Our Purpose; Innovation Through Style
We believe ski wear should do more than perform; it should inspire. Our team of designers and engineers work tirelessly to combine the latest advancements in fabric technology with modern, sleek designs. The result? Gear that not only protects you from the elements but makes you feel unstoppable in them. Whether it’s our signature DERMIZAX® waterproof jackets or our revolutionary Gilltek insulation, we’re dedicated to keeping you ahead of the cold.
Once Upon a time
In 1989, University of Quebec student Evelyn Trempe crafted her first waterproof ski jacket and one-of-a-kind ski pants for the university ski team in her parent’s garage. An uneven ping pong table served as a desk. The basement was a warehouse.
The “Legendary Orage Patch Pant” paired her passion for skiing with her love of fashion. Alongside Eric D’Anjou, the burgeoning seamstress sold Orage ski gear out of a car trunk from Bromont to Mont-Tremblant to Saint-Sauveur. Like all great innovative products close to the source, momentum behind the brand built as quickly as a Nor’Easter storm.
Like many Quebecois, the unique clothing stood out in a crowd. Growth was measured but steady. Orage moved from mom-and-pop’s shop to Montreal’s South Shore. Still bare bones. Still powered on pizza. Evelyn continued to craft gear on a shoestring budget, empowered by a Quebec freeskiing scene that was literally changing the world of skiing globally.
Innovative materials followed. Design was refined. No one was doing what Evelyn and Eric were accomplishing in their humble space alongside a small-but-dedicated crew. Lifelong skiers. Visionary bon vivants. Fans of everything switch, off-axis, and risqué. The goal was to blur lines. Between fashion. Between sports. Between genres. Iconic names soon joined. Mike Nick. JP Auclair. TJ Schiller. And then, The Orage Masters.
The world was feverish for freeskiing, and the pulse was strongest in Quebec. This new event threw all the rules out, focusing on spirit before score. The skiers decided who won. The crowd supplied the soundtrack, raucous boos and supportive cheers alike. Like Orage and its increasingly technical, stylish outerwear, the only constant was change. Forward. Walsy forward.
Decades later, Orage continues to lead a faction of skiers who care less for fashion while still seeking style. They aspire for smoothness over spins. Skiing remains an opportunity for expression for the Orage skier. The rest follows in a contrail of fine Le Massif powder. Today, the movement is led by Orage’s original founder and run by skiers and creatives alike.
The “Legendary Orage Patch Pant” paired her passion for skiing with her love of fashion. Alongside Eric D’Anjou, the burgeoning seamstress sold Orage ski gear out of a car trunk from Bromont to Mont-Tremblant to Saint-Sauveur. Like all great innovative products close to the source, momentum behind the brand built as quickly as a Nor’Easter storm.
Like many Quebecois, the unique clothing stood out in a crowd. Growth was measured but steady. Orage moved from mom-and-pop’s shop to Montreal’s South Shore. Still bare bones. Still powered on pizza. Evelyn continued to craft gear on a shoestring budget, empowered by a Quebec freeskiing scene that was literally changing the world of skiing globally.
Innovative materials followed. Design was refined. No one was doing what Evelyn and Eric were accomplishing in their humble space alongside a small-but-dedicated crew. Lifelong skiers. Visionary bon vivants. Fans of everything switch, off-axis, and risqué. The goal was to blur lines. Between fashion. Between sports. Between genres. Iconic names soon joined. Mike Nick. JP Auclair. TJ Schiller. And then, The Orage Masters.
The world was feverish for freeskiing, and the pulse was strongest in Quebec. This new event threw all the rules out, focusing on spirit before score. The skiers decided who won. The crowd supplied the soundtrack, raucous boos and supportive cheers alike. Like Orage and its increasingly technical, stylish outerwear, the only constant was change. Forward. Walsy forward.
Decades later, Orage continues to lead a faction of skiers who care less for fashion while still seeking style. They aspire for smoothness over spins. Skiing remains an opportunity for expression for the Orage skier. The rest follows in a contrail of fine Le Massif powder. Today, the movement is led by Orage’s original founder and run by skiers and creatives alike.
Long before most companies focused on stylish technicality, Orage was quietly building a reputation for innovative and bold ski gear that still looked good moving on the bar at Le P’tit Caribou. Waterproof materials. Breathable fabrics. Only the highest-quality zippers, pockets, and features. This is skiing, damn it. It gets cold and wet and sweaty, especially on Canada’s East Coast. When you’re Born Cold, you are warm and dry. Orage has never sacrificed tech for fashion. We never will.
It’s an ongoing journey that is both perpetual and aspirational. We build a better product so that skiers do not need to re-up the gear every year. We continue to source better material in the hopes that the tracks we leave behind can disappear into the slope like we never were there in the first place. We invite our customers to learn more, keep asking the hard questions, and hold us to the task at hand. Because sustainability never ends. It only evolves.
