Dean Potter

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Dean Potter (2009)

Dean Spalding Potter (born April 14, 1972 in New Hampshire , † May 16, 2015 in Yosemite National Park , California ) was an American climber and mountaineer as well as base jumper and highliner .

Life

Potter was considered a specialist in the disciplines of free solo and speed climbing . In his urge for freedom he felt restricted by safety devices and invented the free-base technique for big walls , in which he climbed alone and without a rope, but carried a parachute on his back. As a motivation for his extreme sport, Potter cited memories and impressions from his earliest childhood, which accompanied him throughout his life: a constantly recurring ( night ) dream was that of flying; he would have grown feathers and fly with the birds. Each time the dream ended in a fall to his death. “He couldn't get rid of this idea, he couldn't escape it. Eventually he decided to face his fears and told her to his purpose in life. "In 2003 he won the Golden Piton Award of Climber's magazine for the best performance in climbing and the Laureus World Sports Awards as an alternative Athlete of the Year in 2003. He participated in the documentary Am Limit (2007).

He managed the longest duration of a base wingsuit flight: in 2 minutes 50 seconds he flew in Switzerland, jumping from the Eiger , almost 6.5 km. In May 2015, Potter set a speed record for climbing Half Dome , one of the landmarks of Yosemite National Park .

On May 16, 2015, Dean Potter - together with Graham Hunt - had a fatal accident during a base jump with wingsuits from the 2300 m high Taft Point in Yosemite National Park. Both had apparently tried to fly through a gap in the rock with their wingsuits. They hit rocks one after the other. In the accident, the umbrellas remained unopened. Evaluation of a GoPro camera that survived the crash unscathed revealed that Hunt missed the gap and hit the rock. Potter tried to evade, managed to get through the gap, but lost height during the maneuver and hit the ground. Both died instantly because of the speed.

Potter was married to mountaineer Stephanie Davis from 2002 to 2010 ; the marriage remained childless. He last lived with his partner Jennifer Rapp and their three children.

Controversy

"Potter was a free spirit, and he was so consistent that his strong desire for freedom kept getting him into trouble." “He broke rules, made his own rules” and polarized in his “pursuit of unconditional independence”. Controversies accompanied his sports life. This was not only due to his increasingly daring actions, but was also due to the way he went public with them.

In 2006, Potter had in Arches National Park to as a symbol of the state of Utah , serving stone arch Delicate Arch climbed accompanied by a cameraman. Although it was "actually not forbidden" in the park regulations, there was an unwritten law in the scene to avoid the fragile stone arch. Potter was not only heavily criticized for his visit from the ranks of climbers, his action also led to a change in the park rules. Potter initially saw no reason to apologize for having broken no law. The ongoing criticism ultimately led Potter and his long-time main sponsor Patagonia , who passed the report of the inspection to the media without knowing that it was questionable, to make a public statement. Patagonia withdrew financial aid from Potter and his then-wife Stephanie Davis in 2007.

In 2014, Potter lost another long-term sponsor. The company Clif Bar & Company, an American manufacturer of sports nutrition, announced the financial support for Potter, Alex Honnold and three other extreme athletes after a long partnership. Shortly before, Clif Bar was the main sponsor of the documentary Valley Uprising , which shows the history of sport climbing in Yosemite Valley and highlights Potter as a starting point and source of inspiration for the climbing generation of the self-proclaimed "Stonemonkeys". The company promoted and supported the release of the documentary even after the sponsorship ended. Potter was irritated that the company on the one hand uses his and Honnold's climbing scenes as a marketing tool, but then "fires" them. Due to the subsequent "heated debate" in the US climbing scene, the company commented on its decision in an open letter and stated that it had started the internal discussion "more than a year ago", about the sponsorship of athletes who are known for free soloing, base jumping and highlining. These would exceed life-threatening limits in their actions, which the company can no longer advocate.

