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So sites are starting to launch and there’s been some rumors of snowflakes falling in the high, high, high elevations lately… It’s slowly been getting colder here, and everyone is gearing up for fall and winter again. I still have some decisions to make on some of the gear I’m going to buy this year, (mainly my board…I’m picking up the mustache rider, but I want something else too!) So I’ve been checking out a lot of sites and the tech that they’re offering up. There’s one thing keeps distracting me though…the “eco claim.”

So it’s hard to say who kicked off the green trend, some would say Holden, some would say Al Gore… but the truth is that all of a sudden going enviromentally friendly is seriously trendy. There’s tons of products on the market aimed at lowering your waste, or lowering your emissions…etc etc. Now this trend has made the jump into snowboarding at a remarkable speed. After Holden started leading the way, tons of other companies started following along and now most, if not all major companies are offering green products. There’s also tons of smaller companies who are using the idea of going green all the way through as their biggest selling point.

Go check out Holden’s 2008/2009 site for rest of the good words. (New site launches in Sept!)

Truthfully, this is the innovation that I’m most excited about this year in Snowboarding. Of course there’s some things that I’m not so stoked on about this too, so let’s deal with that first. The biggest problem I’m seeing with this is that larger companies are offering a few green products, or a few small changes while the majority of their products including some of their best sellers remain unchanged. So they’re capitalizing on the green market without actually having to change their ways. We’re talking everything from materials, to manufacturing, to the finished product (packaging and transport.) They get to claim that they’re being green without investing a lot of money or time into developing the technology that would really make the claim legitimate.

Burton’s green mountain project, legit?

Now I hate to say that because here’s the other side to the argument… Every little bit helps right? Even the smallest changes can have a positive effect on the environment. We like snow right? Well then we better start doing something fast or we’re going to be taking a second look at sand boarding! There’s some obviously green companies like Arbor and Holden who have been using eco friendly materials in their products right from the beginning. By making a commitment to being as environmentally friendly as possible they’ve opened up the doors for other companies to follow.

Take a look at Ride’s green ideas! From using hemp in their Cappel line fabrics (Thanks Holden!) to creating recyclable base plates and heel cups, they’re jumping on the green train too! K2 Snowboarding has also joined in by creating “Hybrilight Construction” using less harmful plastics and more unicorns and rainbows in every board!  But seriously go check out the specs…

Surely all the Ladies have heard about K2’s EcoPop. Designed with Gretchen Bleiler, it’s a all terrain board featuring their ”flat line” technology (meaning no camber!) The idea is that the board was designed to be stable, poppy, and fun all while using the least amount of materials possible meaning green, green, green! I haven’t heard any reviews on the board yet, but I’m definitely going to try and get my hands on one this season.

But being realistic here…you have to realize that it’s hard to create a product that’s entirely green just because of some of the materials that are required to give you the durability and feel that you expect from the product. There is work being done to try and find replacements for some of the harmful parts but it might take some time. So before you go out and blast some company for using this or that, make sure you take the time to find out why they’re using it and if there is a suitable alternative available yet.

Here is Van’s answer..they teamed up with POW (www.protectourwinters.org) to create a boot that uses 100% recycled PET textile, 50% recycled PET synthetic and non-toxic water-based solvents. Check out the whole story at Transworld Business.

Of course the green trend shouldn’t end just at the product’s design. Many companies are also taking the steps to make packaging and transport arrangements that use less plastic and have a smaller carbon footprint overall. You can also look into buying organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp clothing if you really feel like going green from head to toe. There’s also tons of companies that are making beanies from hemp and organic cotton that are sooo soft!

So basically what I’m saying is you have no good excuse not to go green anymore. The snowboard industry is just making it way too easy for you! so before you go and buy another set of garbage plastic bindings, check out the “greener” sides of the company you’re planning to support and if they don’t measure up don’t be scared to shop around and find one that does!

Oh and go check out Jeremy Jones’ Protect Our Winters organization at www.protectourwinters.org