary to enjoy the full adventurous spirit of the outdoors. Running MODEL, Inc. (Men Organized To Develop Empower and Lead, Inc) in the inner city neighborhoods of Albany, NY these last 7 years has allowed me to connect with minority males and expose them to opportunities they would not regularly get to see. One of those opportunities has been to use the power of nature to transform their lives

The North Face has been an integral part in our organization being able to take our kids outdoors. Generous sponsorship through the Explore Fund has allowed us to have the financial security to plan our nature outings and we have been able to use the marketing brand of NorthFace as an incentive for our kids. Each year we take our youth participants camping in NY State parks and we go skiing in the Catskills Adirondacks. Most of our kids had never gone camping before MODEL but now they are skilled campers, hikers & fishers. Most of our kids never went skiing but after a few tries they are cruising down the "black diamond" at most ski resorts we go to. These outings have allowed our young men to gain a love for the outdoors and find a suttle peace, which at times can contrast what they see in their neighborhoods.

Above all else, the outdoors has been a great escape from our realities of urban life and could not have been made possible without the mini grants from the Explore Fund. Our kids love the word "swagg" and we have adopted the phrase we making going outdoors look cool. More organizations like yours should use their influence to change the world and mindsets of the people they serve. Thank you North Face Job Well done.

Sincerely,

Tyrell Hughes, Chief Administrative Officer

MODEL, INC.

 

 

Mar 28 | Elias Takes In The View at Lion’s Gate

By The North Face

Sam Elias is having an epic experience as he makes his way to Everest Base Camp. He snapped this Instagram pic and wrote the caption, “Nuptse, Everest, and Lhotse from the Lion's Gate. Never did I think I would gaze upon this - view of my life. #thankful #OnEverest.”

Follow Sam’s photos on instagram at @bookofsamuel, and see how everyone is experiencing the Everest Expedition by using the hashtag #OnEverest on Instagram and Twitter.

Mar 27 | Harrington Has A New Friend

By The North Face

According to her Instagram, Emily Harrington, who is trekking to Everest Base Camp now, “My favorite yak with the white face walking along the giant mani stone wall in Khumjung. The journey continues.” 

Mar 22 | Explore Fund Grantee Profile :: Paradox Sports

By The North Face

To learn more about the Explore Fund visit www.ExploreFund.org, applications for spring and summer grants opens today!

Almost exactly 5 years ago an  Army Captain named DJ Skelton was nearing the end of 18 months of painful rehab after being blown up in the second battle of Falluja during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Another wounded soldier approached him in the halls of Walter Reed Army Medical Center and asked him, since he was a climber, to take him and some friends climbing. DJ agreed, and only later did it occur to him that he had just told a person with NO LEGS that he'd take him climbing. In a panic, DJ called his friend Timmy O'Neill, who with his paraplegic brother had climbed Yosemite's El Capitan, and asked him to help with the project. Timmy showed up and, together, they helped a half-dozen wounded vets climb at SportRock climbing gym in Alexandria, VA.

 

That night, fueled by post-event adrenaline and whiskey, the concept for Paradox Sports was  born: the mission; to provide inspiration, opportunities and adaptive equipment to the disabled community, empowering their pursuit of a life of excellence through human-powered outdoor sports.

 

The common bond of loving the outdoors and wanting to share it with others, regardless of physical limitations, is what brought our diverse group together. We have all been affected by the challenges facing the disabled—personally or through family and friends—and we have chosen to invest our time in making a difference. Whether we’re climbing, biking, surfing or hiking, the physical challenge in a natural environment brings us together as a tight-knit community with a common vision: the desire to live a life of excellence, to pursue our dreams and reach our goals, to embrace who we are and truly excel at living our lives.

 

Paradox Sports was developed to recognize and foster an individual’s potential and strength, defying the assumption that people with a physical disability can't lead a life of excellence. We provide opportunities that will engage the physically disabled as active participants as well as an individualized mentorship program and a strong volunteer ethic which provides opportunities for everyone to give back to this community.

