A former U.S. Forest Service firefighter, he has traveled extensively and covered a wide variety of issues during his career, including the Beijing Olympics, Hurricane Katrina, illegal American tourism in Cuba and a 40-day cross country car trip commemorating the history of automobile travel in America. No one else was seriously injured. Never Stop Exploring was the company mantra. In 1989, Susie bought him out of Esprit for $170 million, and Tompkins turned all of his intensity, and most of his new wealth, toward conservation. He was 72. The third result is Doug Lee Thompson age 60s in El Dorado Hills, CA in the Serrano neighborhood. Born in 1943 in Conneaut, Ohio, Tompkins displayed an almost intractable restlessness his entire life. Together they founded the North Face as a small ski and backpacking retail shop in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. "For a while, he and Kristine had to live in the American embassy to hide out.". In the process of buying up land for what he hoped would be 12 national parks, he reforested denuded acres, cultivated sustainable farms, built visitor centers and established hiking trails. Other conservation projects that Tompkins spearheaded include: Envisioning "conservation as a consequence of production," Tompkins developed models of sustainable organic farming, which maintain soil health and ecological integrity at the same time that they provide for families and support the local economy. Esprit emerged from the buyout so deeply in debt that in less than two years it went into technical default on its outstanding loans. It is known for spectacular geological formations, unpredictable weather and cold water, generally below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. At the time of his death, Tompkins was in the process of working with the Chilean government to convert the rest of the land into an additional seven parks. We are the ones who keep putting obstacles in our own way by buying more land. In 1968, Tompkins headed off on a six-month road-adventure trip from California to Patagonia, along with Yvon Chouinard, Dick Dorworth, and Chris Jones (calling themselves the "Fun Hogs"), who made the third ascent of Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia in 1968. There wasnt anything he thought he wanted to do that he didnt do.. Douglas Rainsford Tompkins (March 20, 1943 December 8, 2015) was an American businessman, conservationist, outdoorsman, philanthropist, filmmaker, and agriculturalist. At some stage, he lost consciousness. In 1968, Tompkins, his wife Susie, and her friend Jane Tise began selling girls dresses, which they had planned on the kitchen table, out of the back of a VW bus. Douglas Tompkins, an outdoorsman, environmental activist, conservationist and entrepreneur who co-founded the North Face clothing company in San Francisco, died Tuesday in a kayaking accident in southern Chile. In 1991 he bought the Reihu farm, a semi-abandoned farm at the end of the Reihu Fjord, planning to set aside 42,000 acres (17,000ha) of this unique forest from possible exploitation. Dont worry, we'll only contact you about activism here. The early years set the design standard of good quality sleeping bags, backpacks, and mountaineering tents. An earlier version referred to Laurence Alvarez-Roos as the groups guide, rather than a group member. In 1966, Tompkins opened a brick-and-mortar retail shop in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, next to an infamous strip joint called the Condor. [1] He spent the first few years of his life in New York City before his family moved to Millbrook, New York. A military patrol boat rescued three of the boaters, and a helicopter lifted out the other three, according to the army. He had assembled and preserved the land which became the largest gift of private land to any South American government. And Im just kind of a laid-back zen buddhist, and just say, well, Ill do what I can and so be it., Laughing, Tompkins shot back: Well, you better tell my buddy Yvon, the good buddhist, he has to take his bodhisattva vows, which means that before self-enlightenment, one has to end the suffering in the world., In the aftermath of his death, Conservacion Patagonica expressed some concern over the future of his plans. [11] Tompkins Buell held a fundraiser for David Brock's Media Matters at her San Francisco home. 1:02. Instead, in his own kayak, Boyles held on to Tompkins body and grabbed a short rope dropped from the helicopters door. Tompkins Buell co-founded the Esprit clothing and The North Face brand with her first husband, Doug Tompkins whom she met when she picked him up while he was hitchhiking. [2][15][16], Last edited on 13 November 2022, at 02:09, "Who Is Susie Tompkins Buell? Profile. In 1966, the first The North Face store was opened; the band The Grateful Dead played at the grand opening. He founded the Foundation for Deep Ecology in 1990, which supports environmental activism (see deep ecology), and The Conservation Land Trust in 1992, now called Tompkins Conservation, which works to protect wildlands, primarily in Chile and Argentina.