Jørgen Jørgensen–owner and CEO at Norrøna–tells the story of Norrøna’s commitment to ski wear. Plus, he presents great news: three brand new Norrøna skis.
This is a story with deep roots. This is a story of the joy of being in the great outdoors: regardless of season and preferably in the winter, when it has snowed a lot, and the weather conditions are so demanding that many decide to stay indoors. This is a story about how a Norwegian outdoor gear company started small, grew larger, refined a clear design strategy and grew even larger. To the point that they are now associated with steep freeriding around the globe.
It started almost 100 years ago. The year was 1929. Jørgen Jørgensen, a Norwegian visionary, started work on developing reliable outdoor equipment that could be used in the Norwegian wilderness. He started with simple things like leather straps, cotton garments and canvas backpacks. That’s how he staked out Norrøna’s direction: look for the most advanced technical innovations and turn them into the ultimate products for tough conditions. Today – four generations later – Jørgen Jørgensen’s great-grandson is at the helm of Norrøna. He bears his great-grandfather’s name. The enthusiasm– and commitment – to skiing and ski culture runs deep.
Can you remember when you started skiing, Jørgen?
I was five-years-old when I started skiing. When I was 11, legendary designer and mountaineer Tomas Carlström showed me how to Telemark ski on the slopes in the mountain village of Hemsedal. Then I started freeriding outside the slopes. I liked it right away! Eventually we started to jump from cliffs and stuff like that. The gang around Tomas in the shop Skandinavisk Høyfjellsutstyr had been freeriding for many years, so they influenced me a lot. We mostly skied in Hemsedal and in Jotunheimen. After I switched to ski touring around 2001, there were many trips to northern parts of Norway as well, especially to Lofoten, Lyngen and Senja.
When did Norrøna really start to get involved in modern skiing?
Norrøna collaborated with K2’s ski and snowboard team as early as in the mid-80s. They chose Norrøna’s trollveggen suit, a Gore-Tex jacket and Gore-Tex pants specially developed for big wall climbing, as their attire. It actually was a missed opportunity for us at Norrøna, because even back then we could have developed a modified variant of the trollveggen set that would have been better suited to skiing.
But you responded quickly to the Norwegian Telemark ski wave?
Yes, I would say that Norrøna’s involvement started in earnest with Telemarking. In the late ‘80s we developed a calico set with leather reinforcements that many of the classic Telemarkers used. Then we produced our Telemark suits in 1994. This was the first hybrid garment I know of – in
microfibre – and with waterproof knees, shoulders and elbows. Then came our first pure ski jacket in Gore-Tex, the Couloir jacket, in 1998. I remember it well! We were sent a jacket for testing when we started a Norwegian ski magazine the same year.
How would you describe it today?
This jacket was a newly developed freeride jacket, with two layers of Gore-Tex and some insulation. Many skiers liked it a lot, and it was especially nice at ski resorts when you wanted a little insulation while on the T-bar or chairlift. Shortly afterwards, in 2000, our ambassador team began to develop the narvik series. This was our first freeride series, with a slightly different style
expression and other colors. It came on the market in 2003. It was also the first time we launched our own women’s collection. Those of us who worked with ski wear at the time hoped that the new ski collection would sell, but we may not have expected it to become as big as it did. We thought more about making very good products, premium quality. Basically, we decided to make the best of the best.
And that was also the start of the legendary lofoten collection?
Yes. The first lofoten products came on the market in 2004. Then we were way ahead and in many ways redefined how to think about ski wear. For the first time, someone designed and made an uncompromising freeride collection from the ground up.
Where did the inspiration come from?
I had skied myself for many years and had a lot of ideas and thoughts along the way. The same went for the good people on our ski team: Torkel Karoliussen, Bjarke Mogens and Ragnar Tøndel. We have great teamwork in Norrøna, with good discussions and many innovations. There was a lot of trial and error with the prototypes. ‘It doesn’t look quite right. We have to do it a little different, maybe like this?’ We had to do a few laps before we got the look we were after.
Did you already have a clear design strategy at the time?
No, not really. We just worked on it until we thought something was right. And then the colors came in. The ski team thought that the clothes at that time were too dark, that we should use colors to be more visible. So we sewed some really colorful prototypes, and at the same time the water-repellent zippers turned up. They eventually came in colors, as well, so we used them as part of the design expression.
The lofoten series was a small design revolution in itself?
Yes, you could say that. For example, we introduced some clear ideas on the lofoten pants. We put aramid, a fabric often used on motorcycle pants, at the bottom where the steel edges of the skis tend to tear the fabric of the trouser leg. That was a hugely expensive, but super solid solution. Our new garments were a good mix of technology, design and ideas, both internally and externally, from our ambassadors and from the Norrøna staff. Our philosophy around functionality and a different design meant that we were welcomed in many ski circles around the world. And that, in turn, drew more attention to Norrøna as a brand than any expensive advertising campaign would have done. Eventually we realized that the development of the lofoten collection created a clear design strategy that we could use throughout Norrøna. We called it `loaded minimalism,’ and we use this strategy to this day.
You have some big news up your sleeve?
Yes. We are happy to announce the launch of the brand new Norrøna skis! We are collaborating with industrial designer Endre Hals in the mountain village of Oppdal on this. For many years, he has run a small ski factory and operates on the same design and quality philosophy as Norrøna. Put simply, Endre makes skis one at a time, so if a lot of people want these new Norrøna skis there may be a waiting list.
But these skis are worth waiting for?
Yes, because these are skis for really good skiers. For those who want the toughest skis for high speed and demanding conditions. The skis will match our collections. We’re launching the lyngen ski as the lightest, but still a good freeride ski. Lofoten is a ski for big mountains and ski mountaineering. Tamok is a powder plank de luxe.
How important is the ski clothing collections for Norrøna right now?
I would say that they are very important. Many people see Norrøna as a brand for skiers. We have created a clear position in the market. All of us who work at Norrøna love winter, skiing and snowboarding – and we work really hard to remain a leader in design, functionality, quality and sustainability.