The staff of Black Diamond.
Photo courtesy of Black Diamond.
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.
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
In front of a room of journalists in March, Jonathan Nielsen described himself as really good snowboarder, a frequent mountain biker, and an adequate climber. The audience chuckled and the Backcountry CEO took a pause before spilling his excitement over the company's biggest ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Patagonia just scaled back its corporate logo sales program, no longer offering its vests to the financial industry and instead catering to “mission-driven ...read more
Now that it's officially spring, we're itching to get on a trail that's not covered by snow. Not far from our office in Boulder, the Flatirons and foothills beckon us to trek up its peaks and valleys on our lunch breaks or after work. A daypack is essential to hold our water, ...read more
Full disclosure: Gear is a wicked subjective thing. Always has been, always will be. To curate this list, our team of hardcore—and highly opinionated—gearheads pored over hundreds of new product launches, reading the specs and sifting through the marketing promises. We zoomed in ...read more
Cold, wet paws can ruin even a powder day, which is why gloves are lauded as one of the most important pieces of gear. Gloves or mittens, skinning or snowshoeing or just braving the bitter air, these brands are all trying to keep you from thinking about frostbite. Which brand ...read more
Judges at the 2019 ISPO show crowned a big batch of brands with awards for developments in technology and design as well as safety and comfort. Check out the best of the best in the outdoor and snowsports divisions. Not pictured: Lagoped EVE Jacket and SUPA ...read more
Walmart was going to disrupt the outdoors. It was late August, 2018, a year and a half after the retail leviathan purchased the online outdoor retailer Moosejaw for a reported $51 million. Walmart was ready to put its investment to work. Walmart, as everyone knows, is the ...read more
There aren’t many feel-good stories about a bunch of white guys with shaved heads in 2018, but here’s one. After three rounds of chemo to treat Hodgkins Lymphoma, John DiCuollo —the longtime PR pro for Backbone Media, who is ubiquitously known across the outdoor industry by his ...read more
Malcom Daly has been a self-described “floor warrior” at Neptune Mountaineering, in Boulder, Colorado, for years. And sometime back in January, he watched as an older couple—obviously old-school outdoor, in a hobnailboots sort of way—walked into the shop shortly after it ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com Marinel de Jesus wants Outdoor Industry Association to take a stand and lead the industry on DEI. Last week at Outdoor Retailer, Alicia Ferreira de Sousa from ...read more
Celebrating groundbreaking achievements in outdoor gear, the inaugural Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards honored new products that change the way we adventure outdoors. From sustainable solutions to revolutionary creations, 20 distinguished judges with backgrounds in retail, ...read more
In the debut of our new trade journal, and in the following issues, you'll find stories that dig deep into important issues the outdoor industry faces. Not displaying properly? Read directly on ISSUU here Features The End of Elite: When Walmart marketed Black Diamond last ...read more
You've probably found that while headlamps are the best for navigating in the dark, lanterns are best for lighting up camp. Whether you prioritize lumen strength, longevity, weight, or versatility, we want to know which brand shines brighter the rest. Take our other poll: Who ...read more
Nearly three dozen of the outdoor industry's most innovative products and technologies will be on display on the show floor at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. Outdoor Retailer yesterday released the list of 32 finalists of the Innovation Awards, recognizing design, innovation, ...read more
LEKI doesn't want to be associated with Walmart either. The skiing and trekking pole maker today announced that it has withdrawn its products from the big box discounter's premium outdoor store curated by Moosejaw. The brand is the fourth we've confirmed to drop out behind ...read more
Hikers who use trekking poles swear they save their knees and improve their balance. Nowadays, poles are lighter, more compact and durable, and molded to fit gender-specific hands. If trekking poles are part of your hiking kit, which brand do you like best? ...read more
Black Diamond Equipment today sent a cease and desist notice to Walmart, in response to the giant retailer's launch of a new premium outdoor store curated by Moosejaw. “We did not see or approve the statement which Walmart released Monday and have never sold to Walmart,” said ...read more
When recreationists shop for outdoor gear, the sustainability of a product—from farm to factory to shelf—is becoming as important as the quality. The majority of U.S. consumers expect companies to act on social and environmental issues, and outdoor brands are moving that needle, ...read more
Back in the 1970s, climbing harnesses were nothing more than a few straps. Now, buyers consider the weight, material, number of gear loops, durability, and so on. Our friends at Climbing Magazine put together a little history on the essential piece of gear. Vote now for the brand ...read more
On a snowy day, back in February 2012, Dr. Gary Selwyn was busy in his kitchen in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He wasn’t fixing up a stew. Instead, he was blending hydrocarbon-based monomers, cross-linkers and polymerization initiators. The chemist, formerly at Los Alamos National ...read more
For many of us, camping during our childhoods fueled our pursuits of careers in the outdoors. But for many others, those precious times spent huddled in tents with our families were less frequent, if trips to the campgrounds happened at all. To give first time campers a positive ...read more
Maybe you've heard of Norrøna, but it's probably not your first choice when it comes to outdoor apparel. At least not yet. The Norwegian brand is in its 90th year of making technical outerwear for a wide range of mountain athletes—from polar explorers to downhill mountain ...read more
