Alex Honnold response to Clif Bar & Co

Alex's opinion piece was excellent. While Clif is welcome to make whatever decisions they feel are prudent for their business, they have lost me as a customer. Hopefully in the wake of this situation Alex, Dean, Steph and Cedar will pick up some new sponsors who have not lost their understanding of what drives us to climb.

What I find most disturbing is the general tenor of the comments to Alex's NYT opinion piece. While some are well reasoned, most of the ones I read are prime examples of what is wrong with America. At what point did our country of explorers, frontiersmen, entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators turn into a nation of cowards? Risk has become the new dirty 4 letter word.

There is no reward without some risk. In climbing, relationships, business, politics, science - it is the moment when we step into the unknown that we accomplish great things. As a society it appears we have lost that important lesson. It saddens me greatly and makes me concerned for our future.

I forgot that they dumped Timmy as well. Hell, he should be sainted for the work he does for Paradox Sports.

When the history of this time in adventure recreation is written Clif Bar will be a forgotten name and Timmy O'Neil and the folks from Paradox will be celebrated as the vanguard of the modern area of adaptive adventure. (edit: Clif is one of Paradox's sponsors. Crap, indignation fail).

Paradox Sports

Hands down the best money I spend every month is the check I send to them. Please check out the link if your are not familiar with them and consider a supporting them with of donation. Or if you are a broke student or dirt bag climber, write to one of their corporate sponsors and thank them for their support.

Are there any climbers who don't solo? NO!

If corporations are people, then Clif Bar may have had a stroke. Ms/Mr Bar no longer recognizes their customers, their best employees, and has become untrustworthy and feeble.

BOYCOTT CLIF BAR!

...and Luna bar since it's the same owner. No big loss. Not like we are gonna boycott Kind Bar or anything. ..
And dump those Clif bar eating bowline tying sketch ball climbing partners of yours.

They fired them why? ...because of their ethics? ...because they just "realized" that they do not support soloist? Yet now they backtrack and say the DO support them?

This company worships the almighty dollar more than their ethics. You now can no longer trust ANYTHING they say.

...and what ^he^ said.

it's a weird form of entitlement to expect companies to sponsor people, and then get mad when they don't for completely legitimate reasons (which they explained in detail)

why don't y'all just set up a Kickstarter for Honnold's next Super Badass Solo?

Sorry but I'm only interested in HD drone footage of free soloists sponsored by big brand names or featured in Reel Rock.

David Barbour wrote:it's a weird form of entitlement to expect companies to sponsor people, and then get mad when they don't for completely legitimate reasons (which they explained in detail) why don't y'all just set up a Kickstarter for Honnold's next Super Badass Solo?

Sad you don't even know what entitlement means. I think most people on here are pissed that the company is using someone to make money at the same time they fire them aka supporting a film that shows a climber they sponsor free soloing while at the same time firing that same climber.

The company has every right in the world to fire whoever they want at will. I have no problem with it.

ViperScale wrote: Sad you don't even know what entitlement means. I think most people on here are pissed that the company is using someone to make money at the same time they fire them aka supporting a film that shows a climber they sponsor free soloing while at the same time firing that same climber. The company has every right in the world to fire whoever they want at will. I have no problem with it.

Clif already paid out for the making of the film. Anything past release is fair game.

Is it more likely that a generally good-willed company decided to just fuck a bunch of people over?

Or that they saw the film, reflected on what they were supporting, and decided to change their path for the future?

Pretty obvious imo, and not deserving of all the vitriol.

Alex H appears like a clown on his commercials. The comment he makes about boring questions.... seems smug, and a "jerk" thing to say.

I personally would have never written or signed up this website and this will more than likely be the last time i visit it.... However, I am writing to make the very strong point that he should just stop talking about himself.....

Alex Honnuld is an extreme douchebag, alienating self centered clown and to be honest... he's a nobody and someday if he becomes somebody .... his commercials reflecting his views on those "boring questions" asked of him by his "fans" should be noted.

He is lucky to have those fans!

