Because snow is completely dependent upon the environment and the weather, I feel that the snow industry has no choice but to take the lead in setting the example for both sports enthusiasts and consumers. As Anne Lappe has said ‘Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want.' So lets face it, we are all consumers, whether its buying food, clothing, or our beloved winter sports gear. The one thing we can do as individual is 'Vote with our dollar.' The concept may sound easy, however I assure you that once you become aware of the companies that are doing good and trying to make a difference, you will see that it takes some work to find them.
I felt inspired this season to find ethical, responsible, and sustainable brands in the snow sport industry that represented just this. Let me tell you that search was not the easiest, and shockingly not enough winter sport brands are even remotely caring enough to make a difference. However on the positive side, I was thrilled to find a selection of brands that do care and have already made the steps towards leading the snow industry towards a responsible path.
“Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.”
Arbor Collective
Since 1995 Arbor Collective has had a mission to not only create quality crafted snowboards however to create them with both craftmanship & materials such as bamboo, wood and other sustainable materials. Arbor has an amazing program called ‘Returning to our Roots’ where they are not just planting trees but also rebuilding forests in Hawaii with every sale. The Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative is Arbor Collective’s principal Returning Roots partner. This group is not just planting trees; they’re thoroughly rebuilding forests from the ground up. As of today, they’ve planted over 300,000 Koa trees, on 800 acres of former forestland, with the full range of native understory plants.
Arbor also supports the Arbor Day Foundation, the Surfrider Foundation, and Grades of Green.
Love Your Melon
With a mission statement to buy beanies and fight cancer, I don’t think you can go wrong with a beanie from Minneapolis based brand Love your Melon. Since 2012 this company has been giving back and making a difference in the fight against pediatric cancer. To date Love Your Melon has donated over 6.1 million dollars to pediatric cancer research and has put on a beanie on over 160,000 children’s heads who are fighting cancer. You might wonder how all this is possible? It is simple, Love Your Melon gives 50% of its profits to its nonprofit partners, which is equal to the amount of money retained.
Looking back on my adolescence and remembering our family trips to the mountains, sledding was always a fond memory full of adrenaline and equal amounts of laughs. So I thought that it would be only appropriate to highlight an inflatable snowmobile that not only gives back but helps make the difference in someone’s life who doesn’t have access to clean water.
“Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood.”
Funboy Inflatables
It is 2019 and 1 in 10 people still lack access to clean drinking water (put that statistic into a number and that means over 1 billion people currently have no clean water). If you find this as shocking as I did, you will be pleased to learn that Funboy has committed to help those who don’t have access to clean drinking water, through its partner Raincatcher. For each purchase of a Funboy inflatable a portion of the proceeds help to bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations by harvesting rainwater.
Matek Clothing
The base layers of winter sports apparel are important and I am pleased to introduce a new brand that is Made in California, called Matek Clothing. Having created technical performance intimates, Matek completely embraces sustainability by using materials such as buttons made from palm tree nuts and stretch jersey made from recycled nylon & lycra. Just wait though, the cherry on top is that all cotton used by Matek for its liner is 100% organic.
Moon Boot by Tecnica Group
Since the 1970’s Moon Boot has been a brand that has design, quality and the environment in mind. The boots are Made in Italy and the Tecnica Group adheres to a code of ethics that maintains a constant balance between economic development, social welfare, care for the environment and prevention of risks for its employees. You can find more about the Tecnica Group and the transparency of their company through their code of ethics here.
www.MoonBoot.com
Astis
Astis mittens are an example of how craftmanship and a time honor approach to leather craftmanship can create a winter glove that is both durable and warm. With the original pair of Astis mittens having lasted over 12 years (before a little dog decided to eat them) this is a brand that is made for both durability and for warmth. Astis believes that this will be the last pair of gloves that you will need in you lifetime (if this isn’t sustainable then I don’t know what it).
Even as a vegetarian I believe that natural materials are the best materials, and the leather, fur, and beading are all handstitched in the USA and made to last a lifetime. The gloves are protected with a special scotch guard coating that helps protect the suede from the winter elements.
“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”
Picture Organic Clothing
With a mission statement of sustainable performance for responsible adventures, I don’t think that you can go wrong with Picture Organic Clothing. Since 2008, this sustainable brand has been creating organic, recycled & bio-sourced products for snowboarding, skiing, surfing and the outdoors. This company is completely transparent, recycles it scrap fabric instead of burning it, uses 95% organic cotton that is GOTS certified (the other 5% is recycled cotton), upcycles water bottles to create jackets and outerwear, and when deciding what to buy you can track your carbon footprint of each purchase through their use of the Higg Index.
nurture nature sleeveless salmon top PARKS PROJECT $28 buy HERE
organic cotton & recycled polyester hyperspace hoody in lagoon heather NAU $130 buy HERE
mint sequoia bindings ARBOR COLLECTIVE $199 buy HERE
bamboo core clovis women’s snowboard ARBOR COLLECTIVE $499 buy HERE
white speckled natural white pom beanie LOVE YOUR MELON $45 buy HERE
Parks Project
Founded by two former team members of TOMS, Parks Project was born after a volunteer trip to the Santa Monica Mountains where the two co-founders found a lack of participation from our generation. Determined to make a difference and support the parks, Parks Project was born. For each collection of quality goods are made with purpose and helps fund backlogged projects in our parks.
Nau
The name, Nau (pronounced "now"), was drawn from the traditional Maori greeting, "Nau mai! Haere mai!", meaning, "Welcome! Come in!". Launched in 2007, Nau’s codename was ‘UTW’ which is an unapologetic acronym for ‘Unfuck the World.’ From their first collection of being 100% organic cotton & 100% recycled polyester, this is a brand that has been making sustainable clothing meant for a life of adventure.
To top off this brand that is unapologetically disrupting the fast fashion industry, Nau also donates 2% of all its sales to their Partners of Change that includes Conservation Alliance, Mercy Corps, and People for Bikes.
“There’s just something beautiful about walking on snow that nobody else has walked on.”
Phunkshun Wear
Proudly Manufactured in the USA by Coloradans, Phunkshun Wear is a brand that is committed to upcycling plastic bottles as well as being a completely transparent company. Transparency from a brand is important, and Phunkshun Wear proudly shows its customers who is making their products and where they are being made (they also say that they know that names of every single one of their employees and keep their manufacturing completely in house).
The fabric used for Phunkshun Wear is Made in North Carolina from plastic bottles that are collected in the USA to help create a yarn called Repreve
“Skiing and Snowboarding need cold winters and deep snowfall, and we want to be part of the solution, not just another contributor to the problem. We truly believe that its our responsibility to preserve this world for future generations.”
xoxo Noelle Lynne
Creator of Florum.
Almost Vegan.
Wine Aficionado.
Travel Addict.