2016 Presentation: Doug Tompkins Tribute

The outdoor and conservation world was shocked and saddened by the news in December of 2015 that Doug Tompkins died in an accident while sea kayaking with friends Rick Ridgeway and Yvon Chouinard in Patagonia. Tompkins was a massive figure in conservation who lived a colorful and influential life. He was a member of the infamous Fun Hogs, whose epic 1968 climb of Fitzroy in Patagonia became the stuff of legend. His next iteration was entrepreneur, cofounding The North Face, which focused on high-performance sleeping bags, tents and backpacks. The business sold for $50,000 in the late ’60s, and he used that money to start the clothing company Esprit, which was considerably more successful financially for him. Over the years, Tompkins grew disillusioned with the fashion industry. Increasingly disturbed about its environmental impact, he sold Esprit and turned his energies toward conservation. The tireless efforts of Tompkins and his wife, Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, created a remarkable stretch of national parks in Patagonia that today covers more than 2 million acres of wilderness in Chile and Argentina. At first, their efforts were met with skepticism and even scorn by many locals, but after Tompkins’ death the Chilean Senate voted unanimously to make him an honorary citizen. His work has prompted some experts to call him the greatest land conservationist since John Muir. Doug and Kris Tompkins spoke at the festival in 2003, and for this special tribute Kris returns with friends, including Rick Ridgeway and Lito Tejada-Flores (cofounder of Mountainfilm), to honor the expansive life and enduring legacy of her husband — a true icon in our world