During Potter's stay in Grindelwald in the summer of 2013, the 22-minute short film When Dogs Fly was made . The film shows Potter together with his dog Whisper , an Australian Cattle Dog , with whom Potter had a special relationship, on the ascent to the Mushroom , a twelve meter high rock tower in front of the west ridge of the Eiger north face, as well as the subsequent base jump. Potter is wearing a wingsuit and the dog is strapped to Potter's back in a backpack. After its release, the film received positive reviews in the US media, but it was also criticized - especially on social media. Potter has been accused of irresponsible behavior and cruelty to animals. Potter commented on the allegations in the US magazine Rock and Ice . Millions of people watched the film on the Internet.

Base jumping is prohibited in the entire Yosemite National Park, as US federal regulation 36 CFR 2.17 only allows the use of parachutes, helicopters and other means of flight in all national parks in emergencies. "Potter fought and ignored" this ban for years, summarized Pulitzer Prize winner John Branch Potter's position on the law. Branch was in contact with Potter because of his longstanding struggle to legalize base jumping in Yosemite Valley. Potter justified his actions publicly with the fact that he does not see that he is being criminalized in his home country for something that is legal in other countries and does not harm the environment. The park authority, for which Potter worked as a mountain rescuer for five years, knew about his regular base jumps. The director of Yosemite National Park, Gauthier, commented that it was clear that Potter followed his beliefs and his heart regardless of personal or professional consequences. "How much respect Dean Potter has earned from the park authorities over the years," was made clear by their comments on his death. The park spokesman said Potter loved the national park and everything it stood for, that his death was "a great loss". The park manager described Potter as an "outstanding personality". Base jumpers see the ban on base jumps in the national park as a contribution to the fatal fall: in order to avoid the supervision of the park rangers , most jumps are made in very poor lighting conditions in the very early morning or in the evening just before dark. This fact was highlighted by other extreme athletes as a contributory cause of the accident even before the official investigation was concluded.

Services (selection)

