Introducing the New Intention 110
When we launched the Intention 110 in July of 2019, it marked a handful of world firsts. First ski launched by Matt’s new brand, WNDR Alpine. First consumer product from young materials startup Checkerspot. First ski to utilize biobased materials built with microalgae to improve on snow performance.
To say this ski launch had a lot riding on it would be an understatement. Would people love the ski like we did?
The responses we got from skiers worldwide sealed the deal. Weekend warriors, guides, avalanche forecasters, and athletes alike began sending in praise as soon as winter hit. Soon after, we had sold out of our most popular sizes. And despite a looming pandemic, our first season sharing the Intention 110 with the world wrapped up beautifully with the first inaugural WNDR Roost.
So when it came time to build upon the successes of our past year, only one question remained: Where would we go from here?
Harder Charging, Sturdier, and More Biobased
Our work was cut out for us. We first set out to enhance the characteristics that made the Intention a success - namely the stable, yet intuitive big mountain inclinations that initially put the Intention 110 on the map. All the while, we stuck to our mission to increase the ski’s biobased content and eliminate unnecessary waste from our production process.
That initiative began with the introduction of new materials from our newly christened AlgalTech™ ski materials platform.
The All-New Algal Wall
To usher in its second year, we gave the Intention the Algal Wall treatment. This biobased, cast polyurethane sidewall construction gives the new Intention a seamless, resin-free bond between its core and sidewall, resulting in greater overall strength, durability, and connection between the ski’s components. Equipped with the ability to customize the Algal Wall’s color in house, we went with a bold yellow, reminiscent of the snowy owl’s yellow eye.
Additionally, the Algal Wall replaces petroleum-based ABS sidewalls, and unlike ABS, creates almost zero landfill waste when we manufacture it.
For a ski that stands apart from the rest, the bold yellow was the only way to go. Salt Lake City, UT. Photo: Pep Fujas (@pepfujas)
The Newly Refined, Domestically Sourced Algal Core
Though we found huge success with the Intention’s original Algal Core, we knew that it could be further evolved to boost the ski’s big mountain capabilities. So we kept the purpose-built, algal polyurethane stringers integrated into the center of the core, but replaced the surrounding paulownia with strips of domestically sourced aspen.
Integrated with the Algal Wall, the new construction adds additional stability and torsional rigidity to the Intention, increasing the ski’s top end when hammering through variable snow. All the same time, we paid special attention to retain the same predictable stiffness of the original to keep it poppy, playful, and responsive. See the data.
On top of the performance gains, this materials change also gave us better visibility into our sourcing of raw materials and drastically shortened our overall supply chain.
Subtle Profile Changes
With the Vital 100 available as our dedicated spring and firmer snow ski, we were able to optimize the Intention 110’s profile to excel even more in soft snow. So on both the Camber and Reverse Camber versions, we added just a hair more tip splay and subtly increased the tip height. Though the change wasn’t drastic, it played a role in helping testers keep their tips afloat when powering through the deepest snow.
(Stuck in between sizes? Use our Ski Finder we’d be happy to offer our expert guidance!)
We didn't neglect the details. Image: Grace VanSurksum
This Ski is For Everyone
Over the first year of the Intention’s existence, we got a lot of inquiries about shorter lengths - particularly from women looking for a nimble and fast pivoting touring ski.
As a result of these conversations and vetting from stakeholders in our young brand, we opted to introduce a new, 164cm Intention to the lineup. With a sweet spot designed to favor a wide range of mount points, weight biases, and skiing styles, we optimized the 164 to suit skiers from 5’1” and up. Vital and Intention Size Charts
(Stuck in between sizes? Shoot us a note and we’d be happy to offer some guidance!)
Short Intentions? Long Intentions? Somewhere in between? Choose what's right for you and sight your next objective! Teton Range, WY. FOW: Lily Krass, Pep Fujas, and Benny Schmitt // Photo: Carson Meyer (@carsonmeyerphoto)
At the upper end of the range, we're continuing to offer the Intention 110 in a 192cm length, giving skiers a total of 5 sizes to choose from. And with the option to select Camber or Reverse Camber profile, that makes 10 distinct flavors of the Intention 110. The future of our OG ski is looking bright.