Decorated skier Lindsey Vonn wears gear from Utah company during Olympics


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PROVO — Bryce Fisher woke up on Wednesday morning to see Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn wearing one of his company’s products on live TV.

Fisher is co-founder and CEO of Provo-based Ravean, a clothing company that makes heated winter coats and pants.

Vonn was wearing a pair of Ravean pants as she warmed up before a downhill skiing race. The pants were visible for about 15 seconds during NBC’s broadcast.

“It was really exciting to wake up yesterday and see her warming up,” Fisher said.

The company started in 2015 after an extensive Kickstarter campaign.

Now, Ravean employs 15 people and manufactured clothing for about 100 U.S Olympic athletes competing in PyeongChang, Fisher said.

The clothing has a heating element that is powered by a lithium-ion battery, which can also be used to charge electronic devices through a USB port.

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Ravean Chief Operating Officer Henry Deutsch had a connection with former Olympic speed skater Eric Heiden, which allowed the company to contact Team USA and manufacture clothing for the athletes, according to Fisher.

“I didn’t really know if we’d see our products or not,” he said. “But then just before (Vonn’s) run, we got a really good news shot of Lindsey wearing our gear, so that was really exciting.”

At the winter games, the athletes sit in a hot tub before events to keep their muscles warm. When they get out of the hot tub, they put on a pair of Ravean heated pants to keep their legs warm in between the tub and their race or run, Fisher said.

“We knew that the athletes were going to be using and wearing our gear more for strategic reasons rather than fashion,” he said.

When Ravean started, the company was recognized as one of the top-funded Kickstarter clothing projects ever.

Now, the company has a new Kickstarter that will fund the creation of heated gloves and mittens.

“We’ve got a cool little-heated glove business going on too,” Fisher said.

For more information, visit ravean.com.

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