Kahtoola
Inspired by the pioneering spirit of his grandparents Bill and Vieve Gore (co-founders of W.L. Gore & Associates), Danny recognized an untapped need in the marketplace for lightweight, flexible crampons. After finishing his B.S. in Physics at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, he explored design concepts in a makeshift garage workshop. By summer 1998, he returned to his hometown, Flagstaff, Arizona, and began focusing more on product development. Eventually, after dozens of design iterations and a few patentable inventions, Danny founded Kahtoola and launched the KTS aluminum at the January 2001 Outdoor Retailer Winter Show.