Pasadena,
California, 1970. Pete Brock finishes his studies at Art Center,
a world-renowned school of industrial design. As its youngest graduate
ever, his racecar designs like the GM Daytona Coupe based on the
Cobra 427, quickly becomes legendary. Pete soon discovers a new
passion, hang gliding, which is probably the most radical sport
imaginable in the early 70s. While there are several gliders on
the market there is only one common theme, they are all extremely
dangerous. However, when Pete Brock gets together with the young
designer Roy Haggard, a new concept is born. The first tenable post-Rogallo
glider and it becomes the flagship of their newly founded company,
Ultralite Products.
Helping the company gain success quickly is
Pete's logo design. The UP arrow achieves cult status from the beginning
like no other logo and it captures the spirit of hang gliding. later
windsurfing, paragliding, kayaking, etc. The logo and the brand's
positive image attract the interest of various investors over the
company's three-decade history. The first is in 1980, when Yuseke
Yamazaki, a Japanese investor from a dynasty of Samurais, lays the
foundation for UP's success in Asia. Yuseke and George Follman then
form UP Sports, Inc. and further develop and expand the UP Sports
brand. The UP Inc. factory is established in Southern California.
There with a series of top designers, the production facility yields
high performance gliders, ultralights, windsurfing products and
other related sports equipment, which are shipped all over the world.
In the mid eighties, the UP name is licensed
and partnered with other quality action sports companies including
Bic Sport. The subsidiary of the famous Bic pen and shaver corporation,
licensed the UP brand for it's line of windsurfing sails and snowboards.
UP Sails quickly rose to the next level and became established as
one of the top windsurfing brands in the world. With Bic, UP Sails
broke the world speed record and was the first company to achieve
speeds of over 40 MPH.
Over the last 25+ years, the UP has also been
a strong and growing name in the Paddle Sports and Sportswear industry.
With the 2008 UP Kayaking lines and seasonal collections of fine
quality Sportswear, new and exciting UP legacies will continue.
Thank you for the interest in UP Sports,
George Follman
UP Sports, Inc.
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Kayak Fishing
