RIDE X AKOMPLICE

PSYCHOCANDY

We’re not perfect. We’ve done some dumb things over the years but that doesn’t mean we can’t be better. Today it should be clear to all snowboarders that if we don’t start making changes in how we live there won’t be snow for us to chase in the near future. The climate is changing, and we can do better. The snowboarding lifestyle isn’t eco friendly. It never has been. We’ve got to get to the mountains on planes, trains, and automobiles. Chairlifts need energy. Houses need heat. The products we make use resources, create waste, and require transportation. There is an environmental cost to everything humans do. We can never eliminate that, but we can do better. We can create less waste, use less resources, build longer lasting products and work with people on the front lines of this battle to learn and change what we’ve been doing.

We admire Akomplice and what they’ve done to build and run a sustainable business, so we partnered with them to make this limited edition Psychocandy. Their graphics help draw attention to the simple fact that we can all be a little bit better stewards of the earth. Regardless of your political or social stance on climate change, we can all agree that using less resources and build better products while still living and experiencing the world is a great step.

It's our goal to do better, here is an overview of our current process.

• SNOWBOARDS:

  • RIDE boards are built to take a beating, not thrown away at the end of the season. We back that claim with a 3 year warranty.

• • New construction techniques are being tested and developed to decrease the raw materials needed for production. Our new Slimwall construction uses over 80% less sidewall material than traditional construction.
• • We’re integrating a non-petroleum based Bio-Resin into snowboard production. In the next 3 years 100% of the RIDE line will be using this plant based Bio-Resin, with the majority of the line seeing this change sooner. This has the biggest single impact on reducing emissions when it comes to snowboard production.
• • RIDE has partnered with industry leader, Wend Wax Research, to use only plant based wax on all factory tuned boards.
• • All steel edges include up to 25% recycled material.

BOOTS:

• • RIDE is making concrete steps forward in making our boot production more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
• • We’re keeping your boots fresh by using an antimicrobial mesh made from a natural bamboo and charcoal weave, rather than the traditional toxic antimicrobial sprays.
• • RIDE has partnered with Michelin to use their Hybrid Rubber material for our boots soles. Their regrind process produces less waste and uses up to 30% recycled materials.
• • All RIDE boots are made from mostly PVC free materials, meaning less plastic is used in production.
• • All midsoles have been updated to use an EPR material and process to eliminate excess material waste.
• • All glue used in production is toluene free.
• • We’ve eliminated 95% of plastic packaging for all RIDE boots, opting for more sustainable materials.
• • We’re currently in the process of developing bio injection and EVA materials for construction, boot structure, and midsoles. This process will be integrated into the boot line as soon as we finalize testing.

BINDINGS:

• • Aluminum chassis use up to 50% recycled material, Aluminum is an infinitely recyclable material, with over 75% of all aluminum ever produced still in use today.
• • RIDE has been eliminating unnecessary plastic from our binding packaging.
• • We’re currently testing new plant based materials to replace traditional high-backs and straps. When these prototypes go into production they’ll be more sustainable and more durable than anything currently on the market.
• • All RIDE products are now shipping in FSC Certified cardboard boxes. Everything cardboard is now certified with the highest social and environmental standards on the market.
• • Over 95% of plastic packaging for all RIDE bindings has been eliminated, opting for more sustainable materials.

We’re not perfect, but we’re getting better.

In addition to our ongoing internal changes, we are partnering with Akomplice for a cause that is close to their heart. To help the Arhuaco indigenous tribe in Columbia protect their land from deforestation and development.

The Arhuaco people, an indigenous group to Colombia, have received a message from their “spiritual parents” that humanity is running out of time to save our planet. In the deep belief that their region is the "Heart of the World", the leaders of the village advise that the earth is a living body and if you kill the heart, all other things will die, too. They explain that if humans simply obey the universe's Original Law, the development of new diseases and a disharmony amongst humans can be avoided.

According to scientists, the mountainous region of La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, has indeed been identified as one of the most bio-diverse and irreplaceable nature reserves in the world. At the same time, agricultural expansion such as palm oil plantations and extensive littering have been a continuous danger for the mountains’ ecosystems, making the living environment of the Arhuacos smaller and more threatening every day.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARHUACO TRIBE HERE