| Tinker Hatfield - Special Contribution to Sports |
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Born in Hillsboro, Oregon on
April 30, 1952, Tinker Hatfield
attended Central Linn High School
where he earned distinction as an
accomplished basketball player, an
All-American Track & Field star in
hurdles and vaulting. He was an All
State running back and Sunkist All American (Top 100). In
1970, Tinker was named State of Oregon’s top individual high
school athlete.
Tinker studied architecture at the University of Oregon while
being coached by the legendary Bill Bowerman, co-founder
of Nike. He held the UO record in the pole vault and placed
sixth in the 1976 Olympic trials. After graduation, Tinker
practiced architecture in Eugene until 1981 when he joined
up with Nike to design offices, apparel showrooms and Nike
retail outlets.
In late 1985, Tinker began designing Nike products, becoming
Creative Director of product design in 1989. Tinker was
named Vice President of Nike Design in 1993. In addition
to helping design the first ever cross training shoe (the Air
Trainer) Tinker has earned global recognition for imagination
and innovation in his collaborations with Michael Jordan for
the Air Jordan line.
In 1998, Fortune Magazine named Tinker one of the 100
Most Influential Designers of the century. Some of Tinker’s
design work for the Air Jordan is included in the Smithsonian
Museum for design. More recently he has been the subject of
sneaker collector documentaries and cover stories on several
magazines such as Sole Collector.
Tinker currently creates specialized Nike athletic products
for champion athletes including LeBron James, Kobe
Bryant, Roger Federer, Laird Hamilton, Gabrielle Reece, and
numerous Track and Field Athletes. He also spends time
mentoring young Nike designers and helping to build the
Nike of the future.
Tinker is primarily responsible for the re-branding of
University of Oregon, including conceptualizing the O,
redesigning uniforms; changing colors, and contributing
architectural artwork such as designing the new U of O video
replay board. |
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