Often it is brandished as an accessory, sometimes it is used as a gateway, others still it is considered merely a credential. Weve pledged 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. Tompkins, who grew up in Millbrook, New York, is survived by his wife, Kristine, and his two children, Summer Walker and Quincey Imhoff. McDivitt Tompkins will continue as the organizations leader. Dont worry, we'll only contact you about activism here. He founded the North Face Inc, co-founded Esprit and various environmental groups, including the Foundation for Deep Ecology and Tompkins Conservation. In an extraordinary example of womens empowerment, a market in Indias Manipur state has been run entirely by women for the past 500 years. In the next decade, The Conservation Land Trust added another 700,000 acres (280,000ha) in nearly contiguous parcels to create Pumaln Park, which eventually stretched from the Corcovado Gulf to the Andes mountains, over an area of 800,000 acres. [9] It was during this time he met Susie Russell, a casino employee who gave him a lift while hitch-hiking to Lake Tahoe. [30], In northeastern Argentina, Tompkins managed cattle ranches in Corrientes Province and polyculture grain and fruit farms in Entre Ros Province. San Francisco socialite Summer Tompkins Walker, the daughter of North Face and Esprit co-founder Douglas Tompkins, has lost another bruising round in her battle to claim a portion of her late . But with the case of Douglas Tompkins, the headlines and context dont match up. Both men described it as the best and most important expedition of their lives. After his divorce, he climbed Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia, an experience that he said helped inspire him to become an environmental activist in the area. Like that Zen painter who always leaves part of his painting unfinished, we always left room for disaster. We are deeply saddened by the news of Doug Tompkins passing. Resides in High Point, NC. COYHAIQUE, CHILE (DECEMBER 8, 2015) (TVN - NO ACCESS CHILE/CNN/CHILE WEBSITES) The accident took place in Chile, where Tompkins lived with his wife Kristine McDivitt, whilst he was kayaking with a group of five people. Born in 1943 in Conneaut, Ohio, Tompkins displayed an almost intractable restlessness his entire life. Doug Tompkins - millionaire philanthropist and co-founder of the clothing companies North Face and Esprit - shared a two-person kayak with Rick Ridgeway, 66, a veteran mountain climber and . U.S. environmentalist and businessman Douglas Tompkins, the founder of outdoor clothing and equipment company The North Face, died on Tuesday during a kayaking trip in Chile, local health . 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. He was 72. He succumbed to hypothermia resulting from a kayaking accident that took place in Patagonia . Douglas Rainsford Tompkins (March 20, 1943 - December 8, 2015) was an American businessman, conservationist, outdoorsman, philanthropist, filmmaker, and agriculturalist. When The North Face founder Douglas Tompkins died after a kayaking accident in December, he left behind an unparalleled legacy: 2.2 million acres of protected wilderness. They have also lived in Santa Barbara, CA and Milpitas, CA. One of these, Parque Patagonia, is on track to cover 650,000 acres of mountains just south of 90-mile-long General Carrera Lake. That business grew to become the multibillion-dollar retailer Esprit, known for its casual sportswear and lifestyle clothing. Please read this powerful piece, Douglas Tompkins: A Force for Nature, to learn about his legacy. Esprit emerged from the buyout so deeply in debt that in less than two years it went into technical default on its outstanding loans. [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. He graduated from Indian Mountain School, a pre-prep school in Lakeville, Connecticut, in 1957. [39][40] He was 72 years old and survived by his second wife, Kristine (McDivitt), two daughters, brother and mother.[13][41]. They were an eco power couple, said Conservacion Patagonicas Butler. Find a local store near you. He was a very inspired person. The kayak capsized and Tompkins fell into the icy water. According to a 2012 profile in Earth Island Journal. On December 8, 2015, Tompkins was kayaking with five others (including Patagonia, Inc. founder Yvon Chouinard) on General Carrera Lake in southern Chile when strong waves caused their kayaks to capsize. The second best result is Doug Thompson age 50s in Lakeland, FL in the Camphor neighborhood. Directory of locations. That trip had a big influence on both Doug and I, said Chouinard, who five years later founded the Patagonia clothing company, which operates under a mandate to take care of the environment. Photograph Courtesy Chris Jones). Clinton Donor Gave $500,000 to Fund Trump Sexual Misconduct Accusers", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Susie_Tompkins_Buell&oldid=1121584509, This page was last edited on 13 November 2022, at 02:09. Instead, in his own kayak, Boyles held on to Tompkins body and grabbed a short rope dropped from the helicopters door. It is known for spectacular geological formations, unpredictable weather and cold water, generally below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Butler said he felt fortunate to have spent 10 years as part of the whirlwind of work surrounding Tompkins, whom he described as an inspiring, exhausting, sometimes exasperating leader, a brilliant man with an absolute passion to saving wild