Black Diamond is an outdoor company with roots going back To 1957 when Yvon Chouinard forged pitons by hand and sold them to California climbers. In 1989, Chouinard Equipment was purchased by a group that renamed the company Black Diamond Equipment.
Focused on climbing and skiing, the company is dedicated to equipping adventurers on rock, ice, and snow.
Today, Black Diamond sells apparel, backpacks, shelters, skis, ski boots and bindings, ropes, headlamps, and other outdoor gear around the world. The company employs more than 500 people, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, with offices in Europe and Asia. Black Diamond Equipment is a publicly traded company that is part of the Clarus Corporation, which also owns Pieps and Sierra Bullets.
Longtime Black Diamond President Peter Metcalf is among a group of outdoor industry leaders who advocate strongly for the preservation of public lands in Utah and elsewhere. John Wallbrecht became Black Diamond's president in 2016.
This is part four of a multi-part series. The next installments will be published in the coming weeks. You can read the entire series here. We've reached the point in our analysis of the 2020 Retailer Survey results when we start digging into individual product categories to ...read more
This is part three of a multi-part series. The next installments will be published in the coming weeks. You can read the entire series here. Last week, we published our findings on the best manufacturers to do business with, according to more than 100 independent retailers across ...read more
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web An error in the press: News outlets around the world misreported Emily Harrington's El Cap record last week, incorrectly stating that she was the first woman to free climb the iconic big wall in less than 24 hours. In ...read more
"If there's any pattern to all this, it's to expect delays. Which categories, brands, or products—that's anybody's guess. It's best to just assume everything will be delayed and end up pleasantly surprised if it's not." That's Eastside Sports owner Todd Vogel's take on the state ...read more
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Avalanche beacon under scrutiny: A popular piece of avalanche safety equipment, the Pieps DSP Sport beacon, faces claims of malfunction from customers. Some are urging Black Diamond, which acts as a North American ...read more
September 15 to October 15 marks National Hispanic Heritage Month and in honor of the rich cultural traditions of our Hispanic neighbors, friends, and colleagues, SNEWS would like you to meet five designers with roots in Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru. Some have worked in the industry ...read more
[This is part three of a three-part series on 2020 gear trends. Read part one here and part two here.] Holly Phillips grew up in Ona, West Virginia, exploring the outdoors on fishing trips with her dad. The two would set out on a Friday evening, camp near a river, and start ...read more
After all but losing spring 2020 to the pandemic, retailers and consumers alike are looking for gear to get excited about in 2021. So excited, in fact, that we decided to add their votes to our ranking of next season’s top products. Together, we’ve pored over, narrowed down, and ...read more
This story originally ran in the Summer 2020 issue of The Voice. To read the free digital issue, access it here. Who, exactly, should qualify for a pro deal in the outdoor industry? A ski patroller? Full-time mountain guide? Retail employee? Most everyone can agree that these ...read more
The best of SNEWS: Top stories we've published recently Coronavirus throws spring travel into chaos: The pandemic has changed life for everyone. See what industry professionals are saying about their travel plans. Queer identity and the outdoors: Venture Out Project founder Perry ...read more
In the 84 years since the first mechanical ski lift opened in Sun Valley, Idaho, the U.S. has never seen a ski resort with no form of motorized transport. On February 15, that will change with the opening of Bluebird Backcountry, a “human-powered” resort 20 miles north of ...read more
We used to come to Outdoor Retailer just to ogle gear, but these days, we’re devoting just as much attention to our industry’s environmental and social impacts. “Responsibility” may have been the biggest buzzword from last week’s convention: Attendees rallied against climate ...read more
Combing through the season’s new gear can be like bushwhacking through a jungle: slow going. Consider us your personal guide. We spent weeks poring over press releases and product shots, watching embargoed videos, and asking questions about materials, features, and design. Then ...read more
The aisles were rocking on Day 1 of Outdoor Retailer Snow Show 2020. Here’s just some of what went down. Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Stay up to date and get Industry Buzz delivered to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter. Some hard truths: The ...read more
Happy New Year SNEWS fans! We hope you all had time to unplug and recharge over the holidays (like us). Let’s get you caught up on what’s transpired over the last week or so. Big congrats to Alex Honnold and Sanni McCandless, who got engaged this Christmas. Same goes for ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Last-minute gift idea: A board game about visiting America's National Parks is this GQ writer's favorite game. Questioning cashmere: Patagonia is one of two ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Outdoor Industry Association departures: Matt Kaplan, who served as OIA's vice president of membership and business development, was named vice president of ...read more
Gaze around at contests such as the GoPro Mountain Games and Red Bull Rampage, and you might think that only men play sports—on a professional level, anyway. Women’s sport sponsorship lags well behind men’s, and although comparative data is scarce, the one nation that did study ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com For Patagonia dealers: The brand has teamed up with Locally to lead shoppers to the best stores to complete their purchase nearby. With the new Locally ...read more
Columbia Sportswear Company's great hope is that consumers never have to think about a tariff, Chief Administrative Office Peter Bragdon said. But the trade war with China doesn't seem to be cooling anytime soon and tariffs are top of mind for many outdoor businesses. "Enough ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com ICYMI: Black Diamond cut 70 positions from its manufacturing division last week. Their last days are between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31. The move is part of the brand's ...read more
Black Diamond laid off 70 employees last week in its manufacturing division of the Salt Lake City, Utah, headquarters, a 22 percent reduction of the Utah workforce and 53 percent of the manufacturing division. News spread quickly on Reddit. A screenshot of a Facebook post—with ...read more
SALT LAKE CITY, June 14, 2019 – Black Diamond Equipment, a global innovator in climbing, skiing and mountain sports equipment, announces its new performance footwear collection debuting at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, June 18-20, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. “Black Diamond ...read more
SALT LAKE CITY, June 6, 2019 – Black Diamond Equipment, a global innovator in climbing, skiing and mountain sports equipment, announces its new performance footwear collection debuting at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, June 18-20, in Denver. “Black Diamond’s spring’20 ...read more