Holden Outerwear

History

Holden was launched in 2002 by LeBlanc and Zergebel under the wings of Earth Products, a subsidiary of K2 Sports and the larger Jarden Corporation. In 2007, Holden severed ties with Earth Products and became an independent company. At this time, LeBlanc and Zergebel moved the corporate office from southern California to Portland, Oregon and doubled the size of the company from 3 to 8 employees. In 2007, Holden was distributed in 150 stores in North America and 15 countries worldwide. Since that time Holden has moved back to Venice Beach, CA.

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 and recycled plastic bottles that is both waterproof and breathable. Holden also partners with Schoeller Technologies to use their patented eco-friendly C change fabrics. The fabric won the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Innovation of the Year.

Team Riders

Holden supports a number of team riders.

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