Yvon chouinard biography of rory

Yvon Chouinard

American climber and entrepreneur (born )

Yvon Chouinard

Chouinard in

Born () November 9, (age&#;86)

Lewiston, Maine, U.S.

Occupation(s)Rock climber, equipment manufacturer
Known&#;forFounder of Chouinard Equipment Ltd.

and Patagonia

Spouse

Malinda Pennoyer

&#;

(m.&#;)&#;
Children2

Yvon Chouinard (born November 9, )[1] is an American rock climber, environmentalist, and businessman. His company, Patagonia, sells outdoor products, outerwear, and food.

He was named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine in [2]

Early life

Chouinard's father was a French Canadian handyman, mechanic, and plumber. In , Yvon and his family moved from Lewiston, Maine to Southern California. They were Catholic.[3]

His early climbing partners included Royal Robbins and Tom Frost.

A Sierra Club member, in his youth he founded the Southern California Falconry Club, and it was his investigations of falconaeries that led him to rock climbing. To save money and to make adaptations for the way he was climbing, he decided to make his own climbing tools by teaching himself blacksmithing, and eventually started a business.[5]

Yosemite rock climber to leading alpinist

Chouinard was one of the leading climbers of the "Golden Age of Yosemite Climbing." He was one of the protagonists of the film made about this era: Valley Uprising ().

He participated in the first ascent of the North America Wall in (with Royal Robbins, Tom Frost, and Chuck Pratt), using no fixed ropes. The next year, his and TM Herbert's ascent of the Muir Wall on El Capitan improved the style of previous first ascents.[6] Chouinard became the most articulate advocate of the importance of style, the basis of modern rock climbing.

In , he visited Western Canada with Fred Beckey, and made several important first ascents, including the North Face of Mount Edith Cavell (Rockies), the Beckey-Chouinard Route on South Howser Tower in the Bugaboos (Purcell Mountains), and the North Face of Mount Sir Donald (Selkirk Mountains). These climbs opened his eyes to the idea of applying Yosemite big-wall climbing techniques to mountain climbing, and his advocacy was important to modern, high-grade alpinism.

Also in , he visited Shawangunk Ridge for the first time, freeclimbing the first pitch of Matinee (the hardest free climb done at Shawangunk Ridge at the time); and introducing chrome-molybdenum steel pitons to the area, which revolutionized climbing protection. In , he climbed Cerro Fitzroy in Patagonia by a new route (The Californian Route, 3rd overall ascent of the mountain) with Dick Dorworth, Chris Jones, Lito Tejada-Flores, and Douglas Tompkins.[7]

Chouinard has also traveled and climbed in the European Alps and in Pakistan.

Chouinard Equipment, Ltd.

In , he bought a second-hand coal-fired forge, and started making hardened steel pitons for use in Yosemite Valley.

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    • Between time spent surfing and climbing, he sold pitons out of the back of his car to support himself. The improved pitons were a big factor in the birth of big-wall climbing from to in Yosemite. The success of his pitons caused him to found Chouinard Equipment, Ltd.[8]

    In the late s, Chouinard and business partner Tom Frost began studying ice climbing equipment, and re-invented the basic tools (crampons and ice axes) to perform on steeper ice.

    These new tools and his book Climbing Ice () started the modern sport of ice climbing.[citation needed]

    Around , he became aware that the use of steel pitons made by his company was causing significant damage to the cracks of Yosemite. These pitons composed 70 percent of his income.[9] In and , Chouinard and Frost introduced new aluminum chockstones, called Hexentrics and Stoppers, along with the less successful steel Crack-n-Ups, and committed the company to the advocacy of the new tools and a new style of climbing called "clean climbing." This concept revolutionized rock climbing and led to further success of the company, despite cannibalizing the sales of pitons, formerly his most important product.

    They applied for a U.S. patent on Hexentrics in , and it was granted on April 6, [10] These are still manufactured by Black Diamond Equipment.

    In the latter s, Chouinard attempted a number of significant technological and technique changes to ice climbing after trips to the Alps in Europe and Sierra Nevada ice gullies in autumn.

    He removed the flex from crampons, making them more rigid for front-pointing. He drew the taper of a rock hammer into a point for better ice purchase. He increased the cross section of ice screws while also using lighter materials. He experimented with pick and blade issues with ice axes. Prior to this, much of ice climbing was seen as mere step cutting.

    He attempted to replace hand ice picks (climbing type) with a small ice axe head called a Climaxe.

    In , Chouinard Equipment, Ltd. filed for bankruptcy protection in order to protect it from liability lawsuits. The hard assets of Chouinard Equipment, Ltd. were acquired by its employees through the Chapter 11 process, and the company was reestablished as Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd.[9]

    Patagonia and environmentalism

    Chouinard is most known for founding the clothing and gear company Patagonia.

