Behind every spectacular record set by the world’s top athletes there is an untold story. It is a story of challenge, innovation and groundbreaking technology. It is the story of the evolution of sportswear technology and the contribution it has made in helping the world’s athletes go faster and higher than those who came before them.
For Descente, the story begins over 75 years ago.
1935 – With the invention of a revolutionary pair of stretch ski pants, Takeo Ishimoto begins his new venture, Descente Ltd., in Osaka, Japan.
1954 – Descente launches their “Summit Strategy”. A core Descente philosophy that remains a principle tenet of the company to this day, the Summit Strategy incorporates the views and expertise of top professional athletes into product design and engineering.
Kazuyoshi Nishimura, Japan’s first professional skier, and a man known for his creativity and ingenuity, accepts an invitation from company founder, Takeo Ishimoto to be the first Descente Summit Strategy advisor. This appointment launches Descente into full-scale skiwear development. Mr. Nishimura’s uncompromising standards lay the foundation for the unwavering commitment to quality that characterizes Descente today. His ideas lead directly to the creation of many revolutionary products, including RWSB and alpine-specific coats. These innovations propel Descente to the forefront of the Japanese skiwear industry.
1957 – The RWSB jacket, so named for its ability to Block Rain, Wind and Snow, is one of the first ski jackets to combine fashion with high-tech functionality. The lightweight, compact jacket wins fans worldwide and establishes Descente as a world-class brand.
The company and the brand are both now formally known as “Descente” and the company introduces its signature arrow logo – the Spirit logo – which represents three basic skiing techniques: schuss, traverse and sideslip.
PASSPORT ACTIVATION | ©2011 DESCENTE