Northwave
Encyclopedia
Northwave is a manufacturer of snowboard
and cycling
equipment. Northwave was started by Gianni Piva in Montebelluna
, Italy
and is owned by the Piva family.
manufacturer in the early 1980s, when they produced shoes for other companies. Then in the late 1980s when snowboarding
was first starting to take form, Piva started to manufacture snowboard boots for other snowboard companies. After doing extensive R&D, he began to develop his own brand of boots.
, United States
. In 1991 Northwave came out with its own line of snowboard boots. In the mid-1990s Northwave bought Drake bindings, which was an already established binding company. Drake bindings were very well designed and quality built, but had poor distribution.In the mid 1997 Drake bindings became part of Northwave but kept its original brand name. In 1998 Bakoda Design Logic snowboard accessories, was added to the company. Bakoda was originally started in the early 1990s by the Royes brothers in 1998. Northwave bought the company, leaving the brand with its originally established name.
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
and cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
equipment. Northwave was started by Gianni Piva in Montebelluna
Montebelluna
Montebelluna is a town and comune in Veneto, Italy, approximately 67 kilometers northwest of Venice. It has an estimated population of 30,817.Fila has research and development facilities in Montebelluna. Northwave was started by Gianni Piva in Montebelluna...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and is owned by the Piva family.
Shoes and boots
The company first started out as a shoeShoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
manufacturer in the early 1980s, when they produced shoes for other companies. Then in the late 1980s when snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
was first starting to take form, Piva started to manufacture snowboard boots for other snowboard companies. After doing extensive R&D, he began to develop his own brand of boots.
Acquisitions
Piva bought the company name, Northwave, which originally stemmed from a wind surfing company in Hood River, OregonHood River, Oregon
The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,831...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1991 Northwave came out with its own line of snowboard boots. In the mid-1990s Northwave bought Drake bindings, which was an already established binding company. Drake bindings were very well designed and quality built, but had poor distribution.In the mid 1997 Drake bindings became part of Northwave but kept its original brand name. In 1998 Bakoda Design Logic snowboard accessories, was added to the company. Bakoda was originally started in the early 1990s by the Royes brothers in 1998. Northwave bought the company, leaving the brand with its originally established name.