M Archibald

m archibald wrote:Alex H appears like a clown on his commercials. The comment he makes about boring questions.... seems smug, and a "jerk" thing to say. I personally would have never written or signed up this website and this will more than likely be the last time i visit it.... However, I am writing to make the very strong point that he should just stop talking about himself..... Alex Honnuld is an extreme douchebag, alienating self centered clown and to be honest... he's a nobody and someday if he becomes somebody .... his commercials reflecting his views on those "boring questions" asked of him by his "fans" should be noted. He is lucky to have those fans! M Archibald

Elena, you really need to get a life.

m archibald wrote:Alex H appears like a clown on his commercials. The comment he makes about boring questions.... seems smug, and a "jerk" thing to say. I personally would have never written or signed up this website and this will more than likely be the last time i visit it.... However, I am writing to make the very strong point that he should just stop talking about himself..... Alex Honnuld is an extreme douchebag, alienating self centered clown and to be honest... he's a nobody and someday if he becomes somebody .... his commercials reflecting his views on those "boring questions" asked of him by his "fans" should be noted. He is lucky to have those fans! M Archibald

ummm....ok

m archibald wrote:Alex Honnuld is an extreme douchebag, alienating self centered clown and to be honest... he's a nobody and someday if he becomes somebody .. M Archibald

M Archibald is an extreme douchebag, alientating self centered clown and to be honest...he's a nobody and someday if he becomes somebody...

Well, I'll say "Hey, I insulted him once on MP!"

The End

m archibald wrote:Alex H appears like a clown on his commercials. The comment he makes about boring questions.... seems smug, and a "jerk" thing to say. I personally would have never written or signed up this website and this will more than likely be the last time i visit it.... However, I am writing to make the very strong point that he should just stop talking about himself..... Alex Honnuld is an extreme douchebag, alienating self centered clown and to be honest... he's a nobody and someday if he becomes somebody .... his commercials reflecting his views on those "boring questions" asked of him by his "fans" should be noted. He is lucky to have those fans! M Archibald

Not Elena, too much correct spelling. Alienating? You think she could spell that?!? Guffaw!

Most likely the guy that wrote one of the boring questions...

There are a couple of things which are being danced around:
1) Clif (whoever or whomever is making this decision) believes that Alex will eventually die.
2) Clif is statistically right.
3) Empowering (through sponsorship) his behavior will lead to emulation and Clif would be ethically culpable in the subsequent deaths.
5) Clif has behaved ethically in the past and it is likely that this is an extension of this behavior.
6) Finally, there are plenty of other Clif sponsored athletes (like Tommy Caldwell) who are pushing the limits of climbing while only risking their fingers and their time.
The timing of their firing can clearly be questioned but the foundations for their concerns seem to be valid.

Oh, if you eat Clif bars because Alex wears their T-shirt then you embody everything wrong with humanity.

Tim Lutz wrote: ...everyone dies, not everyone climbs El Cap without a rope.

I am well aware of who Alex Hannold is. The point is that no matter how many times one freesolos successfully the eventual outcome of consistent unprotected climbing is death. This says nothing about Alex but instead says that given enough time everyone falls. I respect and admire Alex but kind of hate myself for it because every time I click into his life I am supporting an unsustainable and deadly behavior. Project yourself into a scenario where he has failed. Do you want his death to be even partly your fault?
Part of the appeal of Alex is that he says he is immune to such pressure. To the extent that he can know this, I believe him. Regardless of his assertions, a trip to south america to spend weeks projecting a fresolo would not be possible if he was not sponsored. He is enabled and Clif was party to this. One can interpret their actions as opportunistic and self serving but it seems more likely that a decision was made (maybe long overdue) based off of a ethos which valued life over death and personal responsibility over personal gain (assuming they will loose money by not sponsoring Alex).

Norman Roundy wrote: I am well aware of who Alex Hannold is.

huh

Norman Roundy wrote: The point is that no matter how many times one freesolos successfully the eventual outcome of consistent unprotected climbing is death.

The point is no matter how much one does anything, the eventual outcome is death

So we shouldn't value life? This seems like a non sequitur.

Norman Roundy wrote:So we shouldn't value life? This seems like a non sequitur.

It means your life is your life. You decide what risks are worth it, no one else decides for you. Quit projecting your decisions on others

Norman Roundy wrote: I am well aware of who Alex Hannold is. The point is that no matter how many times one freesolos successfully the eventual outcome of consistent unprotected climbing is death. This says nothing about Alex but instead says that given enough time everyone falls. I respect and admire Alex but kind of hate myself for it because every time I click into his life I am supporting an unsustainable and deadly behavior.

And how many famous free-soloists have died free-soloing? Peter Croft is still around, so is Dean Potter, Ueli Steck, Reinhold Messner...
There are lots of ways to die climbing but there is no statistics to support the claim that the real life application of free-soloing high grades is any less safe than any other form of climbing.