The Man Who Can Fly
National Geographic: Legendary rock climber and base jumper Dean Potter mounts an expedition to free climb the massive peaks of Canada’s Mt. Butte. Catch it Sunday February 12th at 8:00pm!
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Functional Apparel for the Unconventional Spirit
The sixth annual REEL ROCK Film Tour brings you a mind-blowing, palm-sweating pump-fest of new releases from Big UP Productions, Sender Films, and more. Featuring prAna Ambassador Dean Potter and the race for the Nose speed record, a nine year old bouldering prodigy, Tommy Caldwell’s epic mission to free the Dawn Wall, Andy Lewis’ crazed slacklining and BASE jumping antics, the wildest ice climbing ever done, and a near-disastrous winter ascent of an 8,000 meter peak. Check reelrocktour.com for a show near you this fall.
Breath, life, vitality of the spirit.
Hey guys. Here is a mini clip from my week long slideshow tour in Europe. On the 14th, my friend Fabio Palma gave me an extra special birthday present. He brought me to a beautiful un-jumped spot above the town historic climbing town of Lecco Italy. I opened the long flight from Pian Dei Resinelli, Italy. Check out how soon I glide…
~Ciao. Dean Potter
Breath, life, vitality of the spirit.
Last week at the Natural Products Expo West, Dean and ‘Whisper Dog’ were on site at the Flora trade show booth meeting customers and talking about the benefits of Udo’s oil. Dean’s been using the oil as a dietary supplement and has seen huge benefits in his strength, recovery time and injury prevention.
“Udo’s Oil is an organic blend of plant-sourced oils designed to supply the ideal ratio of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. It contains all the good fats you need”
~Dean Potter
Dean built an adjustable steel frame to set up a portable slack line, where he introduced slack lining to many show attendees and played around a bit too. Check out the video of Dean’s shortest slack line set up to date…
UPDATE: Check out this video of Dean and Scott Jurek teaching Amy Purdy how to slackline! As far as we know Amy is the first double amputee ever to get up on a line!
… and here’s another one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-9JLEB4qA8
Breath, life, vitality of the spirit.
Midwest Mountaineering, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
The auditorium was packed – no seats remained for Dean Potter’s show “Embracing Insanity” hosted by Midwest Mountaineering in Minneapolis. I started following Dean’s accomplishments many years ago amazed by his persistence to challenge himself, his strength, his speed, his balance and most of all willingness to push beyond what no other has done.
The Dean Potter show was free but you needed to pick up your ticket at Midwest Mountaineering. No tickets remained the week prior of the show and for those people without a ticket and still hoping for a seat the line began outside the auditorium hours prior of the show.
Dean walked into the building and people rushed to meet him and ask questions, to see him in-person and get their pictures taken with him. I noticed his graciousness in allowing folks to surround him and his willingness to answer questions and be part of many photos. There is a certain quietness about him – he appears as someone very comfortable about who he is.
For more than a hour and a half Dean told his stories combined with video and slides. He wove a story about himself beginning as a child haunted by a dream of falling and his search for a way to fly free. He told us how this dream has shaped his life. Dean Potter is truly a creative genius. He rethinks the possible. He pushes the limits of climbing by pursuing the dream of flying.
When the program was over, Dean walked with me to another auditorium where folks were being seated for the start of The Banff Mountain Film Festival. We walked down in front and I could tell that folks recognized him by their whispers. Someone from the audience came forward and told Dean he heard him speak that afternoon and that he had started a new program in Minneapolis for kids based on Dean’s life experience – dream big and explore creative solutions.
Dean left us with images of an incredible athlete willing to push limits and what can happen when you are willing to follow your dreams.
~Jan Fast
Some have called him crazy, but after hearing Dean Potter speak at Midwest Mountaineering’s Winter Expo, it was simple to see that he was just a man with one request—to fly. He began his presentation by entering into a disclaimer, that he chose the path of stark individualist and introvert so that he would never have to do/give large presentations; similar of course to the one he was giving. The irony of such a statement and the light humor Potter employed from there on out spoke to the fact that unlike the man he disclosed to the audience, Potter was in fact a fantastic storyteller. He spent little time however describing his accomplishments, focusing instead on the people he met along the way. Potter painted a vivid picture of life in the Yosemite Valley in the 90’s as the colorful birthplace of slack lining, and home to some of the times most extreme athletes. He spoke candidly about many of his closet friends, many of whom had died. The presentation grappled with two of the most serious and thought provoking questions of our time; what does it mean to live, and how do we come to terms with death. After witnessing the death of many of his friends, Potter spoke about the impact they had had on his own life, as well as their contributions to the outdoor community as a whole. Potter’s presentation was about relationships, and expressing the fullness of ones character. It was about setting goals, and about knowing who you are. At the end, one must come to the conclusion that Dean Potter is not crazy. He is a man with a vision different than most, but his constant and genuine pursuit of his goals lead us to believe that he may have never had a choice in the matter—that his path was decided for him upon birth—and that if anyone can achieve flight, it will be Dean.
