N Equals One Performance Products (NEO) was incorporated in 2010 in British Columbia, Canada, initially to address a community need. At the time, there was no company that could inexpensively source a variety of products in bulk to support some local events and races, such as Kelowna’s Across The Lake Swim (Canada’s largest open water swim event) and the Kelowna Apple Triathlon. Both events had a desire to improve their ambience, with colorful custom-designed marker buoys, start and finish line arches, promotional flags, complementary drawstring bags, designer towels, and uniquely designed swim caps.

Because the company co-owners, Mark Fromberg (a retired physician) and Peter Rudd (a web marketer and designer) have been involved in directing the Across The Lake Swim since 2008, they have now spent many years developing local and international contacts to grow this event, in part due to the pageantry and the unique products offered. NEO now sources and sells many popular products, most notably under the Open Water™ brand (see the latest catalog, here). Open Water™ products cater to all those who enjoy spending time on, in or just next to a lake, a river or the sea—swimmers, boaters, kayakers, paddleboarders, fishermen, kiteboarders, surfers, campers, to name a few.