Five innovations to transform winter sports

Have the Winter Olympics given you the itch to head for the mountains? Discover the latest innovations that are making winter sports safer and greener

With reports of low viewership figures, diplomatic boycotts, and concerns about Beijing’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, this year’s Winter Olympics have not been without controversy. Yet the Winter Olympics remains an extremely popular event. The ‘low’ viewership for the 2022 opening ceremony still amounted to around 16 million people. And a cumulative total of 1.92 billion people—more than a quarter of the world’s population—watched the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Participation in winter sports is also significant. In the US, Snowsport Industries America reports that 24.6 million people participated in winter sports in the 2020-21 season despite the global pandemic. And China—this year’s Olympic host nation—claims to have hit its target figure of 300 million winter sports participants. Even in the UK—better known for patchwork fields and rain than mountains and pristine pistes—around 14,900 adults are estimated to participate in winter sports on a monthly basis.

Winter sport is also big business, with the winter sporting goods market set to hit $578.4 Million (around €505 million) by 2028. But, like many industries, the winter sports sector faces sustainability challenges. Winter sports equipment is often made from fossil-fuel-derived materials, while ski resorts flatten trees and are supported by energy-intensive infrastructure. And the very future of winter sports is in the balance with rising temperatures.

At Springwise we have seen several innovations making winter sports safer and greener. Here are five of the best.

BRAND TRANSFORMS SKI ACCESSORY INTO STYLISH AND SUSTAINABLE FACE MASK

Dik-Diks—developed by sustainable clothing company Matek—are turtleneck ski bibs made from deadstock fleece. In normal times, they keep users free from the usual drafts and drama of wearing piles of cold-weather items. But with the onset of COVID-19, they have been adapted to double-up as a face covering. Wearers pull the ‘Dik-Dik Plus’ up over their nose and mouth, easily adjusting the closure to keep the face covering in place. Read more.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE DOWNHILL SKIS MADE FROM SUSTAINABLE ALGAE BIOTECHNOLOGY

Salt Lake City’s WNDR Alpine ski company uses renewable microalgae as the basis for their high-performance skis. Oil from purpose-grown algae forms a strong, lightweight core that greatly reduces the volume of petroleum-based carbon needed for each pair of skis. Combined with locally sourced aspen, the algal foundation helps increase certain performance qualities including durability, damping, and stability. Read more.

HIGH-TECH SKI GOGGLES MADE FROM BIOPLASTIC

Swedish sports eyewear brand Spektrum produces ski goggles using a resin made from corn and castor bean derivatives not intended for human consumption. The company uses a unique process that modifies the materials to create polymer pellets that are then injected with colour. This ensures a deep colour throughout all of Spektrum’s frames, and the overall process improves durability and scratch resistance. The company claims that the use of biomaterials spares workers, and the environment, from exposure to hazardous solvents and chemicals. Read more.

WASTE-TO-ENERGY POWER PLANT DOUBLES AS A SKI SLOPE AND MORE

If you can’t make it to the mountains, maybe an innovator will bring the mountains to you. Danish architecture firm, BIG, has built what it claims is the cleanest waste-to-energy power plant in the world. And, as a bonus, the power plant comes with tree-lined hiking trails, the world’s largest artificial climbing wall, and an artificial ski slope. The plant can convert 440,000 tonnes of waste into electricity and heating for 150,000 homes annually. CopenHill’s ski slope measures 400 metres and includes a 180-degree turn halfway down the piste. Read more.

DRONE DESIGNED TO SEARCH FOR AVALANCHE VICTIMS

Each year, avalanches kill around 150 people worldwide, and winter sports enthusiasts are particularly at risk. Most avalanche deaths are not caused by the force of the avalanche, but from suffocation after being buried by the snow. It is often possible to breathe under the snow for a short period, which makes speed important when mounting a successful rescue. After years of research, German company Bluebird Mountain has now developed a specialised drone that can help with the search for avalanche victims. Read more.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

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