Born in the mountains, we’ve spent over three decades blending style, performance, and innovation to create ski gear that doesn’t just meet expectations but defies them
In 1989, University of Quebec student Evelyn Trempe crafted her first waterproof ski jacket and one-of-a-kind ski pants for the university ski team in her parent’s garage. An uneven ping pong table served as a desk. The basement was a warehouse. The “Legendary Orage Patch Pant” paired her passion for skiing with her love of fashion. Alongside Eric D’Anjou, the burgeoning seamstress sold Orage ski gear out of a car trunk from Bromont to Mont-Tremblant to Saint-Sauveur. Like all great innovative products close to the source, momentum behind the brand built as quickly as a Nor’Easter storm.
Like many Quebecois, the unique clothing stood out in a crowd. Growth was measured but steady. Orage moved from mom-and-pop’s shop to Montreal’s South Shore. Still bare bones. Still powered on pizza. Evelyn continued to craft gear on a shoestring budget, empowered by a Quebec freeskiing scene that was literally changing the world of skiing globally. Innovative materials followed. Design was refined. No one was doing what Evelyn and Eric were accomplishing in their humble space alongside a small-but-dedicated crew. Lifelong skiers. Visionary bon vivants. Fans of everything switch, off-axis, and risqué. The goal was to blur lines. Between fashion. Between sports. Between genres. Iconic names soon joined. Mike Nick. JP Auclair. TJ Schiller. And then, The Orage Masters.
The world was feverish for freeskiing, and the pulse was strongest in Quebec. This new event threw all the rules out, focusing on spirit before score. The skiers decided who won. The crowd supplied the soundtrack, raucous boos and supportive cheers alike. Like Orage and its increasingly technical, stylish outerwear, the only constant was change. Forward. Walsy forward. Decades later, Orage continues to lead a faction of skiers who care less for fashion while still seeking style. They aspire for smoothness over spins. Skiing remains an opportunity for expression for the Orage skier. The rest follows in a contrail of fine Le Massif powder. Today, the movement is led by Orage’s original founder and run by skiers and creatives alike.