 

We are proud of the communities that have spontaneously sprung up around our people and our events. Human-powered outdoor sports are individual efforts; it’s our vision, personal choices, and self-determination that drives us to the summit or to the finish line. Yet, paradoxically, these same sports give rise to an astonishing community, rich with activity, commitment and friendship, all tied together by our shared quest for a life of excellence. Paradox Sports does not sequester its participants into support groups, wounded vets or sheltered workshops. Our gatherings are characterized by a mélange of disabled people, normals, and world-class athletes working together in the pursuit of excellence. The results are non-discriminatory: we have a positive effect on participant’s lives, regardless of physical ability or limb-count.

 

Perhaps what we do is best told through the words of Christa Brelsford who  lost her leg below the knee in Haiti. She had been volunteering at Heads for Haiti, an adult literacy project, when the devastating earthquake struck. A very strong rock climber before her accident, she came to a Paradox Sports Ice event just four days after getting her first prosthetic.

 

 "An organization that has been a godsend for me is Paradox Sports. They found me before I had time to decide what my new limitations were, and told me that there aren't any. They took me out ice climbing 4 days after I got my first prosthetic and while I was busy asking them what I couldn't do, they were showing me what I could." 

 

We are proud and honored to be a part of the North Face's Explore Fund program. Having this support will allow us to reach out to more people in the disabled community and introduce them to the wonderful world of human-powered outdoor sports and the vibrant communities that surround those sports.

 

 

 

 

 

Mar 15 | Mountaineer Conrad Anker to Lead Spring 2012 Expedition to Mount Everest With Support of National Geographic and The North Face®

By The North Face

Two Ascents, Both Seek Summit — Southeast Ridge Team to Focus on Education and Science; West Ridge Team of Anker and Cory Richards to Retrace Route of First American Ascent on West Ridge

Climb to Be Covered Online Starting March 16 at natgeo.com/oneverest and www.thenorthface.com/everest.  Real-time Updates from West Ridge Team to Start April 16 on National Geographic Magazine App for iPad

Mountaineer and The North Face athlete Conrad Anker with Everest highlighted by the sun in the distance on the left. (Photo: Cory Richards)

Continuing his legacy of renowned ascents, famed mountaineer and The North Face athlete Conrad Anker is aiming once again for the top of the world as he leads a team of climbers setting out to reach the summit of Mount Everest this spring.

Steeped with a history unlike any other, Everest has been perhaps the most sought-after summit for climbers in the world. Anker, along with fellow The North Face athlete and National Geographic photographer Cory Richards, will revisit Everest’s storied past as they attempt to repeat the historic climb of the 1963 National Geographic-sponsored American Mount Everest Expedition (AMEE) almost 50 years after the first American ascent to the summit via the West Ridge.

Anker and Richards will climb Everest’s West Ridge, a route seldom visited. Their alpine-style climb will be documented by Richards for a feature in National Geographic magazine to be published in early 2013 and covered in real time on the magazine’s May issue iPad app starting April 16. It can also be followed online at the partners’ websites and on Twitter via #oneverest.

Anker and Richards’ efforts will be complemented by a second team of climbers from The North Face global athlete team, including Kris Erickson, Hilaree O’Neill, Emily Harrington and Sam Elias. This team will attempt the summit simultaneously on the Southeast Ridge of the mountain. They will focus on mentorship within the climbing and mountaineering communities. Erickson and O’Neill, who have climbed some of the world’s most challenging mountains, will provide insight and education to the younger Elias and Harrington, who have traditionally been focused on rock and ice climbing.

The scientific portion of the expedition involves geologists from Montana State University on the Southeast Ridge team and medical specialists from Mayo Clinic at Base Camp.  On the Southeast Ridge team will be Montana State University professor and structural geologist, Dr. David Lageson. He will focus on research and education in partnership with Philip Henderson of the National Outdoor Leadership School and Travis Corthouts, a geology graduate student who will conduct research from Everest Base Camp. Also part of the Southeast Ridge team will be National Geographic writer Mark Jenkins. Some members of this team will contribute to an online science curriculum developed for fifth graders by Montana State University.

“The West Ridge of Everest is a demanding and challenging route. Sharing the science of Mount Everest is a goal of our team, and combining our two objectives in one expedition is a fitting tribute to the 1963 AMEE team,” Anker said. “Everest remains a beacon of exploration. The ability to share the experience of Mount Everest with school children while conducting science is the foundation of our expedition.”

