K2 Sports
Corporate brand
UnclaimedK2 Sports is an American winter-sports equipment company best known for pioneering fiberglass skis and managing a portfolio of ski, snowboard, snowshoe, avalanche-safety, and related outdoor brands.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
K2 Sports, commonly known as K2, is an American sporting-goods company centered on winter sports. Its roots extend to 1962, when brothers Bill and Don Kirschner founded the business on Vashon Island in Washington State. The company became notable for adopting fiberglass ski construction at a time when wood and metal remained dominant. Fiberglass enabled lighter and more responsive skis, helping K2 establish a distinctive position in alpine skiing and giving the company a technical identity that remained associated with the brand for decades. The name K2 was adopted in 1967. It referred both to K2, the world's second-highest mountain, and to the two Kirschner brothers who founded the company. Rapid expansion soon required additional capital. In late 1969, K2 was acquired by Cummins Engine Company, a well-financed industrial owner based in Columbus, Indiana. In November 1976, ownership passed to a group of Pacific Northwest investors operating through Sitca Corporation, which also owned K2's subsidiary Jansport. K2 management bought the outstanding shares of Sitca in 1982 and chose to concentrate the company's resources on alpine ski products. Anthony Industries acquired all of Sitca's stock in September 1985. Anthony operated across leisure and recreation markets and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. After selling its Anthony Pools division in 1995, the company changed its corporate name to K2, Inc. During the following years, the business broadened well beyond its original ski focus. Under the control of board member Richard Heckmann from around 2000, K2 pursued an aggressive growth and acquisition strategy that brought sporting-goods businesses and brands into the corporate portfolio. These included Rawlings Sporting Goods, Worth, Brass Eagle, Viewloader, Völkl, Marker, and Marmot, covering baseball, paintball, alpine skiing, ski bindings, and outdoor apparel. The company also changed its manufacturing footprint. In 2001, K2 transferred manufacturing from Vashon Island to Guangdong, China, a move described as necessary to maintain financial competitiveness. In June 2006, K2 announced that its business office would move from Vashon Island to Seattle's Industrial District, reflecting the company's transition from a small island-based manufacturer into a larger multi-brand sporting-goods group. Jarden Corporation announced an agreement to acquire K2, Inc. in April 2007, proposing cash and stock consideration valued at $15.50 per share. K2 subsequently became part of Jarden's broader consumer-products portfolio. After Jarden was acquired by Newell Brands, K2 was sold in 2017 to private-equity firm Kohlberg & Company. The K2 business is associated with K2 Snow and K2 Skates and with a portfolio that includes Backcountry Access, Ride Snowboards, Tubbs Snowshoes, Atlas Snow-Shoe Company, LINE Skis, Full Tilt Boots, and Madshus. Its current brand proposition therefore combines the heritage of K2 ski design with a house of specialized winter-sports labels.
History
K2 began in 1962 on Vashon Island, Washington, when Bill and Don Kirschner established a ski company. Its early importance came from fiberglass ski construction. Compared with the wood-and-metal skis common at the time, fiberglass designs could be lighter and more lively, helping K2 differentiate itself technologically. The company adopted the K2 name in 1967, drawing on both the Himalayan mountain and the fact that the business had two founding brothers. Growth created a need for outside capital. Cummins Engine Company acquired the company in late 1969. In November 1976, K2 and its subsidiary Jansport were acquired by Sitca Corporation, a group backed by Northwest investors. K2 management bought Sitca in 1982 and elected to focus the business on alpine skiing. Anthony Industries purchased all of Sitca in September 1985. After Anthony Industries sold its Anthony Pools division in 1995, it renamed itself K2, Inc., making the K2 identity the corporate name as well as the principal ski brand. Around 2000, Richard Heckmann assumed control at board level and pursued a broad expansion program. K2 added Rawlings Sporting Goods and Worth in baseball, Brass Eagle and Viewloader in paintball, and Völkl, Marker, and Marmot in skiing and outdoor products. This period transformed K2 from a focused ski manufacturer into a diversified sporting-goods company. To improve competitiveness, manufacturing moved from Vashon Island to Guangdong, China, in 2001. The company announced another important location change in 2006, moving its business office to Seattle's Industrial District. In 2007, Jarden Corporation agreed to acquire K2, Inc. for proposed cash and stock consideration valued at $15.50 per share. K2 then became part of Jarden's portfolio. Jarden was later acquired by Newell Brands, which subsequently sold K2 to Kohlberg & Company in 2017. The resulting K2 Sports organization is associated with K2 Snow and K2 Skates and with specialized brands including Backcountry Access, Ride Snowboards, Tubbs Snowshoes, Atlas Snow-Shoe Company, LINE Skis, Full Tilt Boots, and Madshus. Its historical development is therefore marked by three phases: technical innovation in skis, diversification through acquisitions, and later consolidation under larger corporate and private-equity owners.
- 2017
K2 is sold to Kohlberg & Company
[1]After Jarden becomes part of Newell Brands, K2 is sold to private-equity firm Kohlberg & Company.
