Peak UK is a company with humble origins in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales, founded through sheer entrepreneurial spirit by Pete Astles, that specialises in canoeing and kayaking equipment - and it’s responsible for the garments that helped to win nine medals in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The business is undertaking some of the most ground-breaking dye sublimation printing in the world using Roland DG’s Texart XT 640, producing products that not only boast vibrant designs, but also have cutting-edge features that help athletes achieve an edge over their competitors. Their world-leading innovation and expertise in the watersports market made Peak UK the garment supplier of choice for a whopping 32 teams at Tokyo 2020.
Peak UK was formed back in 1990 when founder, Pete Astles, at the time an up and coming slalom racer, fell ill and wanted to use the spare time out of the sport to improve his gear which he felt was poorly designed. He learned to sew and created a prototype jacket that took his local watersport community by storm. After borrowing some cash from his father and purchasing some fabric and equipment, Pete began to create garments in earnest and Peak UK was born.
Olympic success
Peak UK has historically provided slalom garments for top athletes but the company wanted to go one step further for the London 2012 Olympics. That’s when they invested in sublimation printing to create custom uniforms for teams in whatever colour and design they wanted. After providing garments for several medal-winners in 2012, the company wanted to continue innovating for Rio 2016. In the four years prior to the Olympics, Peak UK worked with team GB to develop a jacket with re-engineered design which halved the thickness of the garment, enabling kayakers to race tighter through the slalom gates to significantly reduce their times.
The success of the garment for team GB at Rio made it the top choice of the world’s top athletes for the next Olympic cycle, leading up to Tokyo 2020. During this time, Peak UK continued to make innovations and improvements, removing the bulky buoyancy from the front of the garment entirely to make it an instant hit at the games themselves, allowing athletes to have maximum flexibility, perform to the best of their ability - and bring home those 9 medals.
Cutting edge dye sub innovation
When first dabbling in sublimation printing, fabric suppliers told Pete that it would be impossible to create fabrics for the watersports environment, both due to regulations and requirements, and the complex nature of canoeing uniforms: they are made up of multiple laminated layers along with buoyancy aids and straps, and need to be waterproof and breathable. But despite the challenges, Roland DG’s Texart XT 640 has not only made printing vibrant colours and patterns onto these technical fabrics possible, but has also made the process streamlined and reliable.
“Our Roland DG machines have played a large role in our success story over the years, enabling us to push the boundaries of dye sublimation printing, while remaining completely reliable.” Said Pete Astles, Founder of Peak UK. “The Industrial Textile Revolution began at our Derwent Valley home over 200 years ago, and we’re proud to have brought back a new textile revolution to the area with the help of our trusty Roland machines.”