person with red and black snow suit with orange ski goggles hiking through the snow pulling a sled

ZEAL EXPLORER

Eric Larsen

smiling skier with furry hood standing in the snow
Meet Eric Larsen

Eric Larsen's path of polar exploration is perhaps the least traveled on the planet and his accomplishments speak for themselves. Since going forth from his rural Wisconsin roots, Larsen has gone on to complete the first and only "summer" journey to the North Pole, traveled to the North and South Poles and the summit of Mt. Everest within 365 days, and finally completed the "Last North Expedition" – an unsupported journey to the North Pole with Zeal Optics Ambassador Ryan Waters. "I'm passionate about big expeditions to remote and extreme environments," says Larsen. My motivation to plan these types of trips comes from a combination of curiosity and physical challenge, as well as an overall feeling of responsibility and stewardship for our planet." This passion for stewardship of the environment resonates in Eric's prolific online and speaking engagements along with amazing tales from corners of the globe that most of us will never see. Catch Eric's heroic stories of exploration as evidenced by his Ted Talk below!

"Zeal Optics has great products, people, philosophies and ethics. Do I really need to say anything more than that?"

- Eric Larsen

Explore More

soft green goggles with gray mirror lens reflecting another person wearing ski goggles taking their picture in the reflection

The Last North Expedition: The North Pole Through Our Lenses

Ryan Waters and Eric Larsen recently returned from an epic journey to the North Pole, unassisted, marking Larsen’s third trip to the top of the world and Waters’ completion of the Adventurers Grand Slam, hitting both poles and the Seven Summits unassisted.

smiling skier with furry hood standing in the snow

Catching Up With Polar Explorer Eric Larsen

Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” and these words have always resonated with us. Life is about choosing your path, walking the talk, and backing up ideas with the force of character.

small teal shack in the middle of snowy mountains

I Hope You Climb a Tree to See Where You Are

At some point in the last few months, my son Merritt (who’s 3 ½) has gotten into the habit of using an anecdote in Curious George whenever Maria or I are traveling for more than a day or two.