Introducing the Vital 100
A year ago today, WNDR Alpine entered the world with a mission to create superior backcountry tools. Tools with new biobased materials that could outperform what was currently out there. Tools that would challenge the status quo and awaken new imagination in the way we could construct outdoor equipment.
As we begin our second season, we’re excited to introduce our latest addition to the lineup: the Vital 100.
So what is this ski exactly?
Simply put, we view it as our purpose built weapon for technical skiing.
New Shape, New Materials
Our approach to the Vital’s geometry began with a narrow waist, paired with gentle rocker lines and a medium to long turn radius, resulting in a shape that’s simultaneously easy to pivot through tight chokes, but allows spirited, aggressive turns when terrain opens up.
Despite this proven shape geometry, it's the materials composition that complement its hard charging inclinations. New for the 20/21 season is our Algal Wall - our biobased cast polyurethane sidewall, chemically designed, application specific, and developed in SLC from microalgae oil. We precisely tuned and iterated the material for encountering a diverse array of snowpacks, making it the first biobased material on the market designed from the ground up for a backcountry ski’s sidewall.
Our new manufacturing process plays an equally influential performance role. Using our algal derived cast urethane system allows us to pour in the sidewall as a liquid, which naturally bonds to the locally sourced aspen stringers without the need for additional adhesives to join the two components. The result is a cohesive composite we refer to as Algal Wall. Paired with our Algal Core, this construction delivers superior connection from edge to edge.
Both the Algal Wall and Algal Core work together in harmony, seamlessly integrating to form a ski that thrives in high alpine terrain whether on ascent or descent. From tight couloirs, puckering steeps, and obstacle-filled terrain - the Vital 100 is built for precision.