Black Diamond and Pieps Named Official Partners with Freeride World Tour (FWT)

January 30, 2019

SALT LAKE CITY (January 30, 2019) – Black Diamond Equipment^®, a global innovator in climbing, skiing and mountain sports equipment, along with its sister brand Pieps, are named as official supplier and safety partners for the Freeride World Tour for the next three years.

“Snow safety and avalanche response have always driven Black Diamond and Pieps to innovate new tools to help people travel safely in the backcountry,” said Jan-Willem Driessen, global vice-president of marketing for Black Diamond Equipment. “Partnering with the Freeride World Tour allows us to speak to a growing demographic of younger backcountry skiers and snowboarders whose passion regularly takes them outside the boundaries. Whether it’s our beacons with Bluetooth capabilities, JetForce avalanche airbag fan technology, probes, shovels or snow saws, our snow safety collection addresses the interests of a growing movement of backcountry riders.”

Black Diamond and Pieps will take the lead as the official supplier and safety partner of the FWT for the next three years, providing athletes with critical snow safety tools such as airbags, beacons, shovels and probes, as well as organizing safety workshops during events. Be sure to also look out for them at Freeride World Qualifier and Freeride Junior Tour (FJT) events such as Verbier Freeride Week, FJT Fieberbrunn, Freeride Junior World Cup Kappl and FJT Verbier.

“Safety is and will always remain the Freeride World Tour’s number one priority,” states Julien Hess, general manager of the Freeride World Tour. “Thanks to our partnerships with brands like Black Diamond Equipment and Pieps, we are able to reinforce two key pillars of mountain safety, which are: wearing all necessary safety equipment and gaining the appropriate training to be able to assess risks, avoid accidents and be able to properly perform a rescue if needed.”

Under its portfolio of snow safety products, Black Diamond also offers a focused range of premium alpine performance products from Pieps, including its own avalanche transceivers with Bluetooth capabilities, probes, shovels, safety equipment and packs. Black Diamond acquired the leading Austrian designer and marketer of avalanche beacons and snow safety products in 2012 further demonstrating the brand’s commitment to the category and its position as the industry leader in snow safety products.

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About Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd.

Black Diamond Equipment® is a global innovator in climbing, skiing and mountain sports equipment. The brand is synonymous for innovation, performance, safety and durability. Headquartered in Salt Lake City at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, Black Diamond products are created and tested locally on its alpine peaks, slopes, crags and trails. These close connections to the Black Diamond lifestyle enhance the authenticity of the brand, inspire product innovation and strengthen customer loyalty. Black Diamond’s products are sold in approximately 50 countries around the world.

For additional information, please visit our website at BlackDiamondEquipment.com.

About Pieps

Founded in Austria in 2006 with roots dating back to 1972, PIEPS is widely recognized as a world-leading innovator and technology leader in beacon technology (having created the modern avalanche transceiver) and avalanche safety equipment. PIEPS offers a focused range of premium avalanche safety products, including transceivers and probes, shovels, related equipment, and packs. Through comprehensive research and the use of cutting edge technology, the Company is widely recognized by avalanche safety professionals as producing products that not only perform well, but are also very reliable in the harshest of conditions.

Headquartered in Lebring, Steiermark, Austria, PIEPS collaborates with mountain guides, instructors, scientists and mountain rescue teams during product development to ensure that their beacons provide unconditional reliability in the field. PIEPS is the official safety partner of the Association of Austrian Mountain and Ski Guides. PIEPS played a key partnership role with Black Diamond Equipment in development of the new JetForce avalanche airbag technology platform.

For additional information, please visit our website at Pieps.com