IPE Alumni Report: FlyLow Gear

What do you do with an IPE major? Dan Abrams and Greg Steen (both IPE 2000) have created an innovative Denver-based sportsware company called FlyLow Gear. According to their website Flylow Gear are ...

... manufacturers of freeride apparel and ambassadors for the soul of skiing. Our team at Flylow believes that we are in a new age of skiing and our gear is constructed to meet the ever-changing demands of the sport. Simply put, our clothing is designed for the out all day, skinning, boot-packing, lift-riding, ripping, I use my gear, modern skier.

The philosophy here at Flylow has not changed since our conception. Design clothing that is comfortable, durable, fashionable and budget friendly. We believe in these roots. When Flylow was established three years ago we saw a gap in the industry. As both telemark and alpine skiers we spent as much time in the backcountry as in the resort and all the people we rode with, including ourselves, were wearing mountaineering gear. These clothes were designed for light and fast travel in the mountains and did not stand up to the rigors of riding in demanding terrain.

In response, our team at Flylow has developed lines of clothing that are specifically suited for the current ski community. Throughout the creative process we have focused on balancing durability, simplicity and functionality and as a result have created a product that will perform perfectly whether your lapping some in-bounds or charging in the backcountry.

Dan was recently named a "visionary adventure entrepreneur" by Outdoors magazine (that's him shown here in an illustration from the article). Pretty cool!

Dan and Greg cite their IPE training as an important factor in their business success. Dan writes that

"I swear it is understanding the world through the IPE lens that has allowed me to make this happen. From communications with other cultures to trade agreement, I deal with it every day now. We use factories in China, Taiwan, New Zealand and now, Pakistan. We are attempting to be positive contributors to the global economy. If you make it better and more cost effective (which includes less damage and not violating our business ethics) then we are willing to do business with you."