nature. Truthfully, its a bit ironic, said Butler. Tompkins acknowledged the local objections to an outsider buying up land in Chile, but he believed the risks of going up against the Chilean government outweighed doing nothing: First of all, you never know if youre doing to right thing, he once said. ", (Tompkins climbing Mt. Mr. Tompkins had first visited Chile in 1961 and frequently returned to climb, ski, kayak and hike. The third result is Doug Lee Thompson age 60s in El Dorado Hills, CA in the Serrano neighborhood. The global apparel company VF Corporation purchased the North Face in 2000. The good he did in the world will not end.. Thompson had . With a deep bond to Patagonia and Chile, Tompkins dedicated his life to nature and environmental conservation, inspired by the book Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered. [6], Tompkins was born in Conneaut, Ohio on March 20, 1943, the son of an antiques dealer and decorator. Nowhere is this more evident than in the treatment of Eileen Gu, the US-born Chinese freestyle skier that is taking the sport by storm. As a teenager, he got kicked out of his Connecticut prep school and took off for South America to train with the U.S. ski team. Peter Hartmann, a local environmentalist and a longtime collaborator with Tompkins on conservation initiatives, watched the rescue from the edge of the lake. He was at various points accused of being a spy, of buying up land to create a Zionist enclave, and of planning to ship Chiles fresh water to parched lands overseas. Remembering The North Face Founder Douglas Tompkins. "Doug would call up and scream at my commander, Hey, damn it, this is colonel so-and-so! At some stage, he lost consciousness. The North Face founder Doug Tompkins poses for a photograph with Jeff Johnson and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard during the filming of the documentary 180 Degrees South in Chile. Susie Tompkins Buell (ne Russell; born 1943)[2] is an American entrepreneur, businesswoman and a donor to progressive causes. Our hearts go out to all of his loved ones. Get a beanie on orders $125+ for XPLR Pass members. Forecast and Projection . There werent too many dull moments.. Tompkins, however, had spent nearly two hours in the water by the time he was rescued. He had assembled and preserved the land which became the largest gift of private land to any South American government. When that failed, they swam. Web SpecialsSave on Gear for Your Next Trip, Remembering The North Face Founder Douglas Tompkins. In February 2012, Tompkins Buell stopped supporting President Barack Obama, citing disappointment with his leadership on environmental issues including climate change. By providing your email address, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. At his death Mr. Tompkins had been working on creating new parks in Patagonia and in the Iber wetlands in northeastern Argentina. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF THE COYHAIQUE HOSPITAL WHERE NORTHFACE FOUNDER DOUGLAS TOMPKINS WAS TREATED AND PASSED AWAY We are deeply saddened to learn of Doug Tompkins' death. E-mail: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com. A small facility in the Pillan farm processes honey and berries for jams, which are sold under the name Pillan Organics. 2. Tompkins believes in deep ecology, an absolutist version of environmentalismwhich contains little to surprise a North American reader. Mr. Tompkins and his second wife, the former Kristine McDivitt, a former chief executive of the clothing company Patagonia, moved to South America in the 1990s. Nevertheless, she adds, They have protected more land than any other private individuals in history.. So in 1967 he sold The North Face for $50,000 to become a filmmaker like Bruce Brown, whose The Endless Summer had recently become a global hit. Above:Doug Tompkins, Rick Ridgeway, Yvon Chouinard on the summit of Cerro Kristine in 2008. The Brazilian government has started evicting illegal gold miners, responsible for the health emergency that has hit the Yanomami people. In 1971 they incorporated the booming business under the name "Plain Jane", which later became Esprit. He also writes about the cannabis industry, outdoor adventure, Native American issues and the culture of the West. Tompkins' eventual movie, Mountain of Storms, never achieved commercial success, but it inspired a generation of outdoor-adventure road-trippers. Douglas Tompkins started The North Face in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood in 1966. He was 72. This is a carousel. It is easy for this to happen, said Hartmann. Chilean officials told The Associated Press that Tompkins had been boating with five other foreigners on General Carrera Lake when strong waves caused the groups kayaks to capsize. 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. Accessed 19 July 2020. 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. He then traipsed through the Andes Mountains in South America until his money ran out in 1962, forcing him to return to the United States. Doug also had a visceral dislike for authority, writes Chouinard, and always relished breaking the rules.. Im incredibly saddened by this, but he lived on the edge, said Tompkins Buell, who remained close to her ex-husband. In 1994, The Conservation Land Trust (CLT), along with U.S. philanthropist Peter Buckley, acquired 208,000 acres (84,000ha) of native forest that was slated for logging, adjacent to vast areas of federal land under the jurisdiction of the Chilean Armed Forces. Create a free Patagonia account. The husband and wife team also donated land to create coastal national parks in Chile and Argentina. A keen conservationist, he bought up huge swathes of land in southern . He flew off and there we were on the beach, she said. Doug is related to Jean B Thompson . In addition, he was a skilled bush pilot.