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Snowboard Makers Going Green

Manufacturers offer eco-friendly option

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 2, 2009 9:29 AM CST

(Newser) – Snowboarders have a vested interest in stopping global warming, and the industry's gear is getting greener by the year, the New York Times reports. “To snowboard, we need snow,” said Bob Carlson, co-founder of Arbor, which has been using renewable materials for their snowboards since 1995. More and more well-known manufacturers are following their lead, ushering in a new era of sustainable boards.

“Snowboarders are attached to the natural world,” said Salomon Snowboards’ product line manager. “They are going to be more apt to buy something they feel is ecologically better for the planet.” Sustainable boards account for 2% of the market, but that number is expected to grow. The downside? A green board will set you back $500 to $700, compared to a traditional board’s price of about $300.

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More and more snowboard manufacturers, including Salomon, are going green, the New York Times reports. (Getty Images)

Pro snowboarder Mike Basich, shown here at the ESPN Winter X Games, created a limited run of green snowboards from a tree that fell on his property. (Getty Images)

A young customer checks a snowboard of snowboard manufacturer Burton at the ISPO Winter 08 on January 28, 2008 in Munich, Germany. Burton is one manufacturer that has started to go green. (Getty Images)

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If more sales are determined by how green you are, then you’re going to have everybody doing it. I’d like to think that sales of green boards would grow by 10 to 20 percent per year. - Alex Warburton, product line manager for Salomon Snowboards

We have a lot of freethinking ideas, and can implement them relatively risk-free. That allows us to try a lot of different things that you just couldn’t do in a more static and complex industry. - Doug Sanders, snowboard development manager with K2

If you buy something that was made in someone’s backyard, and it rides just as good and lasts maybe longer, it’s a much healthier thing for the environment. - Pro snowboarder Mike Basich, who created a limited line of boards from a tree downed on his property

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Snowboard Makers Going Green