Why it belongs in ORBIS
Stefan Engström, Peter Blom and Christer Mårtensson founded Peak Performance in Åre, Sweden in 1986, reacting against the flashy ski-wear styles of the day; the brand moved its headquarters to Stockholm's Frihamnen in 1999 and is now part of Amer Sports.
Peak Performance was founded in the Swedish ski town of Are in 1986 by three friends: Stefan Engstrom, a champion mogul skier with World Cup wins; Peter Blom, then editor of Sweden's largest ski magazine; and Christer Martensson, an art director and designer. Their stated motivation was dissatisfaction with 1980s ski-wear design, which the founders characterized as dominated by neon colors, oversized shoulders and showy patterns. They set out instead to build technical ski wear with simple, functional design. The company grew from a garage-based, mail-order operation into an international technical apparel brand. It was acquired by the Danish company Carli Gry International in 1998, and in 1999 relocated its headquarters to the Frihamnen port district of Stockholm. Peak Performance is now part of the Amer Sports portfolio alongside brands such as Salomon and Arc'teryx.