[16]. Tompkins was kayaking with five other people in Chilean Patagonia when his boat capsized. The following day, the Chilean government announced that Pumaln Park, one of Tompkins earliest acquisitions, will become a national park in March 2017. We are on the side of those who decide to live with passion and purpose, acting to make the world a better place. It would provide safe habitat for a range of native species, and encourage a transition from "an exploitative economy" to "an economy of conservation and ecotourism". Shop The North Face Canada End of Season Sale for winter deals on jackets, backpacks, coats, shoes, hoodies, and other outdoor gear for men, women, and kids. He most recently visited our headquarters in Alameda, CA in 2013 and again inspired us to live a life of outdoor exploration. There wasnt anything he thought he wanted to do that he didnt do.. 1:02. Douglas Rainsford Tompkins (March 20, 1943 December 8, 2015) was an American businessman, conservationist, outdoorsman, philanthropist, filmmaker, and agriculturalist. Read more on these topics: Americas, Latin America, South America, Outdoor. A foundation that bears her name gave money to Media Matters through the Tides Foundation. Mr. Tompkins eventually landed near Tahoe City, Calif., where he worked in the ski lodges and started his first business, the California Mountaineering Service. Doug Tompkins passed away doing the very thing he loved, and he will be remembered as one of the most important characters in environmental activism and ecology our generation has ever known. The North Face founder Doug Tompkins on the first ascent of Chile's Ruta de los Californianos in 1968. While there, he borrowed a motorcycle to ride across Chile. // Iber Provincial Reserve, established in 1983, encompasses 1,300,000 ha of wetlands, grasslands, forest, and rangelands, including both publicly-owned lands and private cattle ranches. After selling his interest in Esprit, Tompkins turned his efforts toward southern Chile, where he had spent much time climbing, kayaking, and skiing, to focus on land conservation and environmental activism. According to a 2012 profile in Earth Island Journal, many Chileans and Argentines worried that his land purchases and outspoken opposition to salmon farming and dam construction threatened their national sovereignty and stunted economic development. She, her sister and the other passengers were told to sit on the tail wing to give the plane traction and then jump off as the plane caught air. // The deep ecologists are purists. By 1978, they had boosted annual sales at the company to more than $100 million. 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 . Text STOP to cancel. See Photos. Rumors now range from the conspiratorial to the phantasmagorical: Tompkins is creating a second Israel in South America; he is siphoning off the worlds last freshwater resources for other American millionaires; he is building bunkers for a pending nuclear war. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The businessman and conservationist was 72. strong waves caused the groups kayaks to capsize, considerable amount of time in waters under 4 degrees Celsius, in 1964 to make and sell outdoor equipment, equal an area the size of nearly two Rhode Islands, never ever tried to make life easy for myself, owned by VF Corp. of Greensboro, North Carolina, A photo posted by The North Face (@thenorthface). Instead, he set off in search of adventure. [35], In 2007, he was appointed as an honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, in recognition of his work restoring damaged landscapes. After he sold Esprit, he started to dedicate himself to protecting nature. [1], In 1968, Tompkins Buell and Jane Tise co-founded the Plain Jane clothing label. Not only was Tompkins an experienced outdoorsman and respected environmentalist he had also launched two billion-dollar retail companies: outdoor apparel company the North Face and womens clothing manufacturer Esprit. Woman Funded Sexual Harassment Cases Against Trump", "Meet one of Hillary Clinton's biggest donors in California. We are the space in which education becomes determination, feeling becomes action, the goal becomes solution and result. Those trips convinced Tompkins that he could make better outdoor equipment than anything on the market. 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. "Nobody believed he would really give the land back. He was flown, by helicopter, to a hospital in nearby Coyhaique, where he died hours later from severe hypothermia. He had absolutely no respect for authority.". It was just an open book of adventure.. 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. All the while, however, Tompkins was becoming increasingly disenchanted with the corporate world. ", One area in which Tompkins was not cavalier, of course, was land preservation, and after news of his death spread, Tompkins' grand vision for his holdings got one more boost. Sign up for exclusive offers, original stories, activism awareness, events and more from Patagonia. 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