Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Financial Instruments And Risk Management (Balance Sheet Classification And Fair Value Of Derivative Instruments) (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Financial Instruments And Risk Management (Balance Sheet Classification And Fair Value Of Derivative Instruments) (Details) (Currency Forward Contracts [Member], USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Prepaid Expenses And Other Current Assets [Member] | Derivative Instruments Designated As Cash Flow Hedges [Member]      
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]      
Fair value of derivative assets $ 14,475us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesAssetsAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_PrepaidExpensesAndOtherCurrentAssetsMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
$ 9,993us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesAssetsAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_PrepaidExpensesAndOtherCurrentAssetsMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
$ 2,391us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesAssetsAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_PrepaidExpensesAndOtherCurrentAssetsMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
Prepaid Expenses And Other Current Assets [Member] | Derivative Instruments Not Designated As Cash Flow Hedges [Member]      
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]      
Fair value of derivative assets 1,180us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesAssetsAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_PrepaidExpensesAndOtherCurrentAssetsMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
2,754us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesAssetsAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_PrepaidExpensesAndOtherCurrentAssetsMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
312us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesAssetsAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_PrepaidExpensesAndOtherCurrentAssetsMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
Other Non-Current Assets [Member] | Derivative Instruments Designated As Cash Flow Hedges [Member]      
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]      
Fair value of derivative assets 0us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesAssetsAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentAssetsMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
0us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesAssetsAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentAssetsMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
128us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesAssetsAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentAssetsMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
Accrued Liabilities [Member] | Derivative Instruments Designated As Cash Flow Hedges [Member]      
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]      
Fair value of derivative liabilities 0us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
0us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
1,017us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
Accrued Liabilities [Member] | Derivative Instruments Not Designated As Cash Flow Hedges [Member]      
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]      
Fair value of derivative liabilities 123us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
924us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
0us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
Other Long Term Liabilities [Member] | Derivative Instruments Designated As Cash Flow Hedges [Member]      
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]      
Fair value of derivative liabilities $ 0us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= colm_OtherLongTermLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
$ 0us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= colm_OtherLongTermLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
$ 33us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsInHedgesLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= colm_OtherLongTermLiabilitiesMember
/ us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember