Henrik Sollie
Co-founder & Chief Doer
Oslo, Norway
We believe that the less we bring from civilization, the less we dilute the sensory experiences nature has to offer. We create equipment to help you discover more with less, not to imitate the comfort you have at home.
Background
I have built and led companies for over 25 years, combining commercial expertise with a deep respect for human endurance. As one of the two founders of UR, I work to translate field experience into meaningful design, creating solutions that protect and empower those who venture.
Motivation
I have a deep passion for nature and find great meaning in the freedom it offers. My motivation comes from ensuring that future generations — including my own children — can experience that same freedom safely.
Professionally, I’m driven by the challenge of turning insight into action. I’m passionate about building resilient and scalable companies that create real value through user-centered innovation and product development.
What inspires me most are moments when skill, design, and instinct align. When collaboration leads to clarity, and solutions are tested in the realities they are meant to serve.
Three Field Experiences
Trondheim → Oslo on rollerskis (581 km, 28h 11m)
Henrik has completed the 581 km distance three times, twice solo. On one occasion, it rained continuously for the final 15 hours. Every layer of clothing soaked through, proving how cold water exposure erodes performance and clarity. That experience became the seed for UR’s outer-layer philosophy — waterproof protection that remains light, compact, and immediate.
Round Britain Race (2008, 2nd place)
In 2008, we built a Goldfish 36 SuperSport to race around Britain. Finishing second in under 22 hours, we pushed through speeds above 70 knots with constant spray breaking over the deck. It was there I learned how even the most advanced waterproof layers fail under relentless impact. The experience exposed the gap between water-resistant and truly protective — an insight that shaped our way of designing wearable shelters that protect. One result was Lun, a waterproof boarding jacket designed to withstand continuous force.
World’s longest continuous ski (550 km, 32h solo)
On my 45th birthday, I set out to break the record for the world’s longest continuous ski without assistance — 550 kilometers in 32 hours. The goal was speed, but as often happens, the pursuit became something else. Somewhere between exhaustion and flow, control shifts from mind to body. Awareness narrows, instincts sharpen, and movement feels both effortless and precise. In that space, I understood what it means to feel safe by instinct — an insight that later became the foundation for UR.