WNDR Alpine, a ski brand launched as part of California-based advanced materials company Checkerspot, released a new ski lineup with improved material properties, increased biobased content and a powder-focused backcountry shape to create the Reason 120 backcountry skis.
Utilizing industrial biomanufacturing techniques and materials science, Checkerspot grows microalgae to produce renewable, bio-based oils that it uses to develop materials that meet the performance needs of backcountry athletes. “As soon as I joined Checkerspot, I always knew I wanted to create a ski like this,” said Pep Fujas, pro skier and vice president of marketing and product development at WNDR. Like the brand’s Vital 100 and Intention 110 models, the new Reason features the brand’s proprietary Algal Core, a composite of native aspen and high-density algae foam that improves torsional stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio throughout the ski. For the 21/22 season, the Reason, Vital and Intention feature WNDR Alpine’s updated Algal Wall, a bio-based polyurethane sidewall formulation that offers higher performance than traditional materials in backcountry skis.