Continuing the scientific theme, at Base Camp a team of five Mayo Clinic researchers will study climbers from both teams, recording real-time data for a comprehensive look at the impacts of high altitude on human physiology.

The expedition is sponsored by National Geographic and The North Face, with support from Montana State University.

“National Geographic is thrilled to support this exciting project, which takes a historic achievement we funded — the 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition — and uses it to frame a modern-day attempt at the summit. New technology allows us to do something that was impossible in 1963 — bring National Geographic magazine readers along in real time, with video, photographs and blogs from the expedition in the magazine’s May issue app for iPad,” said Rebecca Martin, director of National Geographic’s Expeditions Council. “Supporting this expedition is particularly meaningful to us because Conrad and the teams seek to not only replicate what has to date been a singular achievement but also to expand scientific understanding of Everest and instill a deeper appreciation of the Himalayas through educational outreach.”

“At The North Face, we are excited to work in partnership with National Geographic on this momentous expedition. We are proud to see our athletes Conrad, Cory, Kris, Hilaree, Sam, and Emily embarking on a journey that truly exhibits the evolution of high-altitude mountaineering and honors its rich past,” said Todd Spaletto, The North Face president. "We see this expedition as a tremendous step inspiring outdoor exploration in communities around the world.”

Mountaineer Conrad Anker (left) with teammate and National Geographic photographer Cory Richards join forces to climb the West Ridge of Mount Everest in the spring of 2012. (Karine Aigner/National Geographic)

Mar 15 | Explore Fund Grantee Profile :: Bike Works

By The North Face

To learn more about the Explore Fund visit www.ExploreFund.org, applications for spring and summer grants are open through April 6th. 

The mission of Bike Works is to build sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling. For the past fifteen years we’ve worked to educate and empower youth, and make bicycling accessible and affordable to the south Seattle community.

Bike Works was founded in 1996 by a small group of passionate volunteers and a neighborhood matching grant from the City of Seattle. Since then, Bike Works has grown from a small start-up into a thriving community organization offering innovative and engaging bicycling programs to the diverse neighborhoods of Southeast Seattle. More than 2,600 Seattle youth have participated in programs that encourage them to be physically active, support their healthy development, engage them in their community, and teach them environmental stewardship. Today, Bike Works is a well-loved Seattle institution.

 

Every day at Bike Works we strive to:

 

• Empower youth to lead healthy and productive lives. Bike Works operates in a low income, urban, neighborhood in Southeast Seattle. Through time-intensive after-school mentoring programs and innovative riding opportunities, Bike Works reaches youth who are not usually attracted to, or able to access, traditional enrichment activities, and helps them realize their own self-worth in a community that will support, encourage, and strengthen them.
• Make bicycling accessible and affordable to people from all walks of life.  Bike Works operates a nonprofit community bike shop that sells affordable recycled bicycles. Our bike shop generates revenue to run our youth programs, and helps further our mission to get more people out of their cars and riding bikes. Bike Works also donates recycled bicycles to community-based organizations that serve homeless and disadvantaged populations in our community and around the world.
• Promote sustainable transportation and environmental stewardship.  We view each and every bicycle donated, refurbished, and recycled back into the community as one less bike in the landfill, and hopefully, one less car on the road. Our youth programs encourage bicycling as an alternative and fun means of transportation, and as an exciting way to explore the world while being good stewards to our natural environment. 

 

The North face Explore Fund helped us to reach our goals in our key innovative Youth Programs:

 

Earn-A-Bike After-school Program engages youth in hands-on activities that combine critical thinking, practical skills, teamwork and mentoring. After learning the basics of bicycle repair, youth build bikes for people in need, and earn one for themselves.

Drop-in Community Service Program models the importance of giving back, and empowers youth to contribute to their community by refurbishing bikes for people in need. Each year youth log over 2,000 community service hours and repair over 150 bicycles for donation to youth in the community who cannot afford a bike.

Street Burners Weekly Riding Program offers a community where youth feel they belong and are empowered to find their voice through leadership development activities. We offer free activities each year from bike rides to field trips that keep youth involved in positive, healthy activities and connected to the world.

