Ann Krcik was a senior director of The North Face and a co-founder of Camber Outdoors[1] (originally known as the Outdoor Industries Women's Coalition[2]), the nonprofit created to push women's equality in the outdoor industry.[3] She began working for The North Face at age 26,[4] but left in 1992 to launch Extreme Connection, the first agency to represent athletes and secure endorsement deals and speaking engagements for them.[5] She returned to the retailer in 2011, where she led global brand communications and outdoor exploration, with a strong focus on protecting public lands.[6] She helped establish and lead The North Face's Explore Fund, which provides $500,000 annually to fund programs that increase outdoor access. Krcik was also elected to the Conservation Alliance board in 2015.[7][8]
Ann Krcik | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1957 |
| Died | February 26, 2018 (aged 60–61) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Senior Director, Brand Communication & Outdoor Exploration The North Face |
| Known for | Winning Camber Outdoors' Lifetime Achievement Award |
Awards
editOn January 27, 2018, Krcik received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Camber Outdoors[9] for the decades of mentorship she provided to men and women in the outdoor industry.[10]
In 2005, she won the Pioneering Women Award from then-OIWC (now Camber Outdoors). In 2014, she won an Advocacy Award from Outdoor Industry Association and an American Himalayan Foundation AHF Star Award. In 2016, she was named a Yosemite Centennial Ambassador.[3]
Mentorship
editDuring her time at The North Face, Krcik served for a period as The North Face's athlete manager and spearheaded the brand's program,[11] which has continued to grow. She was known for having mentored and represented many outdoor industry athletes, including the late Todd Skinner, an American rock climber, and Conrad Anker.[8][3] Skinner approached Krcik while she was at The North Face seeking sponsorship for himself and Paul Piana before their first free ascent of the Salathe Wall on Yosemite's El Capitan.[12] Krcik founded Extreme Connection, the first agency to represent outdoor athletes to secure speaking engagements and endorsement deals, in 1992, with Skinner as her main client.[12] He was only the second athlete to be put on retainer by The North Face,[12][13] which has now sponsored dozens of athletes including Alex Honnold, Emily Harrington, Margo Hayes, Jimmy Chin, Ashima Shiraishi, and Conrad Anker.[14]
Krcik also served as a mentor in the Outdoor Industry Association's Future Leadership Academy, a program to pair experienced outdoor industry professionals with successful mentors at well-known companies.[15]
References
edit- ^ "Who We Are". Camber Outdoors. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
- ^ "Outdoor Industries Women's Coalition rebrands as Camber Outdoors". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
- ^ a b c "Celebrating Ann Krcik, 1957—2018". SNEWS We know outdoors. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
- ^ "The C-Spot | Ann Krcik from The North Face". SNEWS We know outdoors. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
- ^ Anker, Conrad (2018-02-28). "Conrad Anker: Outdoor Icon Ann Krcik Believed in People". Outside Online. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
- ^ "Remembering Ann Krcik". The North Face. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
- ^ "Board and Staff - The Conservation Alliance". The Conservation Alliance. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
- ^ a b "Remembering Ann Krcik". TheNorthFace USA - English. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
- ^ "Ann Krcik's message to the outdoor industry". SNEWS We know outdoors. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
- ^ "Camber Outdoors Recognizes Ann Krcik, The North Face, with Lifetime Achievement Award". Outdoor Industry Association. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
- ^ "Honoring the Life of Ann Krcik, 1957-2018". Camber Outdoors. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
- ^ a b c Burke, Ann Krcik, Sarah Hutchinson, Caitlin. "Todd Skinner, Visionary First Ascentionist - Extreme Connection". extremeconnection.net. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Todd Skinner, Death of a Climber". Men's Journal. 2013-08-21. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
- ^ "The North Face Athletes - Meet the Team". TheNorthFace USA - English. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
- ^ "Outdoor Industry Association Announces Inaugural Future Leadership Academy Class". Outdoor Industry Association. Retrieved 2018-03-02.