K2 founder Bill Kirschner in 1961, using a pair of borrowed skis as a pattern, made a pair of fiberglass skis. They worked so well that he considered producing them commercially. He took his concept to Anderson & Thompson Ski Company, a Seattle-based distributor of ski equipment, and his "concept" came to life becoming the bare essentials of what K2 is today. They have expanded more into not just skis but also inline skates and accessories.