The North Face Co-Founder Doug Tompkins Dies in Kayaking Accident

Co-Founder of The North Face, Doug Tompkins, died in a kayaking accident in Patagonia. Tompkins co-founded The North Face with Yvon Chouinard, who later founded Patagonia. The two explored areas of Patagonia before anyone else and took the knowledge and inspiration from Patagonia to found iconic brands that have led the adventure sports world in fashion and functional gear and apparel.

Thompkins was initially rescued from the lake but passed away due to hypothermia.

A statement from The North Face via Instagram read:

We are all deeply saddened by the news of Doug Tompkins’ passing. Doug was special to many of us. He founded The North Face in 1966 as a small ski and backpacking retail and mail order operation in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. He was a passionate advocate for the environment, and his legacy of conservation is one that we hope to help continue in the work we do every day. He most recently visited our headquarters in Alameda, CA in 2013 and again inspired us to live a life of outdoor exploration. He will be missed.

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