    Chouinard started to sell clothes by chance as a way to support his moderately profitable equipment business.[11] In on a trip to Scotland, he purchased some rugby shirts and sold them with great success.[12] From this small start, the Patagonia company developed a wide selection of rugged technical clothing.

    According to Chouinard, the intent of Patagonia is to make clothes for people under the rugged, southern Andes/Cape Horn conditions of places like Patagonia.[13]

    Recognizing that the financial success of the company provided the opportunity to also achieve personal goals, Chouinard committed the company to being an outstanding place to work, and to be an important resource for environmental activism.

    In , Patagonia opened an on-site cafeteria offering "healthy, mostly vegetarian food," and started providing on-site child care.[14] In , Chouinard committed the company to "tithing" for environmental activism, committing one percent of sales or ten percent of profits, whichever is the greater. The commitment included paying employees working on local environmental projects so they could commit their efforts full-time.

    In the early s, an environmental audit of Patagonia revealed the surprising result (at the time), that corporate cotton, although it was a natural material, had a heavy environmental footprint. In , Chouinard committed the company to using all organic cotton.[15]

    In , Yvon Chouinard founded 1% for the Planet and Patagonia became the first business to commit 1% of annual sales to the environment.[16]

    In , Patagonia supported the advocacy documentary film DamNation, which is about changing attitudes in America towards its dams.

    Chouinard was the executive producer of the film, and he was also featured in the film commenting about dams.

    In , in acknowledgment that sustainability and responsible practices are core to Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard was recognized with the Sierra Club's top award, the John Muir Award.[17]

    In , Chouinard announced that he was donating ownership in Patagonia to a trust to ensure profits are used for addressing climate change.[18][19] Chouinard's family retains control of the company's voting stock through the Patagonia Purpose Trust.[20][21]

    Personal life

    In , Chouinard met and married his wife, Malinda Pennoyer, who was an art and home economics student at California State University, Fresno.[22][23] They have a son (Fletcher) and a daughter (Claire), both of whom work for Patagonia.[24]

    In , Yvon Chouinard received an honorary degree from Bates College.[25]

    Publications

    Notable ascents

    • North Face, Mount Edith Cavell, Canadian Rockies (First ascent with Fred Beckey and Dan Doody).[26]
    • Northeast Face, Disappointment Peak, Teton Range, Wyoming.

      (IV A3) First ascent with Tom Frost.[27]

    • North American Wall, El Capitan, Yosemite Valley – (VI A5 ') – First ascent with Royal Robbins, Tom Frost and Chuck Pratt.[28]
    • Muir Wall, El Capitan, Yosemite Valley – (VI A3) – First ascent with TM Herbert, June [29]
    • Southwest Ridge aka California Route, Cerro Fitzroy, Patagonia First ascent of route with Doug Tompkins, Lito Tejada-Flores, Chris Jones and Dick Dorworth, 3rd ascent of peak.[30]
    • Diamond Couloir (direct finish) Mount Kenya, Kenya.

      First ascent of direct finish with Michael Covington, January [31]

    Related reading

    References

    1. ^"America's Best Leaders Yvon Chouinard". Archived from the original on December 24, Retrieved December 24,
    2. ^"Time ".

      Time. April 13, Retrieved April 15,

    3. ^Rosenblatt, Roger (October 18, ). "YVON CHOUINARD: Reaching the Top by Doing the Right Thing". Time. ISSN&#;X. Retrieved September 14,
    4. ^Publishers note
    5. ^Jones, Chris (). Climbing in North America. Berkeley, CA, USA: U of Cal Press.

      pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.

    6. ^Jones, Chris (). Climbing in North America.

      Yvon chouinard Throughout his career, Yvon has consistently challenged conventional business wisdom, proving that it is possible to build a successful company while prioritising environmental and social responsibility. Chouinard started to sell clothes by chance as a way to support his moderately profitable equipment business. Yvon Chouinard has always said that he would like to keep Patagonia in the family. Have you ever been rock climbing?

      Berkeley and Los Angeles, California, USA: University of California Press. ISBN&#;.

    7. ^Woods II, Wes (February 25, ). "'Heart of the business': Patagonia's humble blacksmith shop named Ventura landmark". Ventura County Star. Retrieved February 25,
    8. ^ ab"Fashion Planet ".

      Yvon chouinard biography of rory van: Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Founder Yvon Chouinard's journey from a young rock climber to a pioneering force in sustainable business practices is a testament to the power of aligning entrepreneurship with environmental stewardship. His life would start to take a fresh new path when he discovered the Falconry Club. In , Chouinard announced that he was donating ownership in Patagonia to a trust to ensure profits are used for addressing climate change.

