TECHNOLOGY
Columbia Sportswear’s 3-in-1 Interchange System Turns 40
In 1984, Gert Boyle, then president and CEO of Columbia—and the inspiration for our Tough Mother Outdoor Guide—and her son Tim, now president and CEO, worked together to create the world’s first three-in-one jacket, the “Interchange System,” so people would have flexibility in dealing with the elements.
BY: NANCY BOUCHARD
In the world of outdoor gear and apparel, there are some significant milestones. The “golden age” of innovation arguably spanned the late 1970s through early 1990s, when a burgeoning number of outdoor adventurers sparked a demand for better performing gear. Hunters, hikers, skiers, snowshoers, and anglers all helped to kick off what’s now known as the “outdoor industry.”
Brands responded with significant research and development, giving rise to what we now call "technical" gear and apparel. During this period, several groundbreaking innovations emerged, including free-standing dome tents, internal frame backpacks, lightweight backcountry multi-fuel stoves, and women’s-specific outdoor apparel and gear. One of the standout advancements was the 1984 introduction of the Interchange System jacket by Columbia Sportswear. Developed by the mother/son team of Gert and Tim Boyle, this 3-in-1 jacket remains a popular and influential innovation in the outdoor world.
Columbia, based in Portland, Oregon, has always prioritized the needs of the end user. In the 1980s--with Oregon most likely having more hunters than hikers--Tim and Gert looked hard at that category and recognized the need for adaptable outdoor apparel. They noticed that hunting often requires an early morning start, which requires a warm jacket. Then temperatures rise during the day, as does activity level, and clothing requirements change. At that time, layering was not a common practice, and insulated jackets were typically bulky, heavy, and lacked versatility. How could hunters (and later, skiers, hikers and anglers) easily—and economically—adjust their apparel accordingly without buying—and carrying—multiple jackets?
Brands responded with significant research and development, giving rise to what we now call "technical" gear and apparel. During this period, several groundbreaking innovations emerged, including free-standing dome tents, internal frame backpacks, lightweight backcountry multi-fuel stoves, and women’s-specific outdoor apparel and gear. One of the standout advancements was the 1984 introduction of the Interchange System jacket by Columbia Sportswear. Developed by the mother/son team of Gert and Tim Boyle, this 3-in-1 jacket remains a popular and influential innovation in the outdoor world.
Columbia, based in Portland, Oregon, has always prioritized the needs of the end user. In the 1980s--with Oregon most likely having more hunters than hikers--Tim and Gert looked hard at that category and recognized the need for adaptable outdoor apparel. They noticed that hunting often requires an early morning start, which requires a warm jacket. Then temperatures rise during the day, as does activity level, and clothing requirements change. At that time, layering was not a common practice, and insulated jackets were typically bulky, heavy, and lacked versatility. How could hunters (and later, skiers, hikers and anglers) easily—and economically—adjust their apparel accordingly without buying—and carrying—multiple jackets?
“At the time, we had a popular jacket with a Gore-Tex shell and a Thinsulate lining that was primarily designed for colder, northern climates, like Minnesota,” recounts Tim Boyle, Columbia’s president and CEO. “In the early 1980s, we were visiting accounts and stopped in Grand Junction, Tennessee, the home of the National Pointer Field Trial Championships. We talked with the buyer from Wilson Dunn’s Sporting Goods, which specialized in hunting. He liked the insulated, waterproof/breathable jacket but said that since Tennessee rarely saw cold temperatures, there’d be more of a market for a jacket with a removable lining. We scratched our heads and came up with Interchange 3-in-1 System.” The first Interchange jacket was the Quad, a camouflage hunting jacket with a Gore-Tex shell and a reversible Thinsulate lining.
“It was very popular--if you were a hunter,” remembers Boyle. “But if you weren’t a hunter, especially a waterfowler, then camouflage might not be your first choice.” Gert and Tim decided to make the Palmer, a ski jacket with a removable liner and a Gore-Tex shell. “Gore-Tex was expensive, which made the jacket expensive,” recounts Boyle. “So it wasn’t a high-volume seller.” The duo went back to the drawing board.
The solution was Columbia’s Bugaboo 3-in-1 Interchange Parka, featuring a waterproof/weatherproof outer shell and a warm, zip-out fleece lining. Gert and Tim named it after the Bugaboo mountain range in British Columbia. It was Columbia’s first insulated jacket made in Asia and sold for $100. Skiers quickly realized that the innovative 3-in-1 technology was ideal for snow sports due to its adaptability to temperature fluctuations. It quickly became a bestseller, with over 5 million sold. With the Quad, Palmer, and Bugaboo, Columbia had revolutionized how people dressed for cold weather.
“It was very popular--if you were a hunter,” remembers Boyle. “But if you weren’t a hunter, especially a waterfowler, then camouflage might not be your first choice.” Gert and Tim decided to make the Palmer, a ski jacket with a removable liner and a Gore-Tex shell. “Gore-Tex was expensive, which made the jacket expensive,” recounts Boyle. “So it wasn’t a high-volume seller.” The duo went back to the drawing board.