  • 1998: Speed ​​record on the Regular Northwest Face (VI 5.12), Half Dome , Yosemite National Park in 4:17.
  • 1998: Speed ​​record on the Direct Northwest Face (VI 5.14a), Half Dome, Yosemite National Park with Jose Pereyra in 8:20.
  • 1998: Speed ​​record on Mescalito (A3 5.8), southeast face El Capitan , Yosemite National Park with Jose Pereyra and Russ Mitrovitch in 23:28. (First ascent in a day.)
  • 1998: Speed ​​ascent of the Salathé Wall (VI 5.13b) southwest face El Capitan, Yosemite National Park with Jose Pereyra in 7:33.
  • 1998: Speed ​​record on the Lurking Fear (VI 5.13), southwest face El Capitan, Yosemite National Park with Jose Pereyra in 7:15.
  • 1999: First speed ascent of two big walls in Yosemite National Park in one day; Half Dome, Regular Northwest Face (VI 5.12) and El Capitan, Freerider (VI 5.12d) in 23 hours.
  • 2000: Second free solo ascent of Astroman (V 5.11c), east wall Washington Column, Yosemite National Park.
  • 2000: Free solo ascent of the Blind Faith (IV 5.11d), The Rostrum, Yosemite National Park.
  • 2000: Free solo ascent of the Regular North Face (IV 5.11d), The Rostrum, Yosemite National Park.
  • 2001: First ascent of three big walls in Yosemite National Park with Timmy O'Neil in one day; Half Dome, Regular Route (VI 5.9 A1), Mount Watkins, South Face (VI 5.9 A3) and El Capitan, The Nose (VI 5.9 A2) at 23:45.
  • 2001: Speed ​​record on the nose (VI 5.11 A3), El Capitan, Yosemite National Park with Timmy O'Neill in 3: 59.35.
  • 2001: Opening of the Potter-Davis Route (V 5.11 C1 WI4), North Face Poincenot, Patagonia with Steph Davis.
  • 2001: Speed ​​record on the nose (VI 5.11 A3), El Capitan, Yosemite National Park with Timmy O'Neill in 3: 24.20.
  • 2002: First solo ascent of the Supercanaleta (TD + 5.10 90 °) on Fitz Roy , Patagonia in 6:30.
  • 2002: Solo ascent of the compressor route (VI 5.10c A2 70 °) on Cerro Torre , Patagonia in 11 hours from the glacier.
  • 2002: Opening of the California Roulette route (VI 5.10+ W15), West Face Fitz Roy, Patagonia in 9:50.
  • 2002: First red point ascent of two big walls in Yosemite National Park in one day; Half Dome, Regular Northwest Face (VI 5.12) and El Capitan, Freerider (VI 5.12d) in 23:23. (Potter received the Laureus World Sports Awards in 2003 in the Alternative Sportsman of the Year category .)
  • 2002: Red point inspection of The Epitaph (5.13b), Tombstone, Utah with Steph Davis. (For this achievement, Potter and Davis received the 2003 Golden Piton Award in the crack climbing category .)
  • 2003: Redpoint inspection of Conception (5.13a), Canyon Day , Utah.
  • 2004: First red point ascent of the Silent Line (5.10 C1), Ribbon Falls, Yosemite National Park.
  • 2005: Second ascent of the Titanic route (ED 6+ A2 90 °) on the Torre Egger , Patagonia with Steph Davis.
  • 2006: First free solo ascent of Dog's Roof (5.12b), Yosemite National Park.
  • 2006: First free solo ascent of Heaven (5.12d / 13a), Yosemite National Park.
  • 2006: Third free solo ascent of Separate Reality (5.11d), Yosemite National Park.
  • 2006: Second ascent of the Southern Belle (V 5.12d), Half Dome south face, Yosemite National Park with Leo Houlding.
  • 2006: Climbing Delicate Arch in Arches National Park , Utah .
  • 2006: Speed ​​record on the Reticent Wall (VI 5.7 A5), El Capitan, Yosemite National Park with Ammon McNeely and Ivo Ninovin in 34:57.
  • 2006: Opening of the route The long run (6c / A1 / M7), Patagonia with Marko Prezelj and Stephen Koch.
  • 2008: First free base ascent of Deep Blue Sea (5.12+), Eiger north face .
  • 2008: First free base ascent of Alien Roof (5.12b), The Rostrum, Yosemite National Park.
  • 2009: Base jump from the Eiger .
  • 2010: Speed ​​record on the nose (VI 5.11 A3), El Capitan, Yosemite National Park with Sean Leary in 2: 36.45.
  • 2015: Trail running record Half Dome FKT , Yosemite Valley in 2: 17.52.

