Pit Viper (sunglasses)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports performance gear, lifestyle accessories |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Chuck Mumford |
| Headquarters | South Salt Lake , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Chuck Mumford (Founder) |
| Products | Sunglasses, protective eyewear, eyeglasses, sports visors, ski and snowboard goggles, cycling apparel, mountain biking clothing |
Number of employees | 100 (2023) |
Pit Viper is a United States-based enterprise located in South Salt Lake, Utah. It specializes in the design, development, and production of sports performance gear and lifestyle accessories, including sunglasses, protective eyewear, eyeglasses, sports visors, and ski and snowboard goggles. The brand is known for blending a retro style from the 1980s through the early 2000s with bold, unconventional marketing strategies.
History
Established in 2012 by Chuck Mumford, Pit Viper initially focused on customizing surplus ballistic sunglasses from the early 1990s military stock and selling them under a name derived from Mumford’s skiing moniker. Collaborating with Chris Garcin to create branded decals, they launched an e-commerce platform and refined their unique approach to social media promotion.
Once the surplus inventory was depleted, Pit Viper initiated a Kickstarter campaign to begin manufacturing their own eyewear. By 2023, the company had grown to employ about 100 staff members and generated roughly $40 million in yearly sales.
Pit Viper sunglasses have appeared in specialized publications such as Powder Magazine and prominent media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
Expanding beyond their skiing roots, Pit Viper has also entered the cycling sector by introducing road cycling apparel and a mountain biking clothing line.
The brand has attracted endorsements from notable athletes including extreme skier Glen Plake, NFL players Patrick Mahomes and Rob Gronkowski, freestyle skier Tanner Hall, as well as NASCAR’s pioneering African American female Cup pit crew member Brehanna Daniels.