- 2007
Jarden agrees to acquire K2
[1]Jarden Corporation announces a definitive agreement to acquire K2, Inc. for proposed cash and stock consideration valued at $15.50 per share.
- 2006
Business office moves to Seattle
[1]K2 announces the relocation of its business office from Vashon Island to Seattle's Industrial District.
- 2001
Manufacturing moves to Guangdong
[1]K2 transfers manufacturing from Vashon Island to Guangdong, China, as part of a competitiveness strategy.
- 1995
Anthony Industries changes its name to K2, Inc.
[1]After selling Anthony Pools, the parent company adopts the K2 corporate name.
- 1985
Anthony Industries acquires Sitca
[1]Anthony Industries purchases all of Sitca's stock, placing K2 within a larger leisure and recreation group.
- 1982
Management buys Sitca
[1]K2 management acquires the outstanding shares of Sitca and concentrates company resources on alpine skiing.
- 1976
K2 becomes part of Sitca
[1]A group of Northwest investors acquires K2 and its Jansport subsidiary through Sitca Corporation.
- 1969
Cummins Engine Company acquires K2
[1]Rapid growth leads to a sale to Cummins Engine Company, providing the business with a larger financial partner.
- 1967
The K2 name is adopted
[1]Bill Kirschner names the company K2, referencing both the Himalayan mountain and the two founding brothers.
Products and positioning
A technically oriented winter-sports group built around K2's fiberglass-ski heritage and a portfolio of specialist brands serving alpine skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, avalanche safety, skating, and Nordic skiing.
Alpine skiing and snowboarding
K2 Snow
K2 Snow is the company's core winter-sports label, associated with alpine skis, snowboards, boots, and related equipment. Its identity is rooted in K2's historical fiberglass-ski innovation and subsequent development of products for different skiing styles and snow conditions.
Skates
K2 Skates
K2 Skates extends the K2 name into skating equipment. It is identified in the company portfolio as a separate operating label alongside K2 Snow, broadening the brand's activity beyond mountain and snow products.
Skis
LINE Skis
LINE Skis is a specialist ski brand within the K2 Sports portfolio. It complements the principal K2 ski label with a distinct brand identity in the ski market.
Snowboards
Ride Snowboards
Ride Snowboards is K2 Sports' dedicated snowboard brand. It operates as a specialist label within the broader winter-sports portfolio rather than as a product line carrying the main K2 name.
Snowshoes
Tubbs Snowshoes
Tubbs Snowshoes is a snowshoe brand in the K2 Sports portfolio, serving users who travel across snow-covered terrain on foot.
Snowshoes
Atlas Snow-Shoe Company
Atlas Snow-Shoe Company is a second snowshoe-focused label associated with K2 Sports, giving the group coverage across multiple specialist snowshoe brands.
Avalanche-safety equipment
Backcountry Access
Backcountry Access is the group's backcountry and avalanche-safety brand. It broadens K2 Sports beyond sliding equipment into equipment used for backcountry travel and mountain safety.
Nordic skiing
Madshus
Madshus is a cross-country and Nordic skiing brand in the K2 Sports portfolio, extending the group's coverage from alpine skiing into Nordic equipment.
Ski bindings
Marker
Marker is a ski-binding brand associated with K2 Sports. Its role in the portfolio complements K2's skis and other alpine products with specialized binding equipment.
Skis
Völkl
Völkl is an alpine ski brand that became part of K2's expanded sporting-goods portfolio during the company's acquisition-led diversification period.
Ski boots
Full Tilt Boots
Full Tilt Boots is a ski-boot label associated with K2 Sports, representing the group's specialist footwear activity within winter sports.
Brand decisions
2017
Sale to Kohlberg & CompanyM&ABackground
K2 was part of the Jarden portfolio after Jarden had acquired the company, and Jarden was subsequently acquired by Newell Brands.
Action taken
Newell Brands sold K2 to private-equity firm Kohlberg & Company.
Aftermath
K2 continued as a privately owned winter-sports company and brand portfolio.
2007
Agreement to be acquired by JardenM&ABackground
K2, Inc. was operating as a publicly traded, diversified sporting-goods company.
Action taken
Jarden Corporation announced a definitive agreement to acquire K2 for cash and stock consideration valued at $15.50 per share.
Aftermath
K2 became part of Jarden's consumer-products portfolio and later passed through Newell Brands before its 2017 sale to Kohlberg & Company.
Proposed acquisition consideration per share. $15.50 per share (2007 announcement)
2006
Relocation of the business officeStrategyBackground
K2 had outgrown its historical Vashon Island base as its corporate activities and brand portfolio expanded.
Action taken
K2 announced that its business office would move to Seattle's Industrial District.
Aftermath
The relocation placed the company's business office in the Seattle metropolitan area while manufacturing had already shifted overseas.
2001
Transfer of manufacturing to ChinaStrategyBackground
K2 sought to remain financially competitive as its business expanded.
Action taken
The company moved manufacturing operations from Vashon Island to Guangdong, China.
Aftermath
The relocation became part of K2's transition from an island-based manufacturer to a larger international sporting-goods business.
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