Web links

Commons : Dean Potter  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Dean Potter - LifeLine (bio on the official site)
  2. ^ Article on death at climbing.com , English, accessed on May 18, 2015
  3. ↑ Video: Dean Potter at the 15th St. Anton Film Festival 2009 on youtube.com (in English)
  4. ↑ Outdoor Channel of July 12, 2011: Dean Potter's Moonwalk: Highline at full moon
  5. ^ Stephan Orth: Extreme sportsman Dean Potter: Russian roulette in the steep face. Spiegel Online , November 18, 2011, accessed January 1, 2014 .
  6. ↑ Tages-Anzeiger: Embracing Insanity , May 28, 2015
  7. ↑ Extreme athlete Dean Potter among two killed Base jumping in Yosemite in: The Guardian , May 18, 2015, accessed May 18, 2015
  8. ↑ Oaturday evening, May 16, BASE jumpers Dean Potter and Graham Hunt died after attempting a wingsuit flight from Taft Point
  9. ↑ Extreme athlete: Dean Potter dies in a wingsuit accident. In: Spiegel Online from May 18, 2015 (accessed May 18, 2015)
  10. ^ A b John Branch: Dean Potter, Extreme Climber, Dies in BASE-Jumping Accident at Yosemite. The New York Times , May 17, 2015, accessed May 17, 2015 .
  11. ↑ SF Gate: Yosemite plunge: Fatal mistake in a sport with no room for error , May 19, 2015
  12. ↑ Dean Potter: "I believe it is possible to fly." in: Alpin May 19, 2015, accessed May 30, 2015
  13. ↑ SZ online May 18, 2015: Crazy about risk
  14. ↑ a b Bernd Steinle: Extreme Sportsman Dean Potter. The man who flirted with death. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , May 18, 2015, accessed on June 15, 2015 .
  15. ↑ Stephan Orth: On the death of extreme sportsman Dean Potter: Der Vogelmensch. Der Spiegel , May 18, 2015, accessed on June 15, 2015 .
  16. ↑ Nick Heil: Dean Potter, Extreme Risk and the Allure of the 'Dangerous Arts'. Time , May 28, 2015, accessed June 15, 2015 .
  17. ↑ Walter Aeschimann: sponsoring in extreme sports. Playing with death. Neue Zürcher Zeitung , July 3, 2015, accessed on July 4, 2015 .
  18. ↑ Brian Clark Howard: Dean Potter's Extreme Life in 7 Hair-Raising Videos. National Geographic Channel , May 18, 2015, accessed June 26, 2015 .
  19. ^ Alan Yuhas: Extreme athlete Dean Potter hailed as 'a visionary' by fellow climbers and friends. The Guardian , May 18, 2015, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  20. ^ Paul Foy: Park Service rushes to ban climbing of arches in Utah park. Daily Herald, May 9, 2006, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  21. ^ Sarah Kaplan: Dean Potter, extreme climber, dies in Yosemite base jumping accident. The Washington Post , May 18, 2015, accessed June 20, 2015 : "While not technically illegal, [...]."
  22. ^ A b Lisa J. Church: Park tweaks rules after Delicate Arch climb. (No longer available online.) The Salt Lake Tribune, May 10, 2006, archived from the original on August 20, 2006 ; accessed on June 20, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sltrib.com
  23. ↑ Tim Neville: How Delicate Was Dean? Outside Online, June 1, 2006, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  24. ↑ Jason Blevis: Climber's ascent sparks controversy. The Denver Post, May 16, 2006, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  25. ↑ Dean Potter under heavy fire after climbing Delicate Arch. Climbing.de, May 16, 2006, accessed on January 1, 2014 .
  26. ^ Lisa J. Church: Park tweaks rules after Delicate Arch climb. (No longer available online.) The Salt Lake Tribune, May 10, 2006, archived from the original on August 20, 2006 ; Retrieved on June 20, 2015 (English): "I didn't want to break the law, and I didn't break the law." Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sltrib.com
  27. ↑ Official Statement from Patagonia and Dean Potter on the Delicate Arch Climb. Outside Online, June 8, 2006, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  28. ↑ Angus M. Thuermer Jr .: Climber Potter, Patagonia agree to split the synchilla. In: Jackson Hole News & Guide. Teton Media Works, March 21, 2007, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  29. ↑ Duane Raleigh: Honnold, Potter, and Others Fired by Clif Bar for Soloing. Rock and Ice Magazine, November 7, 2014, accessed May 31, 2015 .
