Osprey Packs has announced that founder and designer Mike Pfotenhauer was named 2015 Celebrity of the Year at last week’s OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Pfotenhauer is the 10th recipient of the annual award, known as the Outdoor Oscar. The coveted award celebrates an individual, who has made a special contribution to the outdoor industry.
“Mike is one of the most highly talented pack designers,” said award presenter Frank Wacker of Outdoor magazine. “Thanks to his vision, Osprey has gone from being a small high-end outfit to one of the most influential backpack brands in the world – a very impressive achievement.”
During the award presentation, Wacker celebrated Pfotenhauer’s career marked by industry-leading innovations. In 1976, Osprey was the first company to introduce breathable mesh panels for greater comfort. In 2005, Osprey developed the first hipbelt that could be heated and molded directly to the shape of the hip. Most recently, at the 2014 OutDoor show, Osprey presented yet another innovation, which retailers hailed as the most important invention of the year: an AntiGravity™ 3D suspended mesh back system with fully ventilated hipbelt that provides a whole new level of comfort.
“I am truly humbled by this tremendous honor,” said Pfotenhauer. “Designing packs and inspiring people to get outdoors is quite simply what I love to do. I feel very fortunate to have built a career on my passion and I am so proud of the company that Osprey Packs has become.”
Pfotenhauer was chosen by an international panel of leading outdoor journalists and industry representatives including: David Durkan (Norway), Richard Jägrund (Sweden), Susan Viscon (U.S.), David Laffan (New Zealand), Wilfried Teller (Germany), Petra Thaller (Germany), Natasha Bloemhard (Netherlands), Augusto Rabajoli (Italy) and Peter Schöffel (Germany).