12.20.08 9:30 AM
SPIN NEWS MAGAZINE, Snowboard manufacturing taking a green turn
-”Mervin Manufacturing, the company that heads up Lib Technologies and Gnu is taking things a step further. The company has its own environmental division focused on lessening their carbon footprint through everything from manufacturing to packaging and transportation.
Pete Saari, one of the founders of Mervin, says they’re constantly looking at ways to go green. “Every board from our lowest price to the most expensive is built with maximum eco-motional energy, a focus on environmental sustainability, healthy work environment and the lowest impact, least toxic materials available,” he says listing off the different technologies incorporated into their snowboard manufacturing.
Mervin’s snowboards could actually be the closest thing to green. A bio-plastic top, called BEANS, is made entirely from castor beans. Cores are developed from fast growing renewable farmed wood such as bamboo, all graphics are created from their water-based ECO Sub sublimation system, and additive-free basalt fibre is used on many of their high-end boards. The shop itself, located in Carlsborg, Wash. is also a great model: it runs on biodiesel, has certified green power, uses only low volatile organic compound epoxy resins, citrus-based solvents and recycles as much scrap materials as possible.”
12.19.08 11:55 AM
A GNU Danny Kass Shred Video just for all you web surfers. Shot in 16mm film, transfered to HD, mixed with music from Hollywood Lightweights, Mervin Mfg. Kraftsmen John Gone Pardo-guitar.
TURN IT UP
Footage by, Grenade Gloves
Music by, Hollywood Lightweights, “Sleep Off The Highway”
12.16.08 9:12 AM
Hey guys, I rode the Park Pickle at Northstar on Saturday. It was awesome. By 2:30 pm the entire mountain stunk of vinegar. Heelside turns require much less effort, and the board responds immediately. It goes fast too. Real fast. I tested the high speed responsiveness in the human slalom course that was the single open trail. It passed with flying colors. The Park Pickle and I were whistled at by ski patrol on more than one occasion. I decided to test it in its natural environment, a 6 feature mini park set up on a short trail. The Pickle pressed impressively, and it had a nice amount of pop so that alot of effort was not required to get onto the higher features. There was a 15 foot kicker, which is now more more pickled than Keith Richards. Frontside spins off the heels were done with little effort. In fact, the first FS 3 I did was nearly inverted due to the responsiveness of the heel edge. Awesome. The public was responsive as well. Every time I was in line somebody would ask me “hey how is that thing?” or “oh my god is that the Park Pickle? You’re so cool.” All in all, my first day on the Pickle was a great one, and I can’t wait to do it again.~ Nate Farrel
12.9.08 5:46 PM
Check out the latest adventure flick from the Northwest Snowboards crew.
12.4.08 12:12 PM
HD footage of GNU’s NW team rider Nick Ennen, filmed and edited by North West Collective Productions.
12.1.08 7:10 PM
Newport Beach, CA
At the North American sales meeting for Gnu Snowboards, plans for the GNU Park Pickle were unveiled. The Patent Pending Proprietary Park Pickle Product will be included in the 09/10 Gnu Snowboard line. Based on the idea that heelside turns require more leverage than toeside turns, the Park Pick will have a deeper sidecut on the heelside. The board is a true twin shape with a centered stance so it can be ridden with either goofy or regular and includes Mervin Mfg’s exclusive use of Banana Technology.
Pete Saari, VP of Marketing at Mervin had this to say. “The Park Pickle achieves perfect balance through asymmetry, a deeper sidecut and asymmetric core on the heel edge balances your foots asymmetry and the different turn mechanics between heel and toe turns. Twin Asymmetric Banana Magnetraction design is the future of all terrain freestyle performance snowboards. Pickle Power!”
A limited run of 300 Park Pickles for North America will be built and released for sale to select Authorized Gnu Dealers in mid December.
12.1.08 10:35 AM
Check out EXPN’S Holiday Gift Guide, they featured GNU’s Street Series BTX(Banana Technology with Magne-Traction)
