WNDR Alpine, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based backcountry ski and apparel brand owned by Checkerspot, a California-based biotech performance materials company, has announced that it has received Certified B Corporation (“B Corp”) status. Checkerspot commented that “this certification marks its participation in a global movement of for-profit companies dedicated to using the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.”
“When we launched WNDR Alpine in 2019, we set out to create the highest performing equipment to push the boundaries of what’s possible for backcountry travel and our community more broadly, but also to make strides toward a more responsible way to build products,” said Matt Sterbenz, GM of wintersports at Checkerspot. “Novel materials and production techniques can benefit the alpinist and the environment. Our goal at Checkerspot is to make these new materials and manufacturing innovations accessible, and through the brand, attract others in the outdoor space to join us in a new standard of environmental responsibility.”
Checkerspot develops high-performance materials at the molecular level by optimizing microbes to biologically produce unique structural oils found in nature but not previously accessible on a commercial scale. The company is currently commercializing three materials: a lightweight urethane-based composite (Algal Core) and a cast urethane (Algal Wall), both initially marketed through the WNDR Alpine brand, and algae oil formulated into MiDori® BioWick and sold to apparel brands worldwide in partnership with Beyond Surface Technologies from Switzerland.
