Tompkins was born in a small town in Ohio in 1943, and moved to New york early on. His love for adventure began early on in the 1960's when he would spend his time in he mountains of Colorado, ski racing and rock climbing. He took his love for adventure to greater heights when he traveled to Europe and South Africa. After returning to the states, he founded the California Mountaineering Guide Service, where he also met his wife, hiking in the foot hills of California.
The North face brand was established in 1966 in San Francisco, California when Tompkins and his wife created an outdoor equipment retail store; it eventually acquired the name The North Face. They chose to name it that because the north face of a mountain (northern hemisphere) is generally the most difficult to climb.
By the 1980's they began carrying skiware and camping equipment, and now manufacture nearly half of all small backpacks manufactured in the US.
The North Face company try's to maintain strong links with the outdoor community through its sponsored athlete program. Athletes such as Lizzy Hawker who recently won the Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc has been sponsored by North Face.
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