The biotechnology business Checkerspot’s outdoor brand WNDR® Alpine is introducing the Phase Series, a collection of high-performance, low-impact sportswear powered by microalgae-derived components.
The Phase Series expands on WNDR Alpine’s achievements in developing highly effective materials derived from microalgae for its award-winning backcountry skis and snowboards.
The team collaborated with Swiss green chemistry pioneer Beyond Surface Technologies to develop miDori® bioWick WA, a 100% petroleum-free textile finish, formulated with microalgae oil and intended to move moisture away from an athlete’s skin to accelerate evaporation for better comfort. This microalgae oil is used in the AlgalTech® construction of WNDR Alpine skis and boards. While maintaining competitive performance, miDori® bioWick WA has about 80% smaller carbon footprint than a conventional wicking finish.
Ski The WNDR Alpine brand’s GM and founder, industry veteran Matt Sterbenz, emphasised the value of expanding the line of outdoor goods powered by microalgae. “I view the Phase Series as a crucial step in our development of goods that benefit mountain athletes and biobased innovation. The name of the line pays homage to the variety of settings, circumstances, and times of day that we imagined our core audience using this clothing in.
Each of the five items in the Phase Series is made from a variety of recycled and biobased materials intended for performance and comfort, including recycled nylon, recycled elastane, and Tencel made from eucalyptus, in addition to miDori® bioWick WA.increasing the range and “We built the Phase Series for effort, recovery, and everything in between,” said Romy Koles, WNDR Alpine’s Soft Goods Manager and a veteran of the outdoor sector textile development. “Impact of microalgae-derived materials is crucial to us. In order to design a package that is equally comfortable for riding, hiking, urban use, and anything else our community might be up to in between alpine activities, The Phase Series is filled with hidden features that exemplify both performance and minimalism. We’re using a US-based production company and fulfilling directly to our community via carbon-neutral shipping from our Design Lab in Salt Lake City to promote our aim of ecologically responsible performance.
WNDR Alpine hopes to raise awareness of high-performance biobased textile solutions like miDori® bioWick by introducing the Phase Series. WA, which is available today to apparel designers worldwide via Beyond Surface Technologies.
“It is the full package that sets it apart and makes it an industry first,” said Matthias Foessel, CEO of Beyond Surface Technologies. “This is a plug-and-play solution that enables mass volume adoption to empower the entire apparel industry players to lower their carbon footprint and meet environmental impact targets.”