~Bria Fast
It was another beautiful year here at prAna and we are both pleased and surprised at the blog posts that YOU viewed more than any others! Enjoy (re) reading these as we prepare to usher in 2011. ~Namaste
These 39 inspiring and simple daily tips on how each of us can make our lives and that of those around us better was far and away our most read post… for good reason. We have all grown a little from the invigorating thoughts and our thanks go out to Linda’s Yoga Journey.
#2. Dean Potter – On the line solo, at Taft Point
An amazing photograph, story and personal philosophy from one of the most well known outdoor athletes. The unaltered images have been posted across the web and continue to amaze people. For more on Dean click HERE.
#3. 50 Excellent Yoga Moves To Cure Any Kind Of Pain Or Problem
Yoga is widely known for being a gentle, but effective workout tool. Yoga can also help ease everyday aches and pains to keep you from visiting the doctor numerous times a year. Like they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
#4. From Dean Potter, About Freesolo
We noticed the post on Dean’s freesolo at Taft Point (#2 above) had a lot of readers concerned and a few skeptical. We asked Dean to share with us a little about his training on the line, and dug up a video clip from a feature on Dean in the New York Times. This is what Dean had to say in his own words… For more on Dean click HERE.
#5. 50 Best Yoga Books for Your Mind, Body, & Spirit
Obviously, a multitude of yoga books with plenty of valuable things to say exist beyond this list. But the following 50 have stood out based on their reviews and popularity, providing readers of all interests and experience levels with all the information they need on the different methods and how they can shape a person’s mental, physical and spiritual facets for the better. Most mentioned book that was omitted from the list by readers is the Bhagavad-Gita.
#6. PRob Sends! One Of The Hardest Boulder Problems On American Soil
Paul Robinson had his eye on a line called ‘Rasta Man Sit Start’ which is on the Granpa Peabody Boulder in Bishop, California. It’s a very steep and fingery climb that had never seen an ascent. Paul spent a week in Bishop working on the ultra progressive problem and felt very strong. Chris Sharma came out to see what it was all about – after talking with Paul and trying a few moves, he confirmed that it could be one of the hardest boulder problems in the U.S. For more on Paul click HERE.
The future of climbing lay on the finger tips of today’s youth. The next Chris Sharma and Alex Johnson’s are out there among us and already cranking double digit boulder problems. I spent a day out shooting photos with members of TEAM ABC this month in the bouldering mecca of Hueco Tanks State Park in El Paso, Texas.
How far would you go to live closer to the earth? Would you go all the way to Idaho? And would you actually goinside the earth? That’s what Dugout Dick decided to do some 60 years ago—until his passing this year. Dugout Dick is quite possibly the most simple, self-sufficient homeowner in the United States. Also known as Dick Zimmerman, Dick built his home—a cave—inside of a rocky hillside overlooking the Salmon River near Elk Bend, Idaho.
#9. Burning Man 2010
Burning Man is the best adult playground ever devised, a vast testing ground for one’s resourcefulness, imagination, and sense of adventure, managing to amuse 50,000 or so tech-addled, sleep-deprived, uncomfortable Moderns for up to a week or longer, while keeping them active, eating less, constantly testing their limits, morals, and comfort zones, and providing them with a social arrangement of managed freedom within limits acceptable to the paying participant. It’s even more fun than college.
#10. Stone Summit Is The Largest Climbing Gym In The U.S.A.
Whether you are a beginner or a world-class athlete, they have a climb for you. Stone Summit has walls extending 25 feet to 60 feet high to challenge both your strength and mind, a bouldering room that will not bore even the most fanatical gym rats, a yoga studio to strengthen your body and release your mind of the sometimes stressful world, and spin classes that will get you fit for the next hard climb or for bathing-suit weather. In addition to climbing, yoga, and spin, Stone Summit also has a fitness center so whether you want a good cardio exercise or to be the next Arnold, they have all the top-of-the-line equipment to get you there.
Breath, life, vitality of the spirit.
These qualities infuse not only our name, but also our aspirations, the things we make and how we make them.
Welcome to mindfully designed, built to last products – born from the experience.
Interested in the DVD and the First Ascent Series? Check this out!
Dean Potter en la librería Desnivel/Dean Potter at the bookstore Vertical. Thanks @desnivelados
For more on Dean visit prana.com/ambassadors/dean-potter
prAna - “Breath, life, vitality of the spirit.” These qualities infuse not only our name, but also our aspirations, the things we make and how we make them. Welcome to mindfully designed, built to last products – born from the experience.
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