Dean Potter Documentary

youtube.com/watch?v=j8A0Fej…

It's in 5, 10 minute sections. You should see the other sections on the right side of the youtube page. Its a good insight into the what makes him tick.

Great Documentary! He is one of a kind...

really great. thanks for posting that john!

interesting but a little cheesy due to the lifestyles of the rich and famous narator.

Where in the film is he selling out. He's telling his story. Is producing media selling out. A little personnel maybe, but selling out, I don't see it. Just because its illegal doesn't mean its not a great place to Base Jump.

TDog wrote:Dean Potter is lame. This over blown commercial is LAME. Dean does it for the connection to NATURE. Dean does it for the cameras. Does it for the helicopter. For the Producers. Dean does it for the MONEY. Nice way to connect with the natural world. PS. Yosemite is NOT the capital of BASE. It is illegal.

Oh gawd! Another moronic hater. Dean loves to BASE jump, Dean loves to slackline, Doing both is like getting to have sex with 2 women all the time . Just because people wanna shoot video is all the better. You're just another jealous hater.

i lost interest when dean said that if he had it to do over again, he'd probably repeat the delicate arch stunt.

The part at the beginning of the video when they are talking about tight rope walkers doing it for crowds but Dean does it for blaw blaw blaw, was lame. If he wasn’t doing it for the crowds he wouldn’t make a movie about it, the crowds are still there just not in front of him. I admit I am not a big fan of Dean Potter but I would think that line was lame even if was about someone I respected. It was a cool video to watch though, I love the part with Chongo in it and it was cool to see part of the personal side of the story between him and Steph instead of the tabloid BS.

The fact that he said he'd climb the arch again did make me lose even more respct for him also. Grow up Dean...

Matthew Scariot wrote:i lost interest when dean said that if he had it to do over again, he'd probably repeat the delicate arch stunt.

This is when I got really interested. The guy lost his loot and his wife over this thing. This was a quick glimpse into the compulsion that lives within those that push the standards. All greats have there compulsive vices. Some greats gamble (Jordan), some drink gallons of whiskey (B Franklin), some carry out oulandish affairs with random sluts (Eldrick) and others pick the forbidden fruits of our national parks. I was fascinated that one could be so reckless to fuel his sick desires.

i see your point, to an extent. yeah, i was interested in why he'd do it again, but after that, considering the fallout and the costs to so many others beyond himself... well, i'm just not interested in anyone that puts their own self-interests (or compulsions, or whatever you want to call it) that far ahead of all else. don't get me wrong, i'm not saying he's a bad guy. in this case though, i just don't find myself able to respect him based on the choices he's made.

Yeah, I don't respect him either. I don't even know him. I just find it fascinating how those that are great at anything have such self destuctive tendencies.

After watching this I do believe that he is and does what comes naturally to him. Before I did think he was kinda doing it for the press/whatever. But, I'd never seen/heard him talk about things before and from seeing and listening to him I think it's just all him and how he connects with nature.

AS for the camera/movie stuff who doesn't film/shoot themselves and friends and post it? Hell this site's full of folks looking for a little "Great" rating on a pic they snapped....

Now i'm going back to what's important....putting my hands where they belong holding my pizza and beer!

I wonder how many of detractors have actually met the guy? I was lucky enough to share a few words with the guy a few years ago in the Valley and he struck me as rather shy individual. The funny thing is, I suspect that even if there were no cameras around, he would still be doing what he's doing...he just wouldn't be getting paid for it.

DP is human and has made (and likely will continue to make) mistakes. His mistakes are fairly benign compared some professional "athletes." (Spare me the lecture about the Delicate Arch solo compounding access issues, I am well aware...And I also share the opinion of it being lame on his part...).

The Boodge wrote: Alex Honnold, for example, didn't call up any magazines or film crews for his big free-solos last year - that's what I call doing it for yourself or for the experience or the connection to nature.

Really? I wonder how they got both of his free solos on film then?

Did you ever hear about Dean's attempts to link up Watkins, HD, and El Cap free in a day? Didn't think so. To say he just does it for the cameras is foolish. He is trying to make a living doing what he loves. Easy to sit back and talk crap about someone who actually has the balls to go out there and push the envelope....the fact that he has sponsors and shoots movies MUST mean he is a sell out right?

"He smiled as only the truly shy can smile...It was a strange, rare smile which rises from the deep, dark pit, deeper than a well, deep as a deep mine."

Hemingway

Man I don't understand why so many people are ripping into this guy, sure he solo'ed the Delicate Arch and all this other stuff blah blah blah. Any pro climber is going to get publicity for things they do, thats how they get paid just like Alex Honnold and all those other guys who do crazy shit.

Sure he made some mistakes but that doesn't take away from the fact that he's more of a bad ass then anyone posting on this thread. It also sounds like he's a cool laid back dude from the people who've met him.

I heard he eats kittens and swipes loose change from the collection plate.

The Boodge wrote: Hold on there, hot rod. I wasn't dismissing his badassness, nor was I talking shit about him. If you reread the first part of my post, I think he's a badass for having such giant balls. However, I think he's somewhat of a hypocrite for saying it's not about the attention, when the attention is exactly what he needs to make his living. No attention = no sponsors = no money. And yeah, so I found Honnold's 2nd solo (Half Dome) on video, but there is no video of him on Moonlight Buttress.

Sorry just saw a video of him soloing moonlight... kinda strange cause he smiles laughs and looks right at the camera after the crux! Sick climb...but yes all for the camera. But again I'll ask why's that a big deal I've posted pics of climbing on the web? Have you? or maybe emailed one to fam or friends? Just sayin...

Sorry I'm back, late night!!! He's doing what he does. Saying he'd repeat the delicate arch thing MIGHT be the greatest quote anyone has ever said.

My vote:

Dean's the real deal.

The $/media/attention is just a natural part of doing something that no one else is. You can't fault the man for wanting to make a (good) living, and I bet most of you would take the offer if you were at that level.

If he wanted to do something only for the money/fame, rock climbing wasn't the pursuit to get into.

Evan

So I have always been under the impression that pro rock climbers made enough to support the lifestyle, which doesn’t take a lot, but not much more. This video has me thinking otherwise. Any thoughts? Are the big names Potter, Sharma ect. making similar money to other pro athletes?