Swiss ski and golf brand acquired by Acushnet
11/07/2019
The brand is the brainchild of Norwegian world champion skier Lasse Kjus and his Swiss business partner, Didi Serena. During a golf game in 1999, the two reflected on the performance developments in golf apparel and concluded that introducing some of the same advances to skiwear would prove successful
Kjus launched its first range of ski apparel in 2000 and, in 2011, decided to add its own golf apparel collections to its range. Skiwear remained dominant because of the origins of the brand, Kjus has said, but in recent years, the golf division came to be “equally important” for the company.
On announcing the acquisition, Acushnet chief executive, Dave Maher, said he saw parallels in the roots of the two companies, pointing out that Acushnet’s founder, Philip Young, had also turned a personal passion for sport into “a vision of product and performance excellence”. Acushnet Holdings’ brands include FootJoy, Pinnacle, Titelist and Scotty Cameron and its products range from footwear and clothing to clubs, gloves and golf balls.
Mr Maher said Acushnet had come to admire the golf apparel Kjus has made for its focus on comfort, freedom of movement and all-weather protection, and said the Swiss-based brand had achieved a loyal following with “performance-minded golfers”. He said the two companies’ shared commitment to innovative, high-quality and performance-driven products “lines up squarely” with Acushnet’s focus.
Nevertheless, Kjus’s ski business represents a new venture for Acushnet.
Kjus’s current division managers, Nico Serena for ski and Brooke Mackenzie for golf, will continue in their roles. Co-founder Didi Serena will continue his involvement with the company as a special advisor and Kjus will continue to operate out of its global headquarters at Hünenberg in Switzerland and its North American base in Boulder, Colorado.
Image: Kjus/Steve Read
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