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Peak Ski Company And Pebblebee® Introduce Innovative New Technology: Peak Lôc8™

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#skiing #skigear #skis #technology
Published
04/01/2023 by

Peak Ski Company and its strategic partner Pebblebee® unveiled PEAK Lôc8™, a first-of-its-kind locating and tracking device that will be embedded within certain models of Peak Ski Company's 2023/24 line of innovative skis. PEAK Lôc8 provides users with the ability to locate their Peak skis using their mobile device once connected to the PEAK Lôc8 device integrated within each Peak ski.

PEAK Lôc8 devices are wirelessly rechargeable, and the technology is compatible with both iOS and Android platforms. The licensing of this new technology is a result of Peak's extensive development work with Pebblebee, a leader in the technology associated with fully integrated tracking and locating solutions.

"After years of work on the concept and the development criteria, we are thrilled to unveil PEAK Lôc8 to our community of customers and the world of skiing," said Andy Wirth, cofounder and CEO of Peak Ski Company. "At the very center of Peak's ethos is innovation, and this announcement is the first expression of the many strategic innovations on which are working. Of its many uses, PEAK Lôc8 will help skiers locate their skis if lost in deep snow or if they have trouble finding them on a busy day at a resort's base area or lodge. It also serves as a remarkably effective theft deterrent."

The concept for PEAK Lôc8 was developed when Wirth was training for a Denali expedition several years ago. Curious to understand how tracking technology might work in harsh winter environments, he duct taped a market leading tracking device to his backcountry skis. Wirth learned a great deal relative to the tracking device's value, some of the limitations such as battery life, and the host of upsides associated with this type of technology.

"As an avid technologist and passionate skier myself, I know how much people value their ski gear. I've always dreamt of having our tracking technology built into performance skis," says Daniel Daoura, Pebblebee's CTO and founder. "We're thrilled to introduce our patented technology to a passionate base of outdoor enthusiasts and partner with a brand of this caliber. Peak Ski Company is remarkably innovative on every front, and it's exciting to be a part of their continued commitment to excellence, service, and innovation for their customers."

"While tracking and locating devices are not uncommon, the first iteration of PEAK Lôc8 is extremely unique in that it is compatible with both iOS and Android platforms and can be easily recharged wirelessly with a single charge expected to last up to a full ski season. It's also packed with other features and compatibility, including individually controlled LEDs, NFC for claiming, left behind® alerts, and virtual fence notifications," said Darrin Haugen, Peak Ski Company vice president of Design, Innovation and Production. "While we are still working through finite aspects of development and testing, we will integrate PEAK Lôc8 in certain models of Peak's 23/24 lineup. We look forward to providing additional details on which models will feature this innovative new technology within a few months."

Pebblebee partnered with Peak to license their technology along with their innovative patent portfolio and bring the concept to fruition. The teams worked together to successfully address some of the concerns identified by Wirth in his winter backcountry "lab," Beehive Basin located in Southwest, Montana, and made important modifications to the advanced tracking and locating technology Pebblebee already had in development.

"Through a joint development agreement, Peak Ski Company has established exclusive global licensing rights within the mountain and winter sports sector with Pebblebee. In fact, we've already commenced discussions with innovative companies in this sector and the response has been overwhelmingly positive," continued Wirth. 

Recognizing that many of Peak's customers seek to "leave technology behind" when they venture to the mountains, the integration of PEAK Lôc8 was very purposefully developed to be non-intrusive to the overall mountain experience. PEAK Lôc8 is there when it's wanted or needed, but skiers otherwise won't know it's there. The device is embedded within the ski, under the topsheet material, and is wirelessly, externally rechargeable with a standard Qi charger. The device itself is expected to hold a charge for up to an entire ski season with typical ski conditions and usage.

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