Clif Bar drops sponsored athletes for free-soloing?

ANGUS WIESSNER wrote: Chris Sharma should come out with a Sharma bar!!!

Yes!! He could call it the Pontas Bar - you wear it on your feet for the 5.15 send, then when you get to the top and get all hungry - you eat it. Super tasty AND functional!

I just bought a box of Clif bars at Costco last week, I'm going to burn them in protest. This will not stand!

Be curious to see Cliff bars side of the story. Already seems like there getting a ton of shit for it. Gotta love Potter's quote, such respect for that guy.

Anson Call wrote: How many of skiing's or climbing's great accomplishments never would have happened if a sponsor wasn't willing to support them?

the real question should be- how many accomplishments would you have seen on the internet without sponsors to support them?

Remember that Potter (amongst others) is promoting and participating in an illegal activity. I have zero problems with base or freebase. But just like Patagucci dropped him over the delicate arch stunt, Clif Bar is just following suit. After watching Valley Uprising, I thought to myself "Wow, I'm surprised these guys are being so open about base jumping in Yosemite." More power to them, but I'm sure they knew the risks involved with that type of publicity.

As far as the others go, I'm definitely puzzled. In a way, this decision represents how unique rock climbing is. At it's roots, it's just not a sport. So when you try to throw it into that context things can get messy. Ultimately, I think Clif Bar is gonna piss off a lot of climbers with this, but think about it...how many climbers actually eat those little turd burglars? See above.

The only way you get rid of stupid laws is by breaking them. People get hurt by pushing boundaries but where would this world be if noone ever took a risk?

These aren't stupid mentally retarded people who are being talked into doing stuff that could kill them. They are completely aware of what they are doing (more than any of us could probably ever understand) and still are willing to risk it. Maybe it is like a drug but hey they aren't hurting anyone else. If they start regularly hitting people while base jumping in Yosemite then maybe it would be an issue.

It is unfortunate that we live in a world where anyone needs a sponsor to do what they love doing. It takes the soul out of it. Athletes, artists, musicians, scientists, inventors and other groups of people all dependent on some sort of sponsorship which ends up owning their works and ultimately inhibiting the true potentials. We are all better off when creative spirit is free to explore. We are suffering culturally from financial control of human creation.

The institutions in control of the creative process want to shape it to fit their needs. They put Jay-Z in front of us and call it hip hop. They put a teenage gym rat in front of us and tell us it is the new face of climbing. New generations and mainstreamers have no context for what they are being told. They end up pretty clueless. They think it's chocolate milk but it's watered down yoo-hoo.

Some things cost a lot. If I'm really unwilling to accept sponsorship because my Inner Radness compels me to climb in Antarctica, is it really a case of The Man keeping me down?

There's arguably quite a bit of soul inherent in working hard for something you aspire to.

ton wrote:no comment on the main thrust of the article, but i find the Potter quote hysterical: “My fear is with the onset of mainstream interest in extreme sports that diversity will be subdued and eventually snubbed out within our great outdoor community,” says Potter. “Shouldn’t we question when the leaders of our community try to manipulate our culture into a monocrop?” what, you think Clif bar and other sponsors are leading climbing? maybe you're playing to the wrong audience...

To the general populous, the people on here that climbers complain about so much about at the crags, yes these are the people leading climbing. With Honnold sponsoring everything from credit cards to websites, it makes climbing more visible and more accessible, and like Snowboarding, Surfing, Skiing, Skateboarding, any fringe activity with its own unique culture, climbing becomes more of a mainstream "sport" everyday, just another representation of the overall population.

You no longer have to be a homeless, batshit obsessed wierdo to be a climber, anyone with $12 and a permission slip can now feed the industry. I'm all for climbing growing, but I think what Potter said is spot on.

Also, pretty sure he soloed Heaven years ago, received very little credit, and didn't do it for a World Series ad, not knocking Honnold for doing it at all, just don't think "He's been playing to the media" for years

ViperScale wrote:These aren't stupid mentally retarded people who are being talked into doing stuff that could kill them.

Wait, Dean Potter isn't retarded? Huh. I guess I learned my thing for the day.

Bill M wrote:Sounds like I am in the minority, but I have always thought that commercially promoting soloing was wrong. This does not mean I think people should not solo – it is a person’s right to live their life as they see fit. However, having business executives in suits – Clif Bar is a $500M company - making money of people who are risking their life, seems - well – wrong. ...

Bill, you are not wrong though many will insist you are.

Anson Call wrote: How many of skiing's or climbing's great accomplishments never would have happened if a sponsor wasn't willing to support them?

Do you know how much expeditions cost?

Max Forbes wrote:Be curious to see Cliff bars side of the story. Already seems like there getting a ton of shit for it..

Here it is:

“Every year we evaluate all of our climbing sponsorships on a case-by-case basis,” said a Clif Bar spokesperson. “After evaluating a variety of sponsorships at all levels of climbing, we’ve made the decision to get back to Clif’s roots and focus on the more traditional aspects of the sport, like trad, bouldering, alpinism and sport climbing to name a few. Our climbing athlete sponsorships will reflect this traditional focus.”

They are focusing on the traditional and grassroots aspects of climbing, which apparently is sport climbing and bouldering.

20 kN wrote: Here it is: “Every year we evaluate all of our climbing sponsorships on a case-by-case basis,” said a Clif Bar spokesperson. “After evaluating a variety of sponsorships at all levels of climbing, we’ve made the decision to get back to Clif’s roots and focus on the more traditional aspects of the sport, like trad, bouldering, alpinism and sport climbing to name a few. Our climbing athlete sponsorships will reflect this traditional focus.” They are focusing on the traditional and grassroots aspects of climbing, which apparently is sport climbing and bouldering.

Sport climbing and bouldering... I never liked clif bars but i believe that saying will go down in history for laughs, maybe their marketing isn't stupid though. They will probably get alot more talk for years on that comment.

From a commercial perspective if I was going to sponsor a climber to get exposure for my product it would be Alex Honnold for sure. That guy is the most mediagenic hype man out there at the moment. So I kind of respect their decision since I think it will ultimately hurt their business interest in the short term. On the long run maybe they don't want to be associated with some athlete dropping of a cliff and dying.
In the end I couldn't care less if a another 'sport nutrition' manufacturer retracts from climbing, some dried fruits and chocolate will get me through the day just fine. Don't need any more bars or sugary sports drink b*llsh*t.

Did anyone notice that Clif bar is promoting the movie Valley Uprising that demonstrates that very activities they are condemning with their fired athletes.
reelrocktour.com/

I can see why they dropped Dean, but Honnold is the most wholesome athlete you can get. I wonder if his and Steph Davis' veganism didn't align with some of their ingredients? I started seeing some energy bars made from meat in the stores - maybe Clif Bar is planning on making a line?

I like Clif bars, they are cheap, portable and not messy. I go through phases - eat Clif bars all the time, then get sick of them and get into candy bars and go back to Clifbars. Just because they dropped certain athletes, it won't stop me from buying them in the future (especially if they're on sale!) They sound like a very good and responsible company: clifbar.com/article/our-fiv…

Paul Merchant wrote:Did anyone notice that Clif bar is promoting the movie Valley Uprising that demonstrates that very activities they are condemning with their fired athletes. reelrocktour.com/

I think that movie is why those athletes got the axe.

i never want to eat a clif bar again.

fringesfolly.com/2014/11/08… Clif Bar Drops Honnold - Here's Why

An interesting take on the whole debate.

I bet they're all relieved they won't have to deal with an aneurysm time they try to poop anymore.