  30. ^ John Branch: A Sponsor Steps Away From the Edge. International New York Times , November 14, 2014, accessed May 18, 2015 .
  31. ^ Valley Uprising: The climbing film of the year? In: bergleben.de. Mountain News GmbH, October 26, 2014, accessed on June 15, 2015 .
  32. ↑ Caty Enders: Extreme athlete Dean Potter one of two people killed Base jumping in Yosemite. The Guardian , May 18, 2015, accessed June 15, 2015 .
  33. ^ John Branch: A Sponsor Steps Away From the Edge. International New York Times , November 14, 2014, accessed May 18, 2015 : “It seemed sleazy that Clif Bar would use some of my best climbs, and Alex's best climbs, as a marketing tool on one hand, but then fire us on the other. "
  34. ^ A Letter to the Climbing Community. (No longer available online.) Clif Bar & Company, archived from the original on June 26, 2015 ; accessed on June 15, 2015 (English): "Over a year ago [...]."
  35. ↑ Mary Anne Potts: Video: When Dogs Fly - Dean Potter Takes His Dog Whisper BASE Jumping. Beyond the Edge - National Geographic Adventure Blog, May 27, 2014, accessed May 31, 2015 .
  36. ↑ Dean Potter: Dean Potter's Final Essay on Love and Adventure. Outside, October 13, 2015, accessed October 19, 2015 .
  37. ↑ Asawin Suebsaeng: The Story Behind That video of Whisper, the BASE Jumping Dog. Mother Jones , May 29, 2014, accessed May 31, 2015 .
  38. ↑ Dean Potter: Freefalling His Dog. Alpin , June 14, 2014, accessed May 31, 2015 .
  39. ↑ Dean Potter: Dean Potter Responds to Criticism About Flying with His Dog. Rock and Ice Magazine, May 28, 2014, accessed May 31, 2015 .
  40. ↑ Bernd Steinle: Extreme Sportsman Dean Potter - The Man Who Flirted With Death. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , May 18, 2015, accessed on May 31, 2015 .
  41. ↑ 36 CFR 2.17 - Aircraft and air delivery. US Government Publishing Office, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  42. ↑ Thomas Curwen: Yosemite BASE jumper was attuned to the flutter of a butterfly. The Los Angeles Times , May 24, 2015, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  43. ↑ John Branch: Dean Potter, Extreme Climber, Dies in BASE-Jumping Accident at Yosemite. The New York Times , May 17, 2015, accessed May 17, 2015 : "But Potter fought and flouted the rules for many years."
  44. ^ John Branch: Lost Brother in Yosemite. The New York Times , June 11, 2015, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  45. ↑ a b c Tony Barboza, Brittny Mejia and Lee Romney: For Dean Potter, BASE jumping was spirituality, not sport. The Los Angeles Times , May 18, 2015, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  46. ↑ Brett Israel: 3,000 Feet of Air Below Your Feet: A Q&A With Dean Potter. In: LiveScience. Purch, February 13, 2012, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  47. ↑ Andrew Bisharat: How Dean Potter Reinvented Climbing, Jumping, Flying. National Geographic Channel , May 18, 2015, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  48. ↑ a b Caty Enders: Did rules, not risk, cause Dean Potter's Base jumping death? The Guardian , May 22, 2015, accessed May 22, 2015 .
  49. ^ Shelby Grad: Dean Potter's death just the latest to strike Yosemite climbing community. The Los Angeles Times , May 18, 2015, accessed June 20, 2015 .
  50. ↑ US daredevil Dean Potter dies during flying stunt. BBC News , May 18, 2015, accessed June 20, 2015 : "This is a huge loss for all of us."
  51. ^ Alan Yuhas: Extreme athlete Dean Potter hailed as 'a visionary' by fellow climbers and friends. The Guardian , May 18, 2015, accessed on June 20, 2015 (English): "He was a larger-than-life character, [...]."
  52. ↑ Hans Florine, Bill Wright: Speed ​​Climbing !: How To Climb Faster And Better. In: How To Climb Series . Falcon Guides, Springfield, United States, 2nd edition, Nov. 1, 2004, ISBN 978-0-7627-3095-7 , p. 127 online . (English)
