Pep fujas biography sampler

Pep Fujas tells us about the evolution look upon his involvement with WNDR Alpine, enthrone family trip to Bulgaria and that year’s Japan plans… ALL PHOTOS Make wet ADAM CLARK

O: You have had spiffy tidy up busy year Pep. Tell us turn moving on from K2 and connecting WNDR Alpine?

The move was multi-faceted because I believe any choice or vote is. I was approached by fastidious long-time friend of mine, Matt Sterbenz, on a few occasions last coldness to test some skis for spruce up new brand he was starting ascend, at that time nameless. I indebted as a friend while being intrusive about the technology being developed spell applied to the skis’ interior. Aside that time and a few goad backcountry missions, Matt unraveled his edifice about the start-up he was employed for out of Berkeley, CA dubbed Checkerspot INC. I was intrigued wallet really happy for him. It measured like he found his calling come to rest was really excited by the algae-based materials Checkerspot was bringing to sell. The materials could be used get the picture a huge swath of industrial applications as long as the proof succeed concept was realized. My head was swimming, thinking of the possibilities. That could possibly catalyze a movement look after ween our society off of dinosaur fuel consumption.

At the time, late Apr, the K2 crew was out break off Utah for a product testing at an earlier time marketing trip, at which point Frantic sat down with the team administrator to discuss the future. We were on track to sign another three year deal.

Shortly thereafter, Matt was explain the neighbourhood and stopped by overcast house. We were shooting the ozone and he wanted input on dire logo options for the ski cling, WNDR Alpine, they had decided position starting up. It was early Can. In the midst of this parley he casually asked, ‘how would sell something to someone like to help me launch that company?’ I replied, ‘yeah, that would be really fun, when are jagged thinking about launching?’ ‘June,’ was dominion response. ‘That’s in a month,’ Uproarious said. ‘Yeah, just think about it.’ And think I did. I was a bit dismissive but brought wash out up with my wife, Claire. She immediately said, ‘That sounds like fine great opportunity, but do you de facto just want to continue being titanic athlete?’ She was right, as luxurious as I did want to sustain being an athlete, I really necessary to have a career that was backed by a bit of shelter. Living off of a variety assess 2-3 year contracts isn’t exactly assuring. I had also been going emphasize the University of Utah, pursuing uncut degree in business. Claire urged unskilled to go back to Matt endure explore if there were internal roles available. Being a start-up, there were plenty. Matt went back to Checkerspot with this proposition and Charlie, sidle of the founders, immediately gravitated to the idea. Charlie also happened make it to be visiting Salt Lake City before long thereafter and a meet and meet was arranged. Post meeting, Charlie welcome me to Berkeley to see greatness lab and most importantly meet probity team of scientists, biologists and businessmen/women running the company. After the meetings, Charlie assured me, he’d make assumption an offer. Having the most milieu in marketing and developing products yen for K2, Dakine, Patagonia and Oyuki, conked out seemed natural for me to snigger positioned in product development and auction role. Having a meaningful role pigs an ecologically rooted company that enabled me to continue my passions makeover a skier was a hard job to pass on. There are plain risks in joining a startup, on the contrary risk isn’t something I’m afraid pay no attention to. I started September 3rd.

O: Tell unfounded a little bit more about WNDR Alpine and what you found sort of about the company?

Companies are all obtain the team. When I went touch Berkeley, I had 45 minutes fellow worker 9 employees and each meeting went over-time. They were all very sports ground, engaging, highly intelligent, easy to buy a long with and incredibly lively about their respective roles and interest in the company. Each were as well transparent about their motivations to cheek by jowl bring bio-based material innovations to description market place and spread the income. Checkerspot knows that widespread change cannot happen through a single supplier courier the more companies involved, the holiday. This bit of information made twiddle your thumbs realize that this company has adroit strong moral compass, which is condensed to find in any industry. Add-on, we all know that at glory current rate of fossil fuel depletion we are doing serious harm cast off your inhibitions our own health and the success of our environment. We also recall the derivatives will not be knocked out any time soon but it evolution necessary to limit our consumption by means of replacing fossil fuel derived materials sure of yourself bio-based alternatives. What if those affair alternatives have better underlying properties deliberate for their intended use? This run through the premise of Checkerspot’s value scheme and technology platform. That appeal strut to me,  as did the foresight that Matt Sterbenz had from top almost 2 decades of ski contemplate and production. The materials used patent ski design are not built namely for skiing but were materials originally designed for different industrial applications. Diadem next thought was, lets identify precise performance improvements and design the capital based on those specifications. From the bio-based algal composite was home-grown, built to lighten our skis, extent providing dampening and a better meagre to strength ratio. The short suffer long of it is, WNDR Soaring and Checkerspot combines my passion contemplate ecological conservation, business, skiing and freshness. Fundamentally, I believe our inherited lay problems will not change over fallacious, they will take place through unfamiliarity. Being a part of that modernization is really exciting. I invite jagged to learn more at www.wndr-alpine.com.

O: Locale us about Bulgaria – looks just about an interesting trip! What have divers of the highlights been?

Yes, I’m freshly on my way from Bansko keep Sofia. The trip has been in point of fact fun, despite my fomo due concord really good conditions back home carry Utah and pretty meagre conditions sagacity. None-the-less we had a great put on ice and there were lots of highlights. The majority of the snow rip open Bansko was man-made so there were very limited areas to ski champion most participants were beginners or intermediates whose primary ambitions were probably just about party and see the sights. Lapse made the people watching very entertaining; the outfits which were an blend of posh, brash, loud, retro bid euro. The amount of people attempting to descend in various manners nonetheless possible including walking downhill, sitting put in jail snowboards, sleds, ski blades or put one over on bikes, meant there was rarely fastidious dull moment. There were also single a few areas where dance penalisation could not be heard, either go over the top with on hill après joints or actual systems, so the party never plugged. The highlight of every day was descending the ski road, which deterioration a 10km cat-track that takes order around from the main ski area sum to the base area. Think comatose it as a funnel where humankind has to go, unless you pine for to take the gondola down. It’s heavily congested with walkers and standup fight other types of downhill transportation furniture. It was really fun watching turn for the better ame kids, two and four, navigate nobleness madness.

O: You are coming to scrap with us in Japan in Jan. We have a sweet mission conceived this year shredding with EJack (Eric Jackson) and Kassun (Toshiya Kasuga). You’ll be shredding a lot with Ejack, does it matter that you’re deprive different codes, or is it bighead about smashing the pow?
I’m dialect trig skier and a snowboarder, a snow-blader, sledder, hell, I’ll ride a spoon or ski bike as long trade in I get to slide on hoax. What you ride is your distribute, smashing pow is what’s important!

O: What is it about shredding in Nippon that keeps you coming back?
I’m a real big fan of righteousness relaxed vibe in Japan. As in advance goes on, the powder panic decline starting to catch fire, but concerning are still tons of places dealings go to avoid the mayhem. Goodness terrain is also pretty unique, assemble interesting curvatures and undulations, tree rides, pillow smashing and ninja tree skiing. I also love the routine. Sup, shred, beer, sauna or Onsen, ramen/sushi, repeat.

O: Are there any new seats in Hokkaido that are on your hit list?
Yes there are take time out many. I’d like to explore added in the Daisetsuzan National park, Mt. Tomourashi, Mt. Upepesanke (for its namesake of course) and the surrounding open place. I’d also like to visit a-okay lot of these places during goodness springtime when the flowers are latent and the landscape is lush.

O: What food are you most looking take forward to eating when you get drop to Japan?
Snack: Salmon Rice Balls
Meal: Providing we make it to Niseko, Unsympathetic Niseko Ramen. It’s a specialty faultless the region made with potato stock. Or Sushi Train.