Bode Miller's Ski Brand Is Back, but Questions and Unpaid Debts Remain
Peak Skis, the brand founded in part by American alpine racing legend Bode Miller, seemed to have an unceremonious downfall.
At least two athletes who formerly worked with Peak, Chris Davenport and Michelle Parker, said that their contracts haven’t been paid in full. The brand’s Bozeman, Montana, headquarters and website shut down.
Employees were laid off. Rumors swirled.
All of this was chronicled in a story published by The Colorado Sun in June 2025. It was, presumably, the last anyone would hear from Peak, marking another chapter in the long history of defunct ski start-ups.
Now, the brand, which previously drew glowing reviews for its skis, is back, even as questions about unpaid debts remain. In an unexpected post shared earlier this week on his personal Instagram page, Miller wrote, “2026 Peak skis are LIVE!”
“I updated the side cut and geometry to create better balance and performance. Hard to think we could improve the last 88’s but we did it,” his post continued. Two skis, both retailing at $799, appeared on the Peak website alongside the post. One has a width of 88; the other has a width of 98.
It didn’t take long for previous Peak collaborators to respond. Davenport was enlisted by the brand in 2022 to serve as a senior director of skiing and product innovation, but The Colorado Sunreported that soon after he signed on, the paychecks stopped coming.
“What about paying the people you owe money to? Including me… 5 figures bro,” he wrote beneath Miller’s relaunch post.
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Reached over email by POWDER, Davenport said that he still hasn’t been paid by Peak Skis.
He noted that he hasn’t had any communication from Peak since last May, including anything about a relaunch. When asked about his reaction to the post, Davenport said he felt “Frustration with the epic lack of honesty, communication, integrity, and respect.”
Another post from Miller hinted at a remedy for the debacle.
“We are working diligently to clean up a mess we didn’t intend to create and at the same time learning from our mistakes so we can bring you the best skis on the market,” he wrote.
This time, Parker chimed in, expressing her appreciation that Miller had publicly acknowledged plans to address the debts. But she also wrote, it would be “appropriate to communicate directly with those of us who are owed before making such claims. It has taken significant restraint not to speak out more broadly about this.”
Previously, she told The Colorado Sun that Peak “paid maybe a quarter of the three-year deal.”
POWDER followed up with Parker to see if she had heard from Peak after Miller’s latest post. We haven’t received a response.
Responding to a direct message from POWDER regarding allegations of unpaid funds, Miller confirmed that Peak, which was founded alongside resort industry insider Andy Wirth, had been mismanaged and had run out of money.
“Instead of filing for bankruptcy and leaving everyone unpaid, I am fully stepping into managing the company and growing it to the company I know it can be,” Miller said. “This way we will be able to pay everyone that is owed and create something successful and positive.”
He also looked toward the future of Peak.
“We are working through this process of resurrecting the company and have some exciting plans to create something that is sustainable and lucrative that will reward all of our investors,” Miller said.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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