  53. ^ Direct Northwest Face. Speed ​​record. In: YosemiteBigwall.com. Erik Sloan, accessed June 25, 2015 .
  54. ^ Summit Register - Mescalito. In: YosemiteBigwall.com. Erik Sloan, accessed June 25, 2015 .
  55. ↑ Dean Potter on the Salathe. summitpost.org, accessed June 25, 2015 .
  56. ↑ Lurking Fear. Speed ​​record. In: YosemiteBigwall.com. Erik Sloan, accessed June 25, 2015 .
  57. ^ Christian Beckwith: The American Alpine Journal 2000. American Alpine Club, Golden, United States 2000, ISBN 978-0-930410-87-2 , p. 170. ( online ). (English)
  58. ^ Dougald MacDonald: Astroman and Rostrum Free-Solo. Climbing.com, accessed June 25, 2015 .
  59. ↑ a b Dean Potter climbs "Separate Reality" (5.11d) and "Dog's Roof" (5.12b) free solo. In: climbing.de. Martin Joisten, June 15, 2006, accessed on June 22, 2015 .
  60. ^ Christian Beckwith: The American Alpine Journal 2000. American Alpine Club, Golden United States 2000, ISBN 978-0-930410-87-2 , p. 200. ( online ). (English)
  61. ↑ a b c New nose speed record. Bergstieg.com, November 9, 2010, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  62. ↑ Potter-Davis. Pataclimb.com, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  63. ↑ Supercanaleta Solo. Bergstieg.com, January 19, 2009, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  64. ↑ 2001-2002 SEASON OVERVIEW. In: Alpinist. Alpinist LLC, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  65. ↑ Cedar Wright: YOSEMITE VALLEY. In: Alpinist. Alpinist LLC, March 1, 2003, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  66. ^ Laureus Sports Awards 2003 Nominees Announced. USA Cycling, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  67. ↑ 2003 Golden Piton Awards: Crack Climbing. In: Climbing.com. Active Interest Media, August 22, 2002, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  68. ^ Dave Pegg: Immaculate Concepcion. In: Climbing.com. Active Interest Media, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  69. ^ Scott Bennett: The Silent Line. In: Mountainproject Inc. Mountainproject.com, May 20, 2010, accessed June 25, 2015 .
  70. ↑ a b Jeff Jackson: Dean Potter Free Solos Separate Reality and A Dog's Roof. Rock and Ice, September 1, 2006, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  71. ↑ Holly Hansen: Potter in Free Solo Heaven. In: Climbing.com. Active Interest Media, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  72. ^ Dougald MacDonald: Scary Half Dome Route Gets Second Free Ascent. In: Climbing.com. Active Interest Media, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  73. ↑ Dougald MacDonald: Reticent Wall in a single push. In: Climbing.com. Active Interest Media, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  74. ↑ Marko Prezelj : Prezelj's New Tours in Patagonia 2006. Bergstieg.com, March 17, 2006, accessed on June 22, 2015 .
  75. ↑ Melissa Thomasma: "FreeBASE": Dean Potter on the Eiger north face. In: Alpinist. Alpinist LLC, August 13, 2008, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  76. ↑ Mick Ryan: Potter Solos In Yosemite With BASE parachute rig. In: UKClimbing.com. UKClimbing Limited, November 2008, accessed June 25, 2015 .
  77. ↑ Adventures of the Year. The Icarus Project. National Geographic Channel , accessed June 25, 2015 (December 2009 / January 2010).
  78. ↑ Hayden Carpenter: Dean Potter Sets New Half Dome FKT. Rock and Ice, May 6, 2015, accessed June 22, 2015 .
  79. ↑ Ariella Gintzler: Legendary Climber Dean Potter Sets New Half Dome FKT. Trail Running Magazine, May 5, 2015, accessed June 22, 2015 .
personal data
SURNAME Potter, Dean
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Potter, Dean Spalding (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American climber and mountaineer
DATE OF BIRTH April 14, 1972
PLACE OF BIRTH New Hampshire
DATE OF DEATH May 16, 2015
Place of death Yosemite National Park , California