Founded in 1948 in Kirchheim Teck, Germany, Leki is celebrating its 75th anniversary. To celebrate, the company created an online commemorative flipbook titled 75 Years of Leki.

Karl Lenhart’s passion for improving the quality and design of ski poles in the 1950s of heavy bamboo shafts with metal baskets “revolutionized the importance” of lightweight, durable poles for outdoor adventures today.

Some of Lenhart’s pole innovations continue today, including a variation of the first Makalu pole that Reinhold Messner stood on top of Everest with back in 1978 and continues in Leki’s trekking pole line.

Today, Leki continues to manufacture poles and gloves, with over 100 models of poles and 50 gloves in its annual collection.

Logo courtesy Leki