FORTUNA FAVOURS THE BRAVE - The Launch of Shackleton Ski, London, October 2025

Written By Chris Shirley MA FRGS

“Fortuna Favours the Brave” was the in-store launch event for Shackleton Ski at Shackleton’s flagship store on Piccadilly, London, held on 21 October 2025. It marked the debut of the brand’s new ski line and, in particular, the Fortuna Ski Suit, positioned as an all-terrain suit “born in Antarctica, tested by GB Snowsport coaches and destined for steeps worldwide.

© Images by Hiatus.Design

The evening sat in Shackleton’s wider “Shackleton Live” programme, where they bring explorers, guides and expedition leaders into the store to talk about life and work in extreme environments. For this launch they framed the night around commitment, risk and resilience in the mountains, tying the product story to the tradition of polar exploration.

Shackleton Ski and the Fortuna suit

The event introduced Shackleton Ski as a natural extension of the brand’s polar heritage into high-performance ski wear. The Fortuna Ski Suit was the star of the evening, presented as a one-piece, expedition-grade ski suit built for harsh, variable conditions. The narrative emphasised:

Origins in Antarctic testing, using real expedition conditions as the proving ground

Validation by GB Snowsport coaches, to connect it to elite technical skiing

A design intended for “steeps worldwide,” signalling that it is as suitable for serious backcountry and high-mountain terrain as it is for big resort lines

The “Fortuna Favours the Brave” tagline threaded through the product story, leaning into the idea that serious mountain environments reward preparation, kit and mindset.

Special guest: James Norbury

The headline guest for the night was James Norbury, whose presence turned the product launch into more of an expedition evening.

Norbury spoke about his upcoming quest to retrace Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1916 survival mission across South Georgia, following the route Shackleton, Worsley and Crean took after the Endurance disaster. His planned traverse involves:

  • Crossing some of the world’s most extreme conditions and inhospitable terrain on polar South Georgia

  • A final ski descent to Fortuna Bay, echoing Shackleton’s original journey

  • Ending with a visit to Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken as a final homage to “the Boss”

That expedition context gave the Fortuna Ski Suit a real-world narrative: the kit on display in the store was linked directly to the kind of terrain and weather Norbury expects to face.

Atmosphere and purpose

As with Shackleton’s other events, the store functioned as a small expedition clubhouse, bringing together brand loyalists, skiers, polar nerds and people planning their own big trips. The format combined:

  • Product showcase and technical walk-through of the Fortuna suit

  • A talk from James Norbury about the South Georgia traverse, risk, preparation and why Shackleton’s story still matters

  • Informal Q&A and mingling among staff, guests and attendees

Overall, “Fortuna Favours the Brave” worked as both a launch platform for Shackleton Ski and a storytelling vehicle that anchored the new line firmly in the brand’s expedition DNA, using Norbury’s future route to Fortuna Bay as the emotional and narrative hook.

 

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Chris Shirley MA FRGS

About the Author:

Chris is the founder of Hiatus.Design, a mission-driven branding and website design company that works with clients all over the world.

Over the course of his life, he has travelled to more than 60 countries across six continents, earned two Guinness World Records, completed the legendary Marathon des Sables, summited Mont Blanc and unclimbed peaks in Asia, become a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS), rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and obtained a Masterʼs degree in Business Management (MA).

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