Tread light, charge hard, and do it on these weird renewable algae skis.
Award-winning ski brand WNDR Alpine makes some pretty unique gear — namely, its skis made from algae. Skeptical? Check out the skis’ performance in the brand’s latest video, “Vitality.”
While you can’t experience how they handle firsthand, the short does a pretty good job of showcasing just how well these snow sticks can shred. “We must look to the future,” says the narrator in the film. Cut to a shot of a high-tech, low-lit ski laboratory, then a skier zipping through trees.
The star of this film isn’t the athlete or the location — it’s the skis themselves. WNDR Alpine uses bio-manufacturing and its proprietary AlgalTech platform to create high-performance backcountry skis built with materials derived from microalgae.
The core of the skis is an algal core laminated against sustainably sourced aspen wood, with algal sidewalls and bio-based sap to replace petroleum resins. Not only are these skis fully renewable and remove petroleum from the manufacturing process, but they’re also designed specifically for skiing in the backcountry.
