THE STORY SO FAR...
Meet Andy Ward
I'm Andy Ward, the founder, owner, designer, and creative mind behind Viris Brand. It's basically just me and my very supportive wife. As an ex-World Cup mechanic turned brand owner, I’ve always sought opportunities within the industry but ultimately decided to forge my own path, and thus, Viris Brand was born.
My journey began on the Mountain Bike World Cup circuit as the head technician for the Athertons (see the photo of me and Gee Atherton in Whistler, 2010). I spent eight incredible years working with some of the best riders and teams in the world, including the Athertons, Lapierre International, Devinci EWS Team, and MS Mondraker. Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working on bikes for legends like Gee, Dan, and Rach Atherton, Cam Cole, Sam Blenkinsop, Loic Bruni, Brook MacDonald, Markus Pekoll, Innes Graham, Emmeline Ragot, Damian Spagnola, Damien Oton, and Danny Hart. Together, we celebrated World Cup wins, podiums, EWS victories, and numerous national titles.
The Birth of Viris Brand
In 2012, while running a development team for Lapierre Bikes, I started working with a young talented rider called Innes Graham. Our shared passion and vision for the sport led to the idea of creating our own brand. The inspiration for Viris came during a road trip to the Dirt Magazine office.
As a race mechanic, the last thing I did for my rider was hand them their goggles before their race run. Watching the big screen, I often thought, "Imagine if those goggles were my brand." This vision drove me to create Viris.
During our brainstorming session, the name Viris emerged from combining "Vision" and "Iris". Although we didn't launch the brand immediately, the idea always lingered in my mind. Innes retired from racing, and I took a break from the circuit, but the dream persisted.
Viris Takes Flight
Fast forward to winter of 2018, and I launched Viris Brand with its first goggle, the 'Alpha'. With the help of a few brand ambassadors, we quickly gained customers globally. In 2019, the Intense UK Downhill team approached us, marking a significant milestone for Viris. Joe Breeden and the team put us on the map, and seeing a Viris goggle on the big screen at Fort William that year was a dream come true.
Joe's impressive qualifying results led to more exposure during live feeds on Red Bull TV. It was surreal to see my brand featured on TV from the comfort of my home. Since then, Viris has supported numerous riders worldwide, launched a range of award winning glasses, established a UK development race team (GT Viris), and expanded with global distributors.
Looking Ahead
With a desire to bring something new to the market, and re-entering the industry I am passionate about, I have turned Viris from a side hustle into a global disruptor brand with an impressive roster of athletes, including Greg Minnaar, Brook MacDonald, Phil Atwill, and Jack Menzies and many more.
From humble beginnings to a firmly established brand within a few seasons, Viris has grown organically with global sales from day one. We've laid strong foundations in the worldwide eyewear market, and now we're executing plans to become a market leader.
Our focus is on affordable quality and building a global community.
Our Mission
Viris is a family-built brand with community at its core, catering to all cycling disciplines, motocross, surf, and lifestyle. As disruptors in the eyewear market, our mission is to empower grassroots riders and provide top-level athletes with high-performing products that ensure they can see their path clearly.
Join us now and be part of the story.
