Published April 7, 2023 11:43AM
NASTAR Commits to Fluoro-Free Wax to Protect the Snowpack from Chemicals
The deal is part of the ongoing effort to rid the country’s ski slopes of fluorinated wax, which contain “forever chemicals.”
(Photo: Courtesy of NASTAR)
mountainFLOW, the Colorado company known for its line of eco-friendly ski wax and bike lube, announced a new partnership with National Standard Race (NASTAR), the largest public grassroots ski racing program in the world. For the first time, the NASTAR National Championships were officially fluoro-free when they took place in Aspen, Colo., this week.
Going forward, the deal signifies a major step forward for both sides in the ongoing effort to rid the country’s ski slopes of fluorinated wax, which contain polyfluoroalkyl substances (or PFAS) and are known as “forever chemicals.” mountainFLOW also hosted a Fluoro Wax Takeback initiative at the NASTAR National Championships, where skiers turned in their fluorinated wax and replaced them with mountainFLOW products.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with NASTAR. As a grom, getting a NASTAR pin was super cool. I can still remember showing them off to my friends,” said mountainFLOW founder and CEO Peter Arlein. “To be able to help keep that stoke alive while also protecting the snowpack from toxic ski wax is super rad.”
Founded in 1968, NASTAR gives recreational racers an opportunity to compete and compare their scores to friends and family regardless of when and where they race using the NASTAR handicap system. The program now boasts more than 100,000 races at over 100 resorts around the country, and the National Championships will offer $10,000 in prize money.
“MountainFLOW is helping NASTAR racers go faster with eco-friendly wax and they are helping us remove fluoridated wax from the race environment,” said Director of NASTAR Bill Madsen. “By providing wicked fast wax that is made from plant based materials, mountainFLOW has set a new standard for alpine wax.”
Launched in 2016 and based in Carbondale, Colo., mountainFLOW won multiple awards at the 2020 Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver and was featured on Season 12 of ABC’s hit program Shark Tank, all due to the company’s innovative line of eco-friendly plant-based waxes and lubes that have revolutionized both the ski and bike industries.