Bicycle Touring Summer Camps allow youth to be active and explore their world by bicycle, while instilling values for environmental stewardship, leadership, and healthy living. Many youth in our programs are experiencing camping in the wilderness for the first time.

UGottaGettaBike is a collaboration with local schools that we piloted this spring, with the goal of getting more low-income youth on bicycles. We go directly to schools to teach youth how to fix a flat, get a chain back on, and safely ride over the course of an afternoon. Youth go home with a “new” bike – refurbished by youth in our EAB and Drop-in programs – and a helmet to keep.

 

Thank you to North Face for helping to make Bike Works a successful community organization that is helping youth to see their bicycle as a vehicle for recreation, education, transportation and transformation

 

Mar 13 | Additional Down Update

By The North Face

March 13, 2012

In our last blog post on February 20 (www.neverstopexploring.com), we stated, “we will seek to find a long-term solution that avoids sourcing down that is a byproduct of force-feeding. While we are not an economic driver of the goose farming industry, we will make our stance on its practices known.” Today, we want to let you know what we’ve done in the past few weeks to further address this issue and gain a deeper knowledge of our down supply chain.

On February 27 we held an all day in-person working session meeting with our primary supplier, Allied Feather and Down to develop potential solutions to this issue. Our next steps include:

• We are creating an Animal-Derived Materials Code of Ethics that we will require Allied Feather & Down to adhere to and implement with the suppliers and farmers in their supply chain.

• We are enhancing the rigor of our supplier’s self-declaration process and instituting a 3rd party audit process to validate our claims and ensure we are meeting this standard. Also, a Risk Assessment Audit will be conducted by the IDFL (International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory) to ensure these standards are firmly in place with a high level of confidence in its accuracy.

• The North Face will visit the suppliers and farms in our down supply chain to evaluate the implementation of our new Animal-Derived Materials Code of Ethics.

The North Face is committed to ensuring the ethical treatment of animals from which we source materials for use in all our products. We do not condone force-feeding geese from which we source down. Our supplier reported that 30% of the down supplied for Fall 2011 product could be a by-product of sources where force-feeding occurs. We are making expedited changes to identify and reduce these sources as early as Fall 2012. The North Face is committed to our goal of completely eliminating down sourced from force fed geese in our products by 2014.

We are confident that our action plan will lead to a more transparent, traceable and ethical supply chain. The North Face is committed to making this change and ensuring we uphold the highest standard of corporate responsibility. We ask for your continued support in this journey.

Mar 13 | Want the Best Internship on Earth?

By The North Face

 

Are you sick of spending your entire internship in front of the copy machine?

Fed up with making coffee for the whole office?

Tired of being an under-appreciated intern?

This summer, get out of the office and into the great outdoors! Make your friends jealous by spending June, July, and August hiking, biking, rafting, climbing, exploring, and chilling!

The best parts of The Best Internship on Earth:

• The Outdoor Youth Ambassador will travel around the country with the Sierra Club’s Mission Outdoors programs, and video blog those experiences for the Sierra Club and The North Face!
• In past years, we sent interns Evan Geary and Kokei Otosi to New York City to march in the Puerto Rican Day Parade, to Bainbridge Island (off the coast of Seattle) for outdoor leadership training, to the San Jacinto Mountains in Southern California to go backpacking and rafting down the American River! We're planning similarly exciting and diverse trips for 2012!
• The Outdoor Youth Ambassador is a PAID position, including all-expenses-paid travel, plus $2,000 worth of merchandise provided by The North Face, a hallmark brand for outdoor gear, apparel, and footwear.

If you're a student or recent graduate over the age of 18, you can apply by  submitting a 60-90 second video that showcases your love for the outdoors and why you want to be the Sierra Club's 2012 Outdoor Youth Ambassador. The application period closes on March 27, 2012 at 5PM PDT.

Once you've applied, tell your friends to watch your video and vote! Like it, share it, leave a comment -- we want your online community to show their support for your adventure. The five videos with the most votes will be among our Top 10 finalists. The other five videos will be selected by the Sierra Club. Getting your friends and family to vote for your video is a surefire way to draw our attention to your application. The voting period closes on March 30, 2012 at 5PM PDT.

via www.sierraclub.org