The Norrøna Legacy

Jørgen Jørgensen stands outside Norrøna House in Lysaker, just outside Oslo. Norrøna’s 6000 m2 headquarters houses the company’s largest Flagship Store, modern event spaces, a climbing gym, a restaurant, and great office spaces. Norrøna House is both a metaphor and a manifestation of Norrøna’s ambitions, visions, and – not least – strong position in the international outdoor industry.

Norrøna’s history is nearly 100 years old now. In 1929, Jørgen Jørgensen’s great-grandfather – an engaged and forward-thinking Norwegian with the same name as his great-grandchild – began his quest for durable outdoor equipment for use in Nordic nature. Initially, he produced leather straps, backpacks made of sailcloth, and reliable cotton garments. At the same time, he set the course that would become Norrøna’s clear direction: a continuous pursuit of new knowledge, new solutions, and new innovation – to always be able to deliver the best outdoor products for use around the globe, in all types of terrain, in all kinds of weather, under all sorts of demanding conditions.

Four generations later, it is the great-grandchild Jørgen Jørgensen who is Norrøna’s "chief guide." Jørgen is himself an avid outdoorsman –with strong interests in skiing, mountain biking, hunting and hiking in the Norwegian mountains. He shares his great-grandfather’s engagement and quest to find the foremost technical innovations – and make the best products – so that as many of us as possible can enjoy an active outdoor life. All year round.

How would you say that Norrøna has participated in Norwegian
'friluftsliv'–Norwegian outdoor life–over almost a hundred years, Jørgen?
"That is certainly a big question. Norwegian outdoor life has a long history and proud traditions, but I believe that we at Norrøna have played a role as we have been involved for so long. Not everyone knows that my great grandfather was involved in starting another Norwegian outdoor brand – as early as 1918 – called Polar. This was at the very beginning of what we today call ‘friluftsliv’ – that we Norwegians are outside enjoying nature in our free time, engaging in various activities in the forest, on the plains and in the mountains. My great-grandfather was likely the one who drove Polar’s product development forward and ensured several exciting outdoor products for the Norwegian market. In 1929, he started his own brand – Norrøna – and was able to put even more of his own stamp on product development and emphasize quality, design, and functionality."

Jørgen says that in the years before and after the Second World War, interest in outdoor life in Norway increased – and Norrøna played a central role as a supplier of various types of outdoor products. The company was built ‘stone by stone,’ as Norwegians like to say – and in 1971, Jørgen’s father took over the helm. "Together with the designer Tomas Carlström, my father ensured that Norrøna took an important part in what would become a wave of innovative, exciting and challenging Norwegian expeditions to high and steep mountains," says Jørgen.

"This gave us the opportunity to start what we call ‘extreme user development’ of our products. In the 1970s, our famous cotton anorak, new tunnel tents, new backpacks and – not least – the new Gore-Tex products emerged. We were the first in Europe to produce a climbing jacket in Gore Tex in 1979 – and our close collaboration with some of Norway’s best climbers and mountaineers ensured that these new and innovative products early became leaders in their field. Norrøna contributed in our way to enabling extreme expeditions – in both the Himalayas, in South America, in European and Norwegian mountains.”

In the 1980s, both hunting and telemark skiing became part of Norrøna’s focus areas. And in 1994 – in connection with the famous Winter Olympics in Lillehammer – the interest in Norwegian ‘friluftsliv’ exploded. "Norrøna was well positioned with a high-quality product line. Our Gore-Tex jackets became almost like a ‘uniform’ – both in the mountains and among Norwegian students in the cities. The cotton anoraks increased in popularity – and so did our anatomical Synkron system for backpacks, our finnskogen jackets and a range of other products. You could say that all this contributed to enabling a broader outdoor life for the general public – because we could offer quality products that could be used in all kinds of weather."

Jørgen also highlights that Norrøna was early in marketing outdoor products in Norwegian magazines. Not only in outdoor publications but also in daily press and other specialized magazines.

At the beginning of the 2000s, Jørgen himself took on an increasingly important role in the family company. He ensured new focus areas within freeriding – and created completely new collections for skiers like Norrøna narvik and – perhaps most famous of all – Norrøna lofoten.

"Since around 2008, both our ambassadors, the strong focus on Norrøna Magazine and various other communication channels have made Norrøna a company that inspires people to engage in active outdoor life. In recent years, we have scaled up this work to a greater extent – with an even larger focus on ambassadors, films, pictures, Norrøna Magazine and social media. Additionally, we have launched products for mountain biking, trail running and Arctic surfing – thus expanding the whole definition of what outdoor life is."

A few years ago, Norrøna acquired the well-renowned Norwegian guide company Hvitserk and renamed it Norrøna Adventure. A little later, Norrøna bought Canvas – a unique mountain biking hotel located in wild Norwegian nature. Together, this testifies to a new and large-scale focus on guided tours and exciting accommodation offers.

"We want to bridge the gap between what people dream of and what they can achieve themselves. Our guided tours and our accommodation options should make exciting experiences accessible – just as our clothing products, tents and sleeping bags have done for almost 100 years. We are expanding our operations significantly – and it is very exciting and rewarding for us."

How would you describe the phenomenon of ‘friluftsliv’ in your own
words, Jørgen?
"I think it is a lifestyle. It’s about trying to connect with nature – all the time. Not just during vacations, but equally in everyday life. It can be an hour of mountain biking in your nearest forest on a Tuesday evening. Or it could be a camping trip with your kids on the weekend. It’s about taking advantage of the opportunities for an active life outdoors when they are there – not just when the weather is nice. I would say that life outdoors is like a charging station for the rest of our lives."

Do you meet many people who are interested in Norwegian ‘friluftsliv’ when you are traveling?
"Yes and it often involves a genuine interest in the entire Norwegian culture: that we have a good work-life balance in our country. That most Norwegians live close to nature. That we have “allemannsretten” – a Norwegian law that opens up nature for everyone. That many of us have cabins in the mountains and by the sea. We have The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) – which offers over 500 cabins open to everyone. We have long traditions of loving our nature – and taking advantage of the opportunities for a healthy and active life outdoors. Whether it is a bright and warm summer day or a dark and icy winter day. For many of us Norwegians, this is a completely natural way of living. But I understand that life up here in the north can seem fascinating to those who do not live here themselves."

How do you envision outdoor life in the coming decades?
"I think there are some important crossroads ahead. The biggest question is whether we can save nature and the environment. Those of us who are passionate about outdoor life want to do so, but at the same time, it often creates a footprint to engage in the outdoor activities we love. It is probably more important than ever to be aware of what nature means to us and how valuable it is and try to protect it. We will certainly do our part by contributing to more environmentally friendly production. The high quality will ensure that all our products last long – thus reducing consumption. People come to us with 40-year-old Norrøna trollveggen jackets and say they still use these garments in their outdoor life. We can be proud of that. And while we continuously deliver better outdoor products, we want to make spectacular outdoor experiences accessible through guided tours and unique accommodation options – so that even more people fall in love with nature and want to take care of it."