Sustainability at Ballistyx: How We’re Trying to Do Better

We’ve been chasing white gold since 1992. When your business, your winters and a fair chunk of your spare time revolve around snow falling in the mountains, you naturally care about looking after the places that make it all possible. Ballistyx lives and breathes snowboarding, so it makes sense for us to pay attention to the choices we make and keep looking for practical ways to do things better.

That thinking carries right through to the orders we send out the door. We’ve made a conscious move away from conventional plastic-heavy shipping materials, using compostable packaging from HeapsGood and Biogone landfill-biodegradable packing tape. Packing orders is something we do every day, so better choices here can make a meaningful difference to the amount of conventional single-use plastic moving through the shop.

“You don’t need to study a supply chain before buying a snowboard, but where we all spend our money tells the industry what we value.”

The brands and products we choose to support matter too. We’re sharing these details because environmental claims can get pretty vague pretty quickly, and we think snowboarders deserve to know what is actually being done.

Mervin Manufacturing, home to Lib Tech, GNU and Bent Metal, are one of snowboarding’s original eco-warriors. They’ve spent decades working on less harmful ways to build boards, including low-VOC resin systems, water-based sublimation printing and programs that recycle wood, sawdust and plastic manufacturing waste.

Arbor has been pushing down a similar path since the company was founded in 1995, with environmental responsibility built into the way it approaches snowboard construction rather than added on later. Its boards use FSC-certified wood, recycled steel edges and recycled ABS where possible, along with bio-based resin systems that reduce reliance on conventional petroleum-based resin. Arbor also reclaims wood by-products, uses zero-waste processes for its die-cut bases and manufactures its snowboards using solar energy. Outside the factory, its Returning Roots program has directed a portion of sales towards forest protection and restoration since the brand began, including long-running work supporting the restoration of native Koa forests in Hawaii.

Airblaster has removed PFAS from its products and incorporates recycled and solution-dyed fabrics across parts of its range. Yuki Threads uses 100% organic virgin cotton and GRS-certified recycled polyester in its bulk polyester fabrics.

Even something as simple as snowboard wax gives us choices. Spiral Wax Co. is rider owned and operated, with its waxes handmade by snowboarders in Bend, Oregon. Its range is PFAS-free, while its Natural Wax uses plant-based ingredients and comes in recycled, compostable cardboard packaging.

None of these things makes a product impact-free. What they do show is that better decisions can be made at almost every stage, including materials, manufacturing, packaging and waste. When brands put genuine effort into those decisions, we think it’s worth telling you about it. When riders choose to support those brands, it gives the industry another reason to keep moving in the right direction.

“Good snow gear should be chosen properly, looked after and repaired where possible.”

Longevity is part of the same conversation. Through honest advice, workshop servicing and repair work, the Ballistyx Crew helps riders choose the right gear in the first place and keep it working for more seasons.

For us, responsibility is less about claiming we’ve got everything figured out and more about paying attention, making informed choices and continuing to improve.