US-based WNDR Alpine has launched a line of activewear using 100% petroleum-free wicking technology derived from microalgae instead of fossil fuels.
- The use of the miDor bioWick technology in the multisport apparel has been developed by Beyond Surface Technologies (BST). It features a 100% bio-based carbon content, an approximately 80% lower carbon footprint than a traditional wicking coating.
- It offers up to 10% faster wicking on some fabrics compared to plant seed-based wicking.
- WNDR Alpine, launched in 2019 by Checkerspot biotechnology, is a ski and snowboard company that creates award-winning skis and snowboards featuring materials made using their signature AlgalTech materials.
- Checkerspot and WNDR Alpine aim for a wider adoption of their bio-based materials across the outdoor industry.
- Through the collaboration of Checkerspot and BST, miDori microalgae oil is now going into a variety of apparel brands’ supply chains, giving an entire industry the opportunity to reduce their reliance on petroleum in their supply chain.
The Protagonists: The WNDR Alpine goal is to use biotechnology to introduce new, better materials, from a non-petroleum source.
- Beyond Surface Technologies (BST) envisions to radically change the textile finishing industry by advancing green chemistry solutions without compromising on performance.
- Checkerspot, a 21st century materials company founded in 2016, uses technology to unlock the potential found in nature, and expands the palette of materials available to product designers. Through its science platform, it aims to empower product designers with purpose-built materials that offer new performance characteristics.
WHAT THEY SAID:
Biomanufacturing is real and it delivers. By using the very same microalgae oil used to formulate the materials going into WNDR Alpine’s skis and boards, we now have available a 100% petroleum-free wicking finish in the Phase Series apparel — with no sacrifice to performance.
— Matthias Foessel
Chief Executive Officer
Beyond Surface Technologies
As a materials developer who has been part of the push for more responsible constructions in the world’s biggest outerwear brands, I’ve witnessed firsthand the need for more responsible and higher performing ingredients in apparel. But it’s rare to be able to prototype products in house while working directly with the biologists and chemists behind finishes like miDori® bioWick. Launching the Phase Series is a huge milestone for WNDR Alpine and for bio-based performance in general.
— Romy Koles
Materials Developer and Soft Goods Manager
WNDR Alpine
We’re all about showing how impactful materials and ingredients that come from biology can be. And the beauty of using biotechnology to design performance products is that the breadth of uses and applications is huge. Quick drying and temperature management are the theme of the Phase Series, but there’s so much more exploration left to do. Nerdy stuff aside, the purpose of the Phase Series is simple. It’s multisport apparel for adventuring in, having fun in, and feeling good in, with a healthy helping of petroleum-free performance sprinkled in.
— Xan Marshland
Brand Development
Checkerspot & WNDR
