evo marks 25 years with Seattle events, film and community giving

Seattle outdoor retailer evo is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week with events across the city, capped by an Oct. 3 celebration at its Seattle campus. The lineup highlights the company’s roots in skiing, snowboarding and community building, while underscoring its growth across North America and Japan.

Why it matters: - evo is using its 25th anniversary to spotlight the community, culture and sports that shaped the Seattle-born brand. - The week doubles as a homecoming for customers, employees, athletes and partners. - The celebration also reinforces evo’s long-running focus on skiing, snowboarding, biking, running and outdoor connection.

What happened: - evo will mark 25 years this week with a slate of events in Seattle, culminating in an Oct. 3 anniversary celebration at the company’s Seattle campus. - The celebration will bring together customers, employees, athletes, industry partners, artists and friends. - Live music from DRAMA will be part of the Oct. 3 event. - The anniversary week also includes premieres from Atomic and Arc’teryx, including Mountains of the Moon. - Additional events include a mountain bike race at Raging River, a community run through Seattle and a night honoring 25 years of ski and snowboard film.

The details: - evo was founded in Seattle in 2001 by Bryce Phillips as evogear.com, initially selling ski and snowboard equipment online from his garage. - Phillips said the idea began earlier, when his uncle bought him his first lift ticket on a mountain in Oregon. - evo says that early experience shaped a lasting belief that outdoor sports can connect people and build community. - The company grew from an online retailer into a broader business with stores, travel and hospitality offerings, and a larger role in ski and snowboard culture. - evo later expanded into mountain biking and other outdoor sports, opened stores across the U.S. and Canada, and moved into Japan through Rhythm Japan, evo Hotel and evoTrip experiences. - Seattle has remained evo’s home throughout that growth. - evo partnered with Matchstick Productions on a special edit featuring memorable ski segments from the past 25 years. - The anniversary also includes retrospectives from CAPiTA Snowboards and Seattle-based production house Think Thank. - evo says the film programming celebrates 25 years of ski and snowboard culture and the company’s place within it. - The week’s Seattle events include evo 25th Anniversary Bike Race at Raging River, 25 Years of Film Watch Party, Run the Beat Group Run and the Oct. 3 anniversary celebration. - The company says the events are designed as both a reunion and a welcome to the next generation. - Every evo employee receives 40 hours of paid volunteer time each year. - Each evo store has a team dedicated to local community involvement. - Over 25 years, evo has donated more than $5 million and contributed more than 60,000 volunteer hours to community organizations. - evo says winter remains central to its business, including tuning, boot fitting and equipment setup services. - evo operates 12 retail stores in the United States and Canada, eight Rhythm Japan locations in Niseko, Hakuba and Furano, evoTrip adventure travel, evo Hotel locations in Salt Lake City, Hakuba and Tahoe City, and All Together Skatepark in Seattle. - The company’s website is More information.

Between the lines: - The anniversary programming shows evo leaning into its identity as a cultural hub, not just a retailer. - The mix of film, music, riding and running suggests the company is trying to connect its next chapter to the community model that fueled its growth. - The volunteer and donation numbers help frame the celebration as a milestone for both business scale and civic impact.

What's next: - evo’s anniversary week continues through the Oct. 3 centerpiece event in Seattle. - The company is positioning the next phase around the same outdoor community focus that defined its first 25 years. - evo says it is still focused on bringing people together around outdoor experiences.