Born in the Scandinavian mountains out of a love for skiing in remote, untouched terrain, Peak Performance’s passion for adventure and nature runs deep. Their mission is simple: to bring the freeride spirit to the world. As for their products, they all have the same purpose – empowering the freedom to be adventurous and follow your own line. Whether it be horizontally or vertically, on skis, by bike, or on foot, they offer a balance of style and performance. Peak Performance’s Scandinavian heritage is everpresent, and their commitment to doing better things in a better way is their never-ending responsibility.
Peak Performance
Bringing the freeride spirit to the world
Company website
peakperformance.comOnce upon a time…
…back in 1986, two very passionate skiers, one of them a world-class mogul skier with several World Cup wins, were sitting next to each other in a chairlift heading up a mountain. About to test and write about a new skiwear line, they started to talk about why no one was making skiwear that they wanted to wear; that is, garments that combined excellent functionality with simple, attractive design. Also, they wondered if there was any way that they could stay longer and more often in the ski resort they both loved—the little mountain village of Åre in northern Sweden.
It turned out that the answer to both questions was Peak Performance. Initially, their ambitions didn’t extend much beyond making some clothes for themselves and their friends, in sufficient quantities to make a living from it. The business was shaped by what was important to them. Finding the right design and technical solution was paramount.
Did you know that Peak Performance…
…distributed their first mail-order catalogue in Sweden in 1987?
…created their first shell jacket in 1988?
…opened their first store in Stockholm in 1991 and began to export products to Norway, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland?
…signed their first athlete contract in 1999 with freerider Henrik Windstedt?
…arranged the world’s first hot air balloon BASE jump in St. Moritz, Switzerland?
…began sponsoring the Freeride World Tour in 2016, started to work with the RDS (Responsible Down Standard) on all their down garments, and began offering free repairs?
…just became the presenting partner of the Freeride World Tour for the next four years?
And the strategy worked. In the late 1980s, people were tired of extravagance and superficiality. Everybody was looking for the real thing that comes with genuine quality. Ski jackets with leather details and flannel shirts were suddenly the answer, rather than neon and looking like a fully decorated Christmas tree. Orders generated by the first mail order catalog overwhelmed the little post office in town. So much so that they had to take on more staff just to keep up.
During the early years, most things took longer to do than they should have. After all, Peak Performance was a company founded by skiers—people who, more than anything else, wanted to ski come winter. Anyone who managed to find their little office in Åre was often confronted with a sign on the front door that read: Gone skiing.
Featured Product
Vislight Gore-Tex C-Knit 3L Shell Jacket
Breathability, durability and comfort are the key features of the Vislight, a go-to shell jacket for full-year adventures. Its high breathability rating (RET <6m2) makes it a great fit for sweat-inducing activities like ski touring and hiking, while 28,000mm waterproofing keeps the elements at bay. Weighing in at .56kg (men’s) and .52kg (women’s), the Vislight is nearly half as light as the similarly rated Vertical Gore-Tex Pro.
€600
Minus Degree Down Puffer
Peak Performance’s most technical and design driven down jacket features premium 90/10 down insulation that offers exceptional warmth. It’s made for adventures and ski touring, works great with a backpack for long days of exploring, and offers plenty of easily accessible storage and exceptional freedom of movement. The jacket comes with body mapped insulation for optimal warmth, reinforced details for longevity and an adjustable hood.
€650
Vertical Gore-Tex Pro 3L Jacket
Don’t let the low-profile color palette fool you: This jacket packs a serious punch. Utilizing Gore-Tex Pro and Gore-Tex Stretch fabrics across the board for an optimal combination of waterproofing, breathability and mobility, this kit is the go-to for Peak Performance’s freeride team. If it’s good enough for Freeride World Tour champions like Justine Dufour-LaPointe and Valentin Rainer, then it’s good enough for you.
€800
