This is the founder of Clif Bar, Gary Erikson.
Launched in 1992, the rise of Clif Bar began when Gary Erikson, the founder of Clif Bar, realized the necessity of healthy, appetizing bar that can enhance wilderness adventure experiences. This revelation came from his own experience of swallowing hard-to-digest bar when he took one-day bicycle ride in 1990. Since that day, Mr. Erikson has endeavored to make satisfactory bars for athletes, and his company has served its purpose for more than two decades. In this spirit, this organization has sponsored athletes who embrace athletic experience and want to share it with others, philanthropy which has been praised for a long time.
Few days ago, Clif Bar has announced that it will terminate its sponsorship for five famous climbers: Dean Potter, Steph Davis, Cedar Wright, Timmy O’Neill, and Alex Honnold. The withdrawal put many climbers in dismay and even infuriated them. Especially, this is very controversial because the company still remains to sponsor “Valley Uprising”, a documentary film that mainly draws on the risks these guys have conquered. With this decision, some climbers even worried that the company’s decision would dis-encourage people from further commitment to dangerous sports.
Despite some criticisms made by climbers and others in the similar beliefs, the Clif Bar’s decision should be greeted with a surge of support and respect. In its open letter to climbing community, the company clearly stated that “this isn’t about drawing a line for the sport or limiting athletes from pursuing their passions,” but the company is just drawing a line for itself. It is the company’s right to express its discomfort for risks some of the climbers including Honnold and Potter have made.
Alex Honnold is the leading athlete of free soloing, a type of climbing without a rope.
In fact, even for me, my palms were drenched in sweat when I was immersed into one film in which Honnold placidly climbs up without a rope on an almost ninety degree angle cliff that is thousand feet from ground. There is no marginal error for this sport. With a simple misstep or unexpected misfortune, Honnold may lose his life, and it is his acquaintances’ fear that Honnold will eventually lead him to challenges until one may cost his life. These activities are more of a suicide than an adventure although I immeasurably respect Honnold’s decision and don’t possess any right to thwart him from this sport.
But, is it wrong for one to express one’s concern and disagreement to Honnold and other climbers’ life-threatening adventures? According to John Stuart Mill, any individual should be able to practice his autonomy, and the society around the individual should not hamper such freedom unless the individual inflicts harm on someone else indirectly or directly. Otherwise, no one should intervene in an individual’s life. So as long as Honnold or Potter doesn’t coerce someone into this sport, they do not hold any responsibly nor owe an apology for someone’s damage for their commitment to a dangerous adventure.
This is a picture of John Stuart Mill.
Of course, the definition of harm varies among people. According to the Oxford dictionary, harm is a “physical injury, especially that which is deliberately inflicted.” It could also be “a material damage and actual or potential ill effects or danger.” No one experiences such harm, except the company which sponsors these climbers. Cliff Bar understood this, and they defined their own definition of harm and withdrew their contracts with climbers it has supported for many years.
It is regrettable that these climbers are no more sponsored by Clif Bar, but it is imperative that we make the distinction between the company revealing its stance and the company impeding individuals from pursuit of freedom, the former respected and the latter prohibited. The company made it crystal clear that it just drew a line for itself, not others. As the company acknowledges, the process was not perfect, but its bold stance should be still respected.
Touchdown Theory 