Sustainable Trend Sporting Goods: Blue Skies With Green Skis

A Finnish collaboration provides a world first and bans the little environmentally friendly fibers from skiing. For the Loska Spinnova Ski, the winter sports experts at PUSU have teamed up with textile manufacturer Spinnova. The result is a wooden ski whose core is reinforced with a SPINNOVA® textile fiber instead of the glass or carbon fiber commonly used in the industry. The new material is made of 100 percent natural cellulose and is produced without environmentally harmful chemicals. However, ski freaks don't have to sacrifice performance with the all-mountain boards from PUSU and Spinnova. On the contrary: according to PUSA, the improved damping properties of the SPINNOVA® fabric ensure even more pleasant handling - whether on or off the groomed slopes.

The Deuter Guide 30 has been considered an absolute institution among alpine backpacks for 25 years. With its latest update, the reliable classic backpack is more sustainable than ever from summer 2023. All materials used in the Guide 30 are PFC-free. Production is climate-neutral thanks to offsetting greenhouse gas emissions by supporting international climate protection projects. The robust, abrasion-resistant materials and high-quality workmanship also ensure that the backpack lasts longer, indirectly saving resources that would otherwise be needed for new equipment. With all this, the Deuter Guide 30 remains the performance monster with low weight (880 grams), good fit close to the body's center of gravity and versatile carrying options such as stowable hip fins and attachment options.

Whether in the mountains, at the seaside or jogging in the park: The Terra Scout headlamp from Silva makes no compromises. Without exception, all plastics of the lamp are recycled. In addition, the actual lamp unit is made of Revo - a material made of recycled polymers mixed with hemp plant fibers with 90 percent less CO2 emissions during production than conventional plastics. A positive side effect of the innovative Revo material is that the Terra Scout headlamp is light as a feather, making it barely noticeable on the head. Powered by three AAA batteries or rechargeable batteries, it weighs just 84 grams in total.

A ski made from flax and castor beans? What sounds strange at first, is a sustainability innovation of the winter sports specialists from SCOTT. Because in addition to the wood core, the Superguide LT 95, the first eco ski from SCOTT, the particularly environmentally friendly damping stands for sustainability. It consists of 100 percent natural fibers and improves thanks to the better damping properties even the driving characteristics of the touring ski compared to classic carbon layers.

The core of the ski is made of 100 percent certified poplar wood from sustainable European forestry. Environmentally friendly materials are also used in the top layer (50 percent recycled material) and on the edges (20 percent recycled material). In total, these eco-friendly materials account for more than 50 percent of the ski's weight. In terms of serevice, the numerous recycled and domestically produced materials have no drawbacks: Of course, the base and edges can be waxed and sanded as normal.

The SCOTT Shield Recycled ski goggles already have their sustainability clou in the name. Because the high-end goggles consists largely of recycled material. For the frame of the goggles, SCOTT collected material from old goggles in 2021, processed it into granules and reused it in the limited new ski goggles. The headband is made of 100 percent recycled polyamide from Fulgar. In total, over 60 percent of the weight is made from eco-materials, according to SCOTT. In terms of design and functionality, the SCOTT Shield Recycled offers all the key features of the popular Shield series. Only that the glasses are now equipped for any terrain and at the same time minimizes the environmental impact.

The fact that the French outdoor brand Samaya are tent specialists also benefits their new mountain backpack ULTRA35 and thus also the environment. For the super lightweight among the backpacks Samaya uses, among other things, offcuts of its innovative bio-based Dyneema® material from tent production, which significantly reduces the CO2 footprint of the backpack. According to Samaya, ten tons of bio-based Dyneema® avoids 57 tons of CO2 compared to nylon. The result: an ultra-lightweight, waterproof and -repellent, particularly robust and durable backpack that offers the perfect packing solution for every summit thanks to its modular design with numerous compartments.