Kemper
Snowboards is an American
snowboard
Snowboards are boards where the user places both feet, usually secured, to the same board. The board itself is wider than most skis, with the ability to glide on snow."snowboarding." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 17 Ma ...
manufacturer. The first Kemper Snowboards were handmade in
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
by David Kemper in 1983 and the company became officially incorporated in 1987.
Kemper Snowboards went out of business in the mid-1990s. As of 2018, Kemper Snowboards was relaunched in
Park City, Utah
Park City is a city in Utah, United States. The vast majority is in Summit County, and it extends into Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake Cit ...
by former pro snowboarder, Jib Hunt. Kemper Snowboards produces
freestyle snowboards,
park snowboards,
powder snowboards, and
splitboards.
History

Kemper Snowboards was officially founded in 1987 by David Kemper who built the first boards in his garage in Ontario, Canada dating back to the winter of 1984/85. Once the brand started to gain momentum, Kemper moved its board production to a snowboard factory in Montreal, Canada for the 1988/89 snowboarding season. In 1989/90 the snowboard production moved to Austria.
Kemper Snowboards quickly rose in popularity in snowboarding brands in the industry. The Kemper brand was best remembered for fully embracing snowboarding’s neon period in both their snowboard graphics and their incredible range of funky outerwear.
David Kemper eventually partnered with a windsurfing distribution company in
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents ac ...
called the Romney Group who added Kemper Snowboards to their portfolio of brands. During that time, David relocated to California to help oversee the business, team management, and the growing product line. In 1992, David sold his remaining shares of the company to focus on his college education.
By 1994 the company was sold to an in-line skate company on the east coast. A couple of years shortly after, Kemper Snowboards officially went out of business.
In the winter of 2018, Jib Hunt, a former professional snowboarder, relaunched the Kemper Snowboards brand. In the summer of 2019, Hunt moved Kemper’s headquarters from the east coast to
Park City, Utah
Park City is a city in Utah, United States. The vast majority is in Summit County, and it extends into Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake Cit ...
to better position the snowboarding brand for growth and exposure within the Utah snowboarding scene.
Kemper Snowboards original professional snowboard team consisted of Mike Basich,
Tina Basich, Dave Dowd, Martin Gallant, Kurt Heine, Andy Hetzel, Brett Johnson, Adam Merriman, George Pappas, Nick Perata, J.D. Platt, Rich Varga, and Jay Quintin (Smokin' Jay).
Marketing and Promotion
In order to attract rider interest, Kemper Snowboards sponsors professional riders and events. The current Kemper Snowboards professional snowboard team consists of Kurt Heine, Martin Gallant, Kevin Jones, Ryan Flaska, Seth Hill, Aiden Chmura, Derek Henderson, and Jonat Ste-Marie
References
External links
Kemper Snowboards official websiteKemper Snowboards Instagram
{{authority control
Clothing companies of the United States
Privately held companies based in Utah
Snowboarding companies
Sporting goods manufacturers of the United States
1987 establishments in Utah
American companies established in 1987