The solution was Columbia’s Bugaboo 3-in-1 Interchange Parka, featuring a waterproof/weatherproof outer shell and a warm, zip-out fleece lining. Gert and Tim named it after the Bugaboo mountain range in British Columbia. It was Columbia’s first insulated jacket made in Asia and sold for $100. Skiers quickly realized that the innovative 3-in-1 technology was ideal for snow sports due to its adaptability to temperature fluctuations. It quickly became a bestseller, with over 5 million sold. With the Quad, Palmer, and Bugaboo, Columbia had revolutionized how people dressed for cold weather.
The genius of Columbia’s Interchange System is its versatility. With the 3-in-1 Interchange System, you can wear the weatherproof outer shell on a warm, wet day, or, on a cool, dryer day, wear the insulating inner jacket alone. Zipped together, the result is a world-class cold weather solution. When you don’t need either the shell or fleece, you can stow it in your car, closet or backpack. Packability didn’t become a trend until the late 1990s, so by creating a jacket that could be split into two parts when one wasn’t needed, Columbia was well ahead of its time.
Later that decade, Columbia introduced the Whirlibird ski jacket, followed by the Powderkeg ski jacket. The brand’s formula for success was clear: under Gert and Tim’s leadership, Columbia produced apparel that kept hunters, skiers, anglers, and hikers warm, dry, protected and comfortable—with a price point that was affordable and inclusive. The Interchange System jackets also appealed to a broader audience. The rugged outdoor aesthetic allowed people to achieve the look of adventurous explorers, even if they weren’t skiing extreme slopes, stalking game deep in the backcountry or scaling high alpine peaks. Columbia appealed to both the outdoor adventure and urban customer, helping to spark today’s trend of athleisure and more practical go-to-school-and-work apparel.
The Interchange System pioneered other user-friendly trends. While today’s “less is more” approach dominates outdoor gear, 40 years ago, Tim and Gert Boyle were at the forefront of creating versatile gear so that customers could do more with less. The idea of “buy one, get three” was groundbreaking, and outdoor enthusiasts quickly embraced the common-sense approach.
The 3-in-1 Interchange System got another major boost in 1994 when Columbia became the supplier for CBS during the Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games. “Bob Mason, who worked for our company for many years, played football at University of Delaware,” explains Boyle. “He became head of sales for CBS and the network reached out about apparel for the Winter Games in Lillehammer. We spent a lot of time designing the garments, making them suitable for announcers to wear, with lots of embellishments. We sold all the jackets to CBS--today we’d have to pay millions of dollars for that kind of exposure. One ended up on David Letterman’s mother, ‘Dave’s Mom,’ who provided nightly coverage of the Games. She was a hit, and we really lucked out.”
Later that decade, Columbia introduced the Whirlibird ski jacket, followed by the Powderkeg ski jacket. The brand’s formula for success was clear: under Gert and Tim’s leadership, Columbia produced apparel that kept hunters, skiers, anglers, and hikers warm, dry, protected and comfortable—with a price point that was affordable and inclusive. The Interchange System jackets also appealed to a broader audience. The rugged outdoor aesthetic allowed people to achieve the look of adventurous explorers, even if they weren’t skiing extreme slopes, stalking game deep in the backcountry or scaling high alpine peaks. Columbia appealed to both the outdoor adventure and urban customer, helping to spark today’s trend of athleisure and more practical go-to-school-and-work apparel.
The Interchange System pioneered other user-friendly trends. While today’s “less is more” approach dominates outdoor gear, 40 years ago, Tim and Gert Boyle were at the forefront of creating versatile gear so that customers could do more with less. The idea of “buy one, get three” was groundbreaking, and outdoor enthusiasts quickly embraced the common-sense approach.
The 3-in-1 Interchange System got another major boost in 1994 when Columbia became the supplier for CBS during the Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games. “Bob Mason, who worked for our company for many years, played football at University of Delaware,” explains Boyle. “He became head of sales for CBS and the network reached out about apparel for the Winter Games in Lillehammer. We spent a lot of time designing the garments, making them suitable for announcers to wear, with lots of embellishments. We sold all the jackets to CBS--today we’d have to pay millions of dollars for that kind of exposure. One ended up on David Letterman’s mother, ‘Dave’s Mom,’ who provided nightly coverage of the Games. She was a hit, and we really lucked out.”
Since the introduction of the Interchange System, Columbia Sportswear has continued to set the standard for innovation in the outdoor industry, advancing in materials, sewing and cutting techniques, and design. It remains a versatile, fashion and function forward solution for multiple conditions. “I think interchange is a big part of the future, and a point of differentiation for Columbia,” says Boyle. ““Interchange as an innovation really represents how our company continues to set itself apart through various forms of innovation in all parts of our business.”
Check out Columbia's lineup of 3-in-1 Interchange Jackets for the
next time you need a one jacket solution.
