Black Diamond Equipment Presents “The Founder: Peter Metcalf,” the Fourth Film in Its Heritage Series

Black Diamond Equipment, a global leader in climbing, skiing, and mountain sports apparel and equipment, today announces the release of The Founder: Peter Metcalf, the fourth film in its Heritage Series. The film is available now on Black Diamond's YouTube channel and at blackdiamondequipment.com.

Directed by Mike Call, The Founder continues the series built to trace the people foundational to Black Diamond's identity, following The Lifer on Russ Clune, The Artist on Boone Speed, and The Mentor on Maria Cranor. This installment turns to Peter Metcalf, who in 1989 led a group of Chouinard Equipment employees — alongside Maria Cranor — in buying Chouinard’s assets out of bankruptcy, naming the new company Black Diamond Equipment, and relocating it to Salt Lake City, where the brand remains headquartered today at the base of the Wasatch Mountains.

“The Peter Metcalf film is foundational to understanding the Black Diamond brand — who we are, where we came from, our abiding principles and values, our mission, our culture and ultimately what makes us different,” said Neil Fiske, President of Black Diamond Equipment. “It’s just as much about what will shape our future as it is about what shaped our past. As Peter was fond of saying, the best days of climbing are in the windshield, not the rear-view mirror. We draw inspiration and guidance from this powerful origin story but also recognize our job is to modernize and progress Peter’s original vision to be one with the sports we serve.”

“To me, it was to be one with the sports, absolutely indistinguishable from it,” said Metcalf, describing the vision he asked employees to bet their jobs on.

“Each one is a crucial piece of the story, showing how each one not only helped forge Black Diamond and helped it succeed but laid the groundwork for climbing culture outside it. Peter is one of the most important people in this story as founding CEO. And as he says, it required partnerships to make it happen,” said Mike Call, director.

The film also traces Metcalf's own climbing history before Black Diamond existed, including a failed 1977 attempt on Alaska's Mount Hunter and a second expedition, armed with a different team and approach, that stretched to 13 committed days on unprotected terrain past the point of retreat. It's the same tenacity, the film suggests, that he'd draw on a decade later to save Black Diamond and grow it into the company that it is today.

The Founder is available to watch now at BD's YouTube channel as part of the Black Diamond Presents playlist, alongside The Lifer, The Artist, and The Mentor.

Metcalf’s founding line, “to be one with the sports, absolutely indistinguishable from it,” also lends its name to a separate release, One With the Sports We Serve, a brand anthem created with Camp4 Collective that traces Black Diamond’s lineage from Chouinard Equipment through today. The anthem is available now on Black Diamond’s YouTube channel and at blackdiamondequipment.com.