The North Face Never Stop Exploring Speaker Series Comes to a City Near You

September 30, 2013 /3BL Media/ - The North Face, the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, today announced that its top athletes will visit cities all over the country as part of the 2013 Never Stop Exploring Speaker Series. The live 26-city North American tour invites adventure fans to share in the incredible tales of eleven top athletes from The North Face Global Athlete Team.

The North Face Never Stop Exploring Speaker Series, presented by GORE-Tex and sponsored by Primaloft and Outside, is taking place from October 2 through December 3, and will feature two events live-streamed on thenorthface.com.  Here is a sample of some of the inspiring moments that will come to life on the tour starting next month:

• Emily Harrington Emily is known for thriving on 5.14 rock routes and winning sport climbing competitions, but she’s always been driven to reach for the next great challenge. Earlier this year, after her successful summit of Mount Everest Emily was off to Morocco’s harsh Atlas Mountains to take on a legendary, 3,000 foot big wall – all part of her quest for the endless adventure.
• Cory Richards As the first American to climb an 8,000-meter peak in winter, Cory gained recognition as a top Himalayan climber in 2011.   In 2012, a failed-attempt on Everest taught him true humility. This award-winning photographer will examine the ups and downs of a life under the spell of the mountains.
• Diane Van Deren After undergoing brain surgery for epilepsy, Diane was given a seizure-free life and a drive to live each day to the fullest. The winner of many of the world’s toughest, longest, coldest and most demanding adventure races, her most recent feat may be her most enduring: she smashed the speed record for the 1,000-mile Mountains to Sea Trail across North Carolina.
• Ingrid Backstrom Ingrid Backstrom's ski career has spanned the globe and all facets of big mountain freeskiing.  Her consistent podium finishes in Big Mountain ski competitions earned Ingrid a starring roll in 13 ski films.   Ingrid presents a behind-the-scenes look into the life of an extreme skier, from the highs of exploring Canada’s British Columbia to the challenges of overcoming injury. 
• Jimmy Chin In addition to being one of the most sought-after adventure photographers working today, Jimmy Chin is a climber and skier on cutting edge expeditions around the world. His resume includes establishing and photographing first ascents in the Karakoram, descending from Everest’s summit on skis, and putting up first ascents on the Big Walls of Yosemite.
• Conrad Anker Conrad’s climbing career runs the gamut from Mount Everest to Arctic big walls, but the vertical Sharks Fin on India’s Mount Meru pushed him the hardest. Demanding two grueling expeditions and a teeth-clenching dose of suffering, Meru was Conrad’s ultimate expedition.
• Xavier De le Rue Xav is a true mountain man: his love for the mountains began at a young age when he began snowboarding and climbing in the Alps. He’s been on a mission to push the boundaries of snowboarding ever since. Last season, de Le Rue’s alpine riding style brought him on an expedition to Antarctica to explore the steepest lines--and roughest seas--he’s ever seen.
• Dean Karnazes "Superhuman" is the only word to describe Dean Karnazes's feat of running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days.  Dubbed "The Ultramarathon Man," and ranked among TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World, he's run 350 miles nonstop and completed in an ultramarathon across the world's five great deserts: the Atacama, Gobi, Death Valley, Sahara and Antarctic. Dean’s greater message to all is, "Get off the couch, get healthy, hit the trails and go the extra mile."
• Mark Synnott Mark Synnott has a mission: to seek out and climb the world's most remote cliffs. For Mark, the journey is as important as the climb, and his quest has taken him to some of the far corners of the earth - to the Arctic, the Karakoram, the Ennedi desert and Amazonian jungles. Exploring seldom-seen places is his specialty: Mark recently lead a National Geographic/The North Face climbing expedition to explore the Musandam peninsula in Oman via sailboat. Mark is a skilled raconteur who tempers his tales of high adrenaline with droll humor.

The 2013 Never Stop Exploring Speaker Series will also feature two events coming live to viewers around the world. Live streaming on TheNorthFace.com, on October 3 viewers will be able to catch “Everest: Lessons from the Summit” with Conrad Anker, Simone Moro and Kit DesLauriers, followed on December 3 by “Risk and Reward:  Into The Free-Soloist’s Mind” with Alex Honnold and Peter Croft.

• Everest: Lessons from the Summit Conrad Anker, Simone Moro and Kit DesLauriers are modern-day explorers whose names are synonymous with Mount Everest. Their experiences on the mountain range from Anker’s discovery of the body of legendary George Mallory, to the DesLauriers’ first ski descent from the summit, to Moro’s Himalayan helicopter rescues.  Join three Everest legends, under one roof for the first time to discuss Everest’s untold history, some of the mountain’s current challenges, and what the future holds for the top of the world.
• Risk and Reward:  Into The Free-Soloist’s Mind Peter Croft is a legend and pioneer of free soloing, the much-storied pursuit of climbing without a rope. Peter carved his name into the history books in Yosemite and has been a hero figure for so many, including world-renowned free soloist, 28-year old Alex Honnold .  Alex has gone on to take the sport to new heights with his 2012 free solo of Half Dome in Yosemite a feat that earned him a segment on 60 Minutes.  Alex and Peter will give a glimpse into what they do, why they do it and what’s next in the world of free soloing.

The North Face Never Stop Exploring Speaker Series tickets should be secured on-line in advance at www.thenorthface.com/speakerseries. Guaranteed seating tickets for the event may be purchased for $8.00 and VIP Reception tickets, which include preferred seating, a meet and greet with the athlete, beer, wine and light food, are available for $20.00. All proceeds from the VIP tickets purchased goes to a local nonprofit partner.   Following the presentation, there will be an interactive question-and-answer session. 

To find out more information about additional tour dates and athlete appearances, please visit www.thenorthface.com/speakerseries.