Our Story

Women Owned & Operated. Summit County, Colorado.

Momma Mazanti & The Fleece Shorts That Started It All

You're looking at the layer and the Momma (aka "Momma Mazanti") that inspired Buttnski to begin! Kelly's Mom, Cheryl, got this pair of fleece shorts in the late 80's from Kelly's ski instructor at Steven's Pass in Washington State (the instructor who always gave out frozen gummy bears in the lift line...). They were home-sewn and designed to keep your butt warm while you ski, sit on cold chairlifts in the PNW rain (if you grew up in Washington, you know what we mean!), and provide an additional layer of warmth over your long underwear and under your ski pants.

We are bringing this back with more style, more functionality and better fit as our "OG" mid-layer ski shorts to honor the past and build a brand around humans who love spending time in the mountains, no matter what the weather is doing.

Shop the OG Shorts

Co-Founders, Kelly & Christian

We started this thing in 2020 when we were dating during lockdown, while drinking cocktails, overlooking Lake Dillon... Fast forward to today, we're married and bringing it to life.

We're located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Summit County, Colorado, surrounded by world-class ski resorts, mountain biking and adventure's playground. We love to backcountry ski, nordic ski with our two huskies (Drake & KC), hunt, flyfish, mountain bike, backpack, travel and make delicious meals for friends and family.

Kelly runs day to day operations as the Co-Founder & CEO, while Christian is our lead investor and support crew behind the scenes, letting this wild dream unfold and keeping Kelly from having full-blown panic attacks when samples arrive late, wrong and things aren't moving as fast as she wants them to.

We're here to create a business that is ingrained into our lifestyle, working with people who share our passions for nature and the wild spirit of the mountains and who dare to think big like us and are brave enough to do the doing part of the dreaming.

The Big Bro

We couldn't have gotten to this point without Kelly's big brother, Brian (pictured on the left), who has decades of experience working in the outdoor industry and building leading brands. When we first had the idea for Buttnski, we told Brian and asked him "how do we design clothing?" He introduced us to a pattern maker he had worked with over the years who introduced us to a product designer she works with and from there, one thing just kept leading to the next.

Sustainability

Want to know what's really important to us? Check out our Sustainability Goals & Commitments.

Partners & Friends

VNTRbirds

VNTRbirds (venture birds) is a women run adventure company based in the heart of the Rocky Mountains specializing in women focused outdoor education and experiences. VNTRbirds brings women-identifying and non-binary riders (who are comfortable in femme-centered spaces) together to build confidence and self-reliance in the outdoors through mountain biking, backcountry skiing/splitboarding, and community meet ups. VNTRbirds focuses on holistic learning that’s led by women and for women that encourages to own their identities as outdoor athletes in a way that’s inclusive and fun. We provide safer places for learning, mentorship for long term growth, and forums for community and connection with the goal of seeing more women of all demographics on mountain bikes, splitboards, and skis.

Get to know VNTRbirds

Now you know just a little more of our backstory, but Sustainability is also super important to us. Learn more about our Sustainability goals & initiatives here!