Holden Outerwear is a manufacturer of jacket

Jacket

A jacket is a hip- or waist-length garment for the upper body. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which is outerwear...

s and pants

Trousers

Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...

 for use in skiing

Skiing

Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....

 and snowboarding

Snowboarding

Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...

. Based in Portland, OR

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

, Holden is owned by professional snowboarder Mikey LeBlanc and designer Scott Zergebel.

History

Holden was launched in 2002 by LeBlanc and Zergebel under the wings of Earth Products, a subsidiary of K2 Sports

K2 Sports

K-2, Corporation. was founded in 1961 by brothers Bill and Don Kirschner on Vashon Island, near Seattle, Washington. K2 is known for pioneering fiberglass ski technology, which made skis significantly lighter and more lively than their wood and metal contemporaries...

 and the larger Jarden Corporation. In 2007, Holden severed ties with Earth Products and became an independent company

Independent Company

An Independent Company was a formation of the British Army during the Second World War. Initially there were 10 independent companies, who were raised from volunteers in second line Territorial Army divisions in April 1940. They were intended for guerrilla style operations in Norway following the...

. At this time, LeBlanc and Zergebel moved the corporate office from southern California to Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

 and doubled the size of the company from 3 to 6 employees. In 2007, Holden was distributed in 150 stores in North America and 15 countries worldwide.

Holden has also become widely known for its annual sales website and receives accolades for its use of video and interactive design. In 2010 Holden, with the help of Wilderness Design, won the Excellence Award for the Portland, OR based Rosie Awards.

Collection

Holden uses eco-friendly fabrics in technical jackets. In 2006, Holden won an award from the Worth Global Style Network for its development of a fabric made of hemp

Hemp

Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...

 and recycled plastic

Plastic

A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...

 bottles that is both waterproof and breathable. Holden also partners with Schoeller Technologies to use their patented eco-friendly C change

C change

C change is a waterproof and windproof temperature adaptive material developed and produced by Schoeller Textiles.The material contains a membrane layer which is set to a predetermined temperature range...

 fabrics. The fabric won the 2006 Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, Inc. is an American firm which provides market research & analysis, growth strategy consulting and corporate training services. Its headquarters are located in San Antonio, Texas, with offices in over 20 countries across the world....

 Award for Product Innovation of the Year.

Team Riders

Holden supports a number of team riders.

• Nate Cole
  Nate Cole
  Nate Cole is an American singer-songwriter. He is also a former band member of the band Plus One. He was formerly the lead singer in a band called Castledoor with former band mate Gabe Combs. He currently resides in Brooklyn with his wife Lisa also known as Liska. They were married on April 1, 2006...
  
  
• Gus Engle
• Laura Hadar
• Marie Hucal
• Mikey LeBlanc
• Matty Ryan
• Darrell Mathes
• Laurent Nicolas-Paquin
• Scotty Wittlake
• Andy Wright
• Cale Zima

Video

In 2009, LeBlanc and Holden team rider Darrell Mathes along with others, founded the video production company Videograss. The debut film, also titled Videograss, features the riding of the Holden team. The second video, titled Bon Voyage, was released in Fall of 2010. Holden co-owner and professional snowboarder Mikey LeBlanc won the prestigious Stand-Out of the Year Award from Transworld Snowboarding

Transworld Snowboarding

TransWorld SNOWboarding is an American magazine focused on the snowboarding culture. It is published 10 times a year by Bonnier Corporation and features the sport, culture and lifestyle of modern snowboarding.-History:...

 for his part in Bon Voyage. Prior to Videograss, LeBlanc owned the now defunct Kidsknow productions. The two films released under Kidsknow, Burning Bridges and Love/Hate were inherently tied to the Holden team. Love/Hate featured female rider Priscilla Levac

Priscilla Levac

Priscilla Levac, is a Canadian professional snowboarder based out of Whistler, British Columbia.-Career:After growing up in a small town outside of Quebec, Priscilla moved to the resort area of Whistler-Blackcomb to snowboard...

, who won best female snowboarder of the year in 2005.