[16][19]. Doug was special to many of us. He used to always tell me, Dont let your imagination get in the way of your potential. He is gone, but he will not be forgotten.. I have bathed in these waters, but you cant last more than five minutes, said Hartmann. Doug Tompkins, founder of The North Face and clothing company Esprit, died today, at the age of 72. Web SpecialsSave on Gear for Your Next Trip, Remembering The North Face Founder Douglas Tompkins. Learn more about our environmental and social responsibility program. Douglas Rainsford Tompkins was born on March 20, 1943, in Ohio. She is also noted for her close friendship with Bill and Hillary Clinton and her status as a . The retail store named after the coldest, most unforgiving side of a mountain was founded in North Beach as a way to equip mountaineers, explorers and climbers. ", "Kris and Doug Tompkins receive the new - Species award from african rainforest conservancy", http://www.iccfoundation.us/2007Gala/DinnerProgram.pdf, "Environmental Leader of the Year: Douglas Tompkins Preserver of the Land", "Filme de Haroldo Palo Jr. Mostra belezas naturais brasileiras", "Douglas Tompkins, co-founder of North Face, dies after Chile kayak accident", YouTube Playlist - Our Founder: Douglas Tompkins, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Douglas_Tompkins&oldid=1139041029, New Species Award, Good Steward Award, David R. Brower Award, This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 01:35. North Face co-founder and conservation luminary Doug Tompkins, 72, died yesterday in Coyhaique, Chile. National Geographic photographer and film-maker Jimmy Chin said Tompkins was still on fire when he undertook an expedition for the 2010 film 180 Degrees South, which recreated the 1968 trip he and Chouinard made to Patagonia. Most cattle and internal fences were removed, and a land management program was developed to restore native vegetation and habitat. They have also lived in Santa Barbara, CA and Milpitas, CA. He will be missed., A photo posted by The North Face (@thenorthface) on Dec 8, 2015 at 5:11pm PST. Above:Doug Tompkins, Rick Ridgeway, Yvon Chouinard on the summit of Cerro Kristine in 2008. "It's almost as if we've had a subconscious wish to invite catastrophe so we can try to get out of it. There werent too many dull moments.. These tents have been widely copied throughout the world. The kayak capsized and Tompkins fell into the icy water. Pumaln Park was one of Tompkins earliest acquisitions. // They were an eco power couple, said Conservacion Patagonicas Butler. [18] Subsequently, in 1989 and 1994, he sold his interests in the other Esprit entities around the world. Tompkins, who grew up in Millbrook, New York, is survived by his wife, Kristine, and his two children, Summer Walker and Quincey Imhoff. just for old times sake, to keep our hand in there and get a little bit of muscle tone. The Iber project was a private conservation enterprise that was spearheaded by Tompkins, working with George Soros, Harvard University,[22] and Rewilding Argentina. After purchasing large blocks of wilderness, they worked to create national parks, believing that this governmental designation serves as the best mode of guaranteeing long-term conservation. See Photos. Douglas Tompkinsthe founder of Esprit and The North Faceis using his fortune to build massive national parks in Chile and Argentina. Il surfista cileno, ambasciatore di Patagonia, si batte per proteggere Punta de Lobos e per trasformarla in una riserva naturale per il surf. By 1986, Esprit had grown into a global brand, hitting $800 million in sales. Photo: Conservacion Patagonica Archives. Soon Tompkins was itching for another ambitious project. He will be missed. [25], In 2007 the Conservation Land Trust established a rewilding program to reintroduce native species which had been extirpated from the wetlands during the 20th century. The story of the Ukraine crisis as told by men, women, and soldiers. Flexible shipping options are available. CLT offered to donate this parcel back to the Chilean state, provided that the whole area became a national park. Message and data rates may apply. Of all the winning candidates of the 2006 municipal elections, Thompson had the highest percentage of donations coming from corporations (81.9%). [15][14] The 2010 film 180 Degrees South: Conquerors of the Useless describes a modern-day recreation of this journey and also highlights the conservation work on which Tompkins had been working. While there, he borrowed a motorcycle to ride across Chile. He founded the North Face Inc, co-founded Esprit and various environmental groups, including the Foundation for Deep Ecology and Tompkins Conservation.[3]. "Then we got this side wind, so we had huge waves coming in on either side.". He bought a 16mm camera and, with Chouinard, climber Lito Tejada-Flores and ski racer Dick Dorworth, packed an old Ford van with surfboards, skis, and gear, and drove 8,000 miles from California to Argentina. Mr. Tompkins attended Pomfret School in Connecticut but never graduated and did not attend college, said Tom Butler, a spokesman for the Foundation for Deep Ecology, which Mr. Tompkins founded in 1990. In a report last year, The Atlantic attempted to explain the enormity of the couple's conservation efforts: They have purchased enough land in Chile and Argentina to equal an area the size of nearly two Rhode Islands, and they plan to donate these ice-coated peaks, red-rock canyons and coastal volcanoes to the respective governments in the form of national parks. He was 72. One of these, Parque Patagonia, is on track to cover 650,000 acres of mountains just south of 90-mile-long General Carrera Lake. So in 1964, at the age of 21 and with his first wife, Susie Tompkins Buell, he took out a bank loan to start The North Face as a mail-order catalog. "People thought he was a spy at first," says Claudio Seebach, a former adviser to Chilean president Sebastin Piera. Mr. Tompkins, an experienced kayaker, and his fellow paddlers capsized after being hit by large waves in bad weather, according to reports from the Chilean army. High school. Areas of distinguished expertise: Asset Optimization