      Retrieved December 24, [dead link&#;]

    9. ^Chouinard, Yvon; Frost, Tom (April 6, ). "Irregular, Polygonal Mountaineering Chock 3,,". United States Patent Office. Retrieved December 20,
    10. ^Hepburn, Sharon J. (). "In Patagonia (Clothing): A Complicated Greenness". Fashion Theory.

      17 (5): – doi/X ISSN&#;X. S2CID&#;

    11. ^Patagonia, Inc. (). "Patagonia's History – a company created by climber Yvon Chouinard". Patagonia web site. Retrieved December 1,
    12. ^Hepburn, Sharon J. (). "In Patagonia (Clothing): A Complicated Greenness". Fashion Theory. 17 (5): – doi/X ISSN&#;X.

      S2CID&#;

    13. ^Patagonia, Inc. (). "Patagonia's History – a company created by climber Yvon Chouinard". Patagonia web site. Retrieved June 20,
    14. ^Robin Wilkey (August 14, ). "Natural Fibers Versus Synthetic Fibers: Patagonia And Levi Strauss Say Organic Cotton 'Sucks'".

      The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 31,

    15. ^Chouinard, Yvon. "A letter from our founder, Yvon Chouinard". . Retrieved May 6,
    16. ^"Sierra Club Announces Award Winners". October
    17. ^Gelles, David (September 14, ). "Billionaire No More: Patagonia Founder Gives Away the Company".

      The New York Times.

    18. ^"Reimagining Capitalism". Patagonia. September 14,
    19. ^"Patagonia founder gives away company to help fight climate crisis". Reuters. September 17, Retrieved January 5,
    20. ^Barrett, Eamon (September 21, ).

      "Patagonia's founding family gave away company profits—but it still controls the retailer's future". Fortune.

    21. Yvon chouinard biography of rory van
    22. Yvon chouinard biography of rory allen
    23. Yvon chouinard biography of rory and dean

      24. Retrieved January 5,

    24. ^"Yvon Chouinard: the Patagonia climber-surfer who inspires millions". Surfertoday. Retrieved September 15,
    25. ^Barton, Robin (February 25, ). "The Observer profile: Yvon Chouinard".

      Yvon chouinard biography of rory anderson The Patagonia owner always loved rock climbing and surfing, but he sometimes disappeared into the wild for six months to go kayaking, skiing, and fishing;. Here are some surprising and stunning facts about Yvon Chouinard, a philosopher, thinker, innovator, environmentalist, inventor, philanthropist, mountain climber, and surfer. Routes of 5. In the late s, Chouinard and business partner Tom Frost began studying ice climbing equipment, and re-invented the basic tools crampons and ice axes to perform on steeper ice.

      the Guardian. Retrieved September 15,

    26. ^"Meet the children of Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard". Fortune. Retrieved October 29,
    27. ^"Commencement Livestream". March 12,
    28. ^Jones, Chris (). Climbing in North America.

      Yvon chouinard biography of rory mcilroy The Patagonia headquarters do not have enclosed workspaces or meeting rooms - it's an all-open space concept. The crew lost one member, and everyone else was severely hurt;. Before founding Patagonia, he worked as a private detective at his old brother Jeff's investigation agency and spent his free time on climbing excursions and surf trips; 8. Chouinard Equipment, Ltd.

      Berkeley, California, USA: University of California Press. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.

    29. ^Jones, Chris (). Climbing in North America. Berkeley, California, USA: U of Cal Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
    30. ^Jones, Chris (). Climbing in North America. University of California Press. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
    31. ^Reid, Don ().

      Yosemite Climbs: Big Walls. Evergreen, Colorado, USA: Chockstone Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

    32. ^Tompkins, Doug (). H. Adams Carter (ed.). "Fitz Roy ".

      Yvon chouinard biography of rory Chouinard started the clothing brand Patagonia in and gradually started spending more of his energy there. Young climbers must learn that bolting is done as a substitute for climbing. In , he bought a second-hand coal-fired forge, and started making hardened steel pitons for use in Yosemite Valley. Throughout his life, the entrepreneur advocated and embraced several causes, including fly fishing not bass fishing , upland bird hunting not deer hunting , surfing not waterskiing , and long-haul trucking not delivery men ;.

      American Alpine Journal. 16 (43). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA: American Alpine Club: –

    33. ^Covington, Michael (). "Mount Kenya's Diamond Couloir". American Alpine Journal. 20 (50). New York, New York, USA: American Alpine Club: –

    Other sources

    External links