Clif Bar announced it will no longer sponsor climbers known primarily for free-soloing, BASE jumping and highlining after news broke that it dropped five climbers from its team who appeared participating in those activities in a new documentary film the company sponsored along with Then North Face.
Among those fired was Alex Honnold, 29, who is best known for climbing cliffs with no ropes. Other athletes dropped included Timmy ONeill, Steph Davis, Dean Potter and Cedar Wright, according to Rock and Ice, which first reported their firings. News of the firing set off a ferocious social media debate with some pledging to boycott the brand and others defending its right to choose its athletes. Clif Bar still has nearly 100 outdoor athletes on its roster, including 15 climbers.
Many questioned the timing of the firings, given that “Valley Uprising,” a documentary film “presented by The North Face in association with Clif Bar” was released worldwide in September and is still touring all over the world. The film traces the counter-culture history of rock climbing in Yosemite from its dirt bag origins in the 1970s to climbers that are pushing the envelope of the sport today, including the five Clif Bar fired.
In a Nov. 13 “Letter to the Climbing Community,” Clif Bar said it came to the decision after more than a year of internal discussions about safety concerns.
“We concluded that these forms of the sport are pushing boundaries and taking the element of risk to a place where we as a company are no longer willing to go,” Clif Bar explained. “We understand that some climbers feel these forms of climbing are pushing the sport to new frontiers. But we no longer feel good about benefitting from the amount of risk certain athletes are taking in areas of the sport where there is no margin for error; where there is no safety net.”
The company said its decision ultimately came down to “a sense of responsibility to our own story, what we endorse and the activities that we encourage-which is largely reflected in our sponsorship of athletes. This isnt about drawing a line for the sport or limiting athletes from pursuing their passions. Were drawing a line for ourselves. We understand that this is a grey area, but we felt a need to start somewhere and start now.”
The letter triggered more than hundreds of responses on Clif Bar’s Facebook page. Reponses appeared fairly evenly split between critics – some of whom suggested Clif Bar packaging depicts unsafe climbing technique – and supporters.
“I will admit Im not a climber, however, my daughter is,” read one such comment. “Extreme Free Solo climbing isnt something I would ever want her to do. By sponsoring an athlete that participates in extreme risky/illegal behavior a company is promoting and approving of that behavior by people that dont have the same skill set.”