algorithms. Tompkins appointed himself "image director", developing his own marketing approach: overseeing all aspects of the company's image, from store design to catalogue layout, while his wife served as design director. In an extraordinary example of womens empowerment, a market in Indias Manipur state has been run entirely by women for the past 500 years. Text STOP to cancel. Our hearts go out to all of his loved ones. https://t.co/VsAWellWAv, The North Face EMEA (@TheNorthFaceEU) 9 Dicembre 2015. [7], Tompkins spent the years between 1960 and 1962 ski racing and rock climbing in Colorado, Europe, and South America. Get a beanie on orders $125+ for XPLR Pass members. Last edited on 13 February 2023, at 01:35, 180 Degrees South: Conquerors of the Useless, International Conservation Caucus Foundation, "Douglas Tompkins, 72, Founder of North Face, Dies in Kayak Accident", "This idea proved less wild than it first appeared", Pleistocene Park emerges from Patagonia's rescued grasslands, "Chile's new 'route of parks' aims to save the wild beauty of Patagonia", "Nacionalidad por gracia: Comisin revoca por unanimidad reconocimiento al cardenal Ezzati", "Douglas Tompkins, The North Face Founder, Dies After Kayaking Accident", "The North Face Unveils Global Retail Strategy with Opening of New SoHo Location", "How The North Face Founder Went From High School Dropout to Millionaire Conservationist", "North Face co-founder turned 'eco baron' Douglas Tompkins is killed in Chile kayaking accident", "The Entrepreneur Who Wants to Save Paradise", "North Face founder Douglas Tompkins dies in kayaking accident in Chile", "Kris Tompkins North Face Founder Doug Tompkins' Wife", "Pgina/12:: Sociedad:: Reclamos en los esteros", "Chile creates five national parks over 10m acres in historic act of conservation", "(Re)Born to Be Wild: Coaxing Patagonia Back to Its Natural State", "Founder of The North Face Dies After Kayaking Incident in Chile, Apparently With Other Outdoor Legends", "Pgina Principal Patagonia Chilena Sin Represas! Need it sooner? Butler and other friends describe Tompkins as dogged in his determination and a perfectionist in all things he undertook. The path was not always smooth, however. Tompkins designed tents that were some of the first to avoid a pole in the middle, by using bendable rods threaded through exterior sleeves instead. I have been out there on a kayak, with the wind to my back advancing with the wind and in the moment the wind shifts, you are liquidated.. Please read this powerful piece, " Douglas Tompkins: A Force for Nature ," to learn about his legacy. Douglas Thompson. The pair had already converted 480,ooo acres of their holdings to five national parks. [4] The Tompkinses were focused on park creation, wildlife recovery, ecological agriculture, and activism, with the goal of saving biodiversity. Tompkins was kayaking with five other people in Chilean Patagonia when his boat capsized. Doug is related to Jean B Thompson . Our hearts go out to all of his loved ones. Douglas Tompkins, pictured in Argentina in 2009, died on Tuesday in a kayaking accident in Patagonia. Photograph Courtesy Chris Jones), Tompkins' convictions never wavered. Douglas Tompkins, famed environmentalist and co-founder of The North Face, died on Tuesday after a kayaking accident in the Patagonia region of southern Chile. The company co-founder, who died last week in a kayaking accident, was an outdoorsman and environmentalist who launched two billion-dollar businesses. Unable to right their kayak, the pair held on to their boat while the other members of their group attempted to coordinate a rescue.Using a satellite phone, the group called for a helivac while Ellison and Boyles attempted to pull Tompkins from the water. If youre not willing to take the political heat, then you shouldnt get into the game of land conservation, especially on a large scale., Douglas Tompkins, 72, North Face Founder, Dies in Kayaking Accident, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/business/douglas-tompkins-72-north-face-founder-dies-in-kayaking-accident.html. In particular, many locals in Chile and Argentina expressed resentment and distrust for the duo's massive land purchases. On Tuesday, The North Face, which is now owned by VF Corp. of Greensboro, North Carolina, paid tribute to its co-founder on Instagram. He had the ability to walk his talk. He began to invest in conservation groups in Patagonia and offer grants to local environmental groups. [1] The Tompkins divorced in 1989. Susie Tompkins Buell (ne Russell; born 1943) is an American entrepreneur, businesswoman and a donor to progressive causes. Tom Butler, editorial projects director for Conservacion Patagonica the land trust founded in 2000 by Tompkins and his second wife described the accident as a total shock to his family and friends. The remote expanses of southern Chile, facing ecological threats from human activity like logging, offered opportunities for the type of large-scale conservation envisioned by this husband-and-wife team. [26][27] In 2018 the Argentine government created Iber National Park from the donated lands, while the provincial park is administered separately. Susie Tompkins Buell (ne Russell; born 1943)[2] is an American entrepreneur, businesswoman and a donor to progressive causes. Douglas Tompkins died at the age of 72, on the 8th of December: billionaire, ecologist and co-founder of The North Face, renowned outdoor apparel brand. Chouinard paddled safely to shore, but Tompkins and Ridgeway, sharing a two-seater, capsized 200 yards from land, in water below 40 degrees. 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