NASTAR Championships in Snowmass Village go green with eco-friendly ski wax

Thanks to a partnership with Carbondale-based company MountainFlow, the National Standard Race (NASTAR) National Championship racers will be skiing and riding with eco-friendly wax for the first time ever.

This week in Snowmass Village, NASTAR National Championship competitors are racing with plant-based wax that won’t put harmful chemicals into the environment.

“What many people don’t realize is that whatever you’re putting on your skis or snowboard goes directly into the snowpack. When that snow melts, it all ends up in your local watershed,” said MountainFlow Founder and CEO Peter Arlein.

---

---

MountainFlow was launched in 2016 with the goal of creating a simple eco-friendly wax to improve the skiing experience. While most ski wax is made from petroleum, MountainFlow’s eco-wax is made entirely from plants.

Fluorinated wax contains polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are known as “forever chemicals,” Arlein said. A forever chemical is the opposite of biodegradable, meaning that once it enters the environment, it is there forever.

---

---

“For years, this (fluorinated) wax was used, and whatever entered into the environment is still there,” he said. “It’s something that once it’s there, we can’t really remediate the problem.”

MountainFlow’s partnership with NASTAR, which has over 100,000 races at over 100 resorts across the country, is a step forward for both companies in an effort to rid the country’s ski slopes of fluorinated wax.

“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 and Snowmass Village Mayor Bill Madsen. “By providing wicked fast wax that is made from plant-based materials, MountainFlow has set a new standard for alpine wax.”

In addition to providing complimentary, fluoro-free wax to racers, MountainFlow is also hosting a Fluoro Wax Takeback at the races. Skiers can turn in their fluorinated wax and replace it with MountainFlow eco-friendly wax.

“We’re out (at the races) giving people free wax to race on, and we’re helping to collect old wax for safe disposal,” Arlein said.

According to him, it’s great to have people on the mountain using a MountainFlow product even though they’re beating him down the slopes.

“It’s bittersweet to have someone beat you, but at least they’re using your product,” he said. “People are really stoked on the product, and the reception has been super positive.”

Waxing racer’s skis helps to promote their eco-friendly wax and shows skiers and riders that their eco-wax works as well as any other wax. It also provides MountainFlow representatives with a chance to chat with people about their choice in ski wax and explain the benefits of choosing a more environmentally-friendly product.

MountainFlow also creates eco-friendly products for the bike industry, such as their plant-based bike lube. Their ski and snowboard eco-wax was even featured on season 12 of ABC’s “Shark Tank.”

“Our mission is to get out and educate people and to teach them they’ve got a choice in their wax,” Arlein said.

To reach Audrey Ryan, email her at aryan@aspentimes.com.