pretty big news. part of a trend of major players in the smaller backcountry market being bought by mainstream players
Here’s a press release that’s sure to create some buzz! Don’t worry: the BCA brand will continue to thrive, our management team will stay on for many more years, and we’ll remain in Boulder. We’re as excited as ever about backcountry riding and saving lives. This new partnership will enable us to combine forces with a huge industry player so we can focus on our strengths: product development and marketing–yet take advantage of K2′s strengths on such things as finance, accounting, and logistics.
We’re completely stoked to be affiliated with K2, an icon of North American skiing and riding, with a huge legacy of pioneering innovative products and defining North American ski culture. With their dominance in alpine skiing and our leading position in avalanche safety, we see ourselves as a perfect match, especially as they introduce their new line of AT boots and splitboards to the backcountry market.
With this acquisition, K2 makes a strong statement that backcountry is where the industry is going. They’re also making a strong statement about responsibility: if you’re pushing backcountry gear, you should also be pushing snow safety gear and education. BCA is just the company to support that effort: we’ve been living this for over 18 years. With K2 on our side, we can now push the message out even harder!
http://www.backcountryaccess.com/2013/01/07/k2-sports-acquires-bca/