FirstLight Snowboards

About the company

Image: FirstLight

From their website:

“FirstLight Snowboards specialise in original one-off designs. With our custom-made snowboards, you can choose the shape, size, rocker, camber and taper. With a FirstLight Snowboard, you also have the option of how much flex you want, whether you’d like more in the nose than the tail or vice versa”.

They make Splitboards, Powderboards, Swallowtails, NoBoards and more.

This business has grown from a surfboard business, and shape boards according to the individual requirements of boarders as well as customising existing boards.

They also make surfboards.

My summary
This small Australian outfit started with making surfboards and is now branching out into snow gear. I like their focus on back country and attempts to use lower impact materials in both their summer and winter gear. They also will re work existing boards to suit owners needs – a good example of the old ‘reduce, re-use, recycle’ ethos.

Their boards are made here and so travel footprint is low and baing a ‘backyard’ operation, the people involved can manage their work place situation.

Category
Difficult to rate but certainly a good option for Australian boarders wanting to reduce the carbon footprint of their equipment and support an emerging and ethical business.

Sustainability criteria:

• Reporting framework: how does the company benchmark what it does/ reports? Does it use one of the international accredited systems?

No information

• Information on resources used – recycled materials, use of renewable materials, etc

We are looking into using Bio resins and Hemp Base cloth on our surfboards.

With the snowboards we are doing R&D with Bamboo and Paulownia. This will take a season or two of testing. We are also looking into lower impact resins.

• Energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions & distance travelled

All boards by FirstLight snowboards are 100% Australian made, meaning they do not need to be imported…

• Waste generated
• Water consumption

No information

• Working conditions

All boards are made in Australia by a small team.

• Other environmental claims or benefits

They are supporters of Protect Our Winters.

• Details on who stocks the item/ where to find it/ where to get further information

You can purchase their boards via their website.

They also stock a range of backcountry gear such as avalanche gear and bindings.