About Us

How It All Started: Our Cycling Heritage

There's a road in Humboldt County, California called Showers Pass. The wildlife and dynamic beauty of the landscape reward hardcore cyclists for gaining 12,000ft in elevation, braving variable and often treacherous weather, and enduring up to 100 miles in the saddle. 25 years ago, this ride was the inspiration for the name of our organization. Now, that challenging ride stands as a perfect metaphor for what the Showers Pass team does every day: surmounting technical design challenges to truly enjoy the natural world, in all conditions.

It all started in 1997, when Dave Morrow wanted to make himself the perfect cycling-specific rain jacket. Dave wanted a jacket that would be perfect for the variable Pacific Northwest climate: something comfortable enough to wear at the start of a ride, and 50 miles in, too. He tinkered with the design, selected the material and commissioned a local kayak paddle sports apparel company to make him a one-of-a-kind goldenrod jacket. The first Elite Jacket was born.

Since that very first Elite jacket, we've continued innovating apparel and gear that maximizes outdoor adventure: striving for the optimal balance of weather protection, breathability, and fit for different activities. Things have changed since 1997, but we remain true to our roots: finding the perfect construction and features that gets us outside longer, and more often.

Where We Are Today: Our Team & Our Mission

With A HQ in Portland, Oregon, and a UK base in South Shields, Tyne & Wear; Showers Pass is a growing team of outdoor enthusiasts who bike, run, hike, climb and play in the outdoors. We are each committed to making communing with nature a priority: through our products and in how we help each other, our neighbours and customers.

We ship directly to you from our UK base in South Shields. You can call us and speak with a team member that works here, too. If you're local, you can schedule a time to visit us and get advice from the team on the right gear for your adventures. However you interact with us, you'll find out what our other customers already know: that the Showers Pass team is knowledgeable and eager to help you out.

Our reputation as a brand is built on our use of high-performance materials in combination with an innovative, functional design for cyclists and people that love the outdoors. We specialise in waterproof and breathable active apparel (rain gear) and have broadened our line to include performance apparel, waterproof socks, and waterproof bags. Our products are used by cyclists, mountaineers, runners, cross-country skiers, mountain bikers, firefighters, endurance athletes and others who demand high performance and reliability from their gear.

What's Next: Our Vision

Our mission is to get everyone to spend more time outside, no matter the weather. We know that more time in nature increases personal well-being and mental health: it also improves our connection to the landscape, our place in the world. If we were all a little happier, and a little more in tune with the outdoors, we believe life would be better for the whole planet. That's why we continue to expand our product offering, introduce programs like Enjoy All Elements, and get involved with multiple organisations to increase participation and access to the outdoors.

Reducing our impact on the environment while making high-quality long-lasting products is part of our mission to enable outdoor adventure for everyone. That's why we've outlined specific goals (and have been holding ourselves accountable) to hit by 2025.