Science Meets Backcountry Perfomance
Our industry has never had access to materials built explicitly with skiing in mind. For the first time in history, we’re using biotechnology to design materials specifically for backcountry skiing. Watch this 2 min video to learn all about it!
2 min watch
ALGALTECH® SKI MATERIALS
We use biotechnology to design our own materials—with performance characteristics that reach beyond what petroleum products can offer.
Why Algae?
Petroleum has historically been a key ingredient in materials across the outdoor industry. But there are only so many types of material innovations and performance gains we can get from petroleum.
Our team of biologists, material scientists, product designers, and backcountry athletes at Checkerspot wanted to break the mold. As a result, WNDR Alpine was born.
Our AlgalTech™ ski materials fuse biomanufacturing, chemistry, and material science with advanced fabrication to unlock better performance.
Algal Core
Algal Core is a vertically laminated composite of biobased high density polyurethane and domestically sourced aspen. This combination reduces weight and offers damping properties otherwise unattainable in solid wood core construction while remaining stable and intuitive to ski.
Polyurethane biobased carbon content 41.58% by ASTM D6866-18 Method B.
Algal Wall
Algal Wall is a cast polyurethane sidewall that protects the Algal Core and delivers superior damping than traditional materials. See why it's better.
This material exhibits a significant increase in impact strength and increase from 58.41% to 67.89% biobased content over the original Algal Wall (ASTM D6866-18 Method B).
To implement this material, we pour it as a liquid into a channel on the outside of the core, creating a seamless and virtually unbreakable bond with the core as the sidewall hardens.
AlgalTech®: HOW IT WORKS
The process begins with biologists and polymer chemists at Checkerspot’s labs in Alameda, CA, and then transitions to our Design Lab in SLC for materials and product development.
Molecular Foundry & Chemistry
Our oils act as molecular “building blocks,” which once chemically modified, we use to prototype and build our products at our Design Lab in Salt Lake City, UT. We then test them using state of the art technology in the lab and in the field by our athletes.
Material Science & Fabrication
Our platform begins with microalgae. We grow these algae in fermentation tanks in Alameda, CA to produce entirely new types of oils—oils that chemists have not had access to because the petroleum industry has no means to produce them.
DESIGN WITH INTENTION
So why are we doing this?
The answer is quite simple: this allows for the more intentional design of the equipment we rely on.
Instead of being forced to choose from a limited selection of existing materials, we design the performance characteristics we want directly into the materials we produce. We are our own supply chain. This empowers us with renewably sourced materials to create better performing gear, designed meticulously to heighten the alpine experience.
Our story begins in the backcountry. But true impact comes with the adoption of biomaterials across industries. Starting with WNDR Alpine, we seek to create a paradigm shifting platform of materials, built with purpose for a better world. We invite you to join us.