Industry News
Faction announced last week that their new limited-edition free-touring ski is now available in stores. The ski, a collaboration with Protect Our Winters (POW) is fully aligned with the non-profit’s climate recommendations and Faction’s need for top quality and performance.
If you look closely at the composition of most skis, you will find wood cores, glass or carbon fiber laminates, steel edges, ABS sidewalls, polypropylene bases, and petroleum-based waxes. Molding all of these elements into premium skis requires large machinery, which in turn requires a lot of energy to operate. Depending on where a ski is made, this energy may come from coal—the highest CO2-emitting source of energy.
“The release of this very special ski is the culmination of years of research and prototype development, but it’s important to underscore that this marks the beginning of a journey for Faction: one on which we strive to deliver the best-performing products and at the same time do the best we can for our planet.”
– Sara Asmoarp, Head of Quality and Environmental Social Governance
And so The Agent 4.0 POW Collab. Ski was born. Here’s what makes the ski special:
Wood Cores Come From Certified Sustainable Forestry
It is important for Faction to avoid and call attention to the unsustainable over-exploitation of forests. Between 2015—2017, the global loss of tropical forests contributed around 4.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year—about 8-10% of annual human emissions of carbon dioxide. As such, we carefully screen and evaluate our suppliers based on their social and environmental impact.
Traditional Epoxy Resin Replaced With a Bio-Based Resin
Faction is proud to be taking a significant step away from petrol. The bio-based resin—which binds the wood cores, laminates, edges, and bases together—is composed of 30% natural materials. Traditional epoxy resins are petroleum-based.
100% Recycled Bases Integrated Into the Agent 4.0 Pow Collab. Ski
This reduces the ecological impact of their bases by 75%. From source to snow and considering every step in between, the new The Agent 4.0 POW Collab. Ski has a -13% impact reduction on climate as compared to the previous, equivalent model, with the same—if not enhanced—performance on snow (analysis performed by the third-party agency, AIR Coop.) The downhill performance of The Agent 4.0 POW Collab. Ski is proven to be first-rate. It’s 10% lighter and 10% softer than the in-line Agent 4.0, helping the uphill performance.
10% of Sales of This Ski Will Benefit POW Switzerland
This will help finance the organization’s incredible work on climate action. As Faction are gearing up for the following winter, so is POW. This year will be all about transport and mobility. Did you know the biggest Greenhouse Gas polluter related to skiing is the car journey to and from the mountain? In response, POW will launch a campaign to mobilize the Outdoor Community to reduce their mobility-related emissions when going skiing.
The artwork is by Faction athlete and POW Switzerland ambassador, Simon Charriere, the talented freeskier, artist and dedicated environmentalist from Fribourg, Switzerland. Simon now calls Chamonix home. When he’s not crushing couloirs and cliffs in the jagged peaks of his local resort, Simon travels in search of powder and inspiration, sharing his passions through photos, illustrations, and animation films.
The unveiling of this ski marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for Faction: the eco-conscious construction of the Agent 4.0 POW Collab will be mirrored across Faction’s wider ski collection, beginning in season 22|23.
