The young rippers in the developmental ski programs world-wide – whether in the USA, Germany, Austria, Japan, and France (to name a few) – have been doing it for years. Whether Olympics, World Cup or Junior races, all are home to the edgy design and colorful goggles and helmets.  Now the French Ski Team elite has the same access to Shred.

Shred Partners with Le Pool, the Official Supplier of the 
French National Ski Team

Shred made its debut splash over 3 years ago with a pivotal partnership as official supplier of the US Ski Team and consequent performance ski race equipment choice for some of the team’s most successful athletes (the likes of Ted Ligety, Resi Stiegler, Jake Zemansky, Sarah Schlepper, and even a superstar athlete to remain anonymous painted his sponsor’s design on a pair of Shred goggles at the Vancouver Olympics). And now the company is now poised to follow the same path with the French National Ski Team and its stable of talented athletes.

It has only been since mid June that Shred inked a deal with Le Pool: Fournisseurs des Equipes de France de Ski making it eligible for French Ski Team Athletes to sign on with Shred. Since then there has been a fever pitch for athletes to sign on with the hugely popular, game-changing goggle and helmet brand. How many French skiers will ultimately opt to grab their Shreds remains to be seen especially into the season after next, but according to sources keeping it close to the vest, it promises to be a free-for-all, especially amongst the next generation J4 and J5 talent who have shown a feverish desire to use the edgy and colorful style that Shred pioneered. We will release the information as soon as the sponsorships are signed.

Come October at the Soelden Austria World Cup Alpine Ski Opener, the unmistakably colorful and top-notch safety standard Shred goggles and helmets will adorn some of the world’s most talented skiers and hottest up-and-coming prospects on the French Ski Team. This in turn will create added visibility for our world-wide network of stores and distributors represented in 25 countries.

Will this open the floodgates for other Ski Teams to follow suit and partner with one of the most copied brand around? Time will tell. For now, watch Shred up its game on skiing’s biggest stage, the World Cup.

If you are a member of the press and would like to more information, please refer to our PRESS RESOURCE PAGE for more details and official press materials.

These Shredders get their surf on in the summer time in landlocked Austria?

Yep, these innovative riders look anywhere they can to find the stoke.

Love watching this kind of stuff… makes me want to grab the bull by the horns and get my surf on.

This is the essence of shred.

If you discount for a moment that brands put this video together for promotional purposes, and all you allow yourself to see is this 6 year old kid having a freakin’ blast, don’t you find yourself just smiling?

Doesn’t it remind you of when you were younger and life seemed less complicated and you just felt pure stoke? That’s the vibe I get of this kid…

Check out a little later on during the skate section when the kid looks into the camera. His serotonin and dopamine levels must be sky-high — he’s so stoked.

It’s a lesson for us non-kids: live in that moment and allow yourself to feel only that moment with gratitude and reverence, and nothing else. What beautiful thing when you’re in that space.

Winter is finished.. but it still snows in Austria!!.. Weather has been awful until now..
Sorry for the quiet period, I haven’t talk to any of you since a while.

After my first football game ever in a big stadium during ISPO, I straight flew to Japan for the last two weeks of february.

Three days in crazy Tokyo, then contest time for my boys in Niigata area, before heading up to Hokkaido.

It was my first time in Japan and I have to say that I really enjoyed the country and people. Between culture shock and amazement, the way of life is way different from our occidental west country.

I was pretty exited with Hokkaido and expecting a lot considering all stories I could have heard. The place is mystic with high mountains when you approach Niseko area and definitely less people than Honchu.

Our first stop in Niseko was a blast, good times nice people but snow conditions were not the best… so we hit the road again and head up north 5 hours from Niseko. We had one day just correct before high temperature went up. The rest of the trip took place on the road scouting rails and urban features for my riders.

Well, so far, Japan is a sick place with a massive culture and tradition and extreme behaviours. I will be back there.

Since I get back beginnig of march in Europe, we’ve been chasing powder. I had the chance to have a few nice days.
Conditions have been really dangerous, we count 5 dead persons in avalanche only in Arlberg area. Therefore our tent trip could not happen safely, we decided to cancel everything.

Now season is over, spring takes time to bring warmth and skateboard season started. We are hunting good weather windows as it is raining like it never did during the winter.

I actually just came back from a trip in france and situation is the same! I’ve been surfing in 15°C water and cold air temperature in the middle of may…

One more example to keep in mind the fragile balance of our planet which requests our attention!

As I said it is time for concrete waves, I’ve been travelling around in Germany and Austria to skate new spots, I hope that I will have some sweat, dust and blood stories next time.

Action pics by Joel Fraser and Basti Gogl.

I wish you all a nice summer.

Love
Mateo