Weston Backcountry has announced the launch of its Mission Series; products built with purpose that tell individual stories through art and also forge partnerships with nonprofits to give back to the community at large. The first collaboration to coincide with the 10th Anniversary season of Weston will be with Diné Navajo artist Vernan Kee.
Kee’s artwork for the series draws inspiration from traditional Navajo art representations of the red-tailed hawk (Atseeltsoi) with a modern lens and will be featured on the Ridgeline solid, Ridgeline Split and ALL NEW Skyline skis. About the design, Kee had this to say,
“Feathers of the Red-tailed Hawk are used in ceremonies by Navajo medicine men and the bird is respected and honored by the Navajo People. Also known for being fast and precise, their feathers were tied to arrows so they flew true without mistakes. The speed and precise movements of skiers/snowboarders reminded me of Red-tailed hawks soaring down to catch prey.”
Through the collaboration with Vernan Kee, Weston is evolving its partnership with the National Forest Foundation and their commitment to 1% for the Planet, as part of an ongoing effort by Weston to be good stewards of the land.
Through this partnership with the National Forest Foundation, Weston will join the U.S. Forest Service, Tribal governments and communities as well as local partners to support Wood for Life Tribal Fuelwood Initiative. This program helps responsibly utilize small diameter timber from forest restoration programs to help provide fuel for stoves and heat on indigenous reservations. Weston will donate $10,000 to help fund the expansion of the program into southern Colorado. This is a cause close to Vernan Kee, as he has personally spent time helping transport wood to elders and members of his community.
“In January of 2020, we connected with Connor Ryan and Len Necifer of Natives Outdoors through our network of family and friends, establishing a lasting relationship that led to working with Vernan Kee and the stellar graphics for the 22/23 line.”
Marketing Manager Sean Eno
Weston has a strong commitment to the people and places connected to the backcountry community and being stewards of the land is an integral component to this. Weston recognizes that the first stewards of this land were the indigenous peoples of North America. In contrast to some modern viewpoints of strict conservation or strict resource extraction, the indigenous communities in the US have a long history of striving for a harmonious balance between using the land’s resources to live, while simultaneously ensuring it thrives for future generations. This is a model that Wood For Life reflects, and Weston seeks to emulate.
Skyline Carbon X Vernan Kee Splitboard
The Best Splitboard for: All-Mountain + Freeride – Steeps, Cliffs & Powder
The Ridgeline is a hybrid all-mountain & freeride splitboard that handles open bowls, steeps, cliffs and powder days with ease. While the Ridgeline still features a tapered directional shape and Weston’s Freeride camber-dominant profile, they change the recipe by using a mid-stiff flex and only a 20mm stance setback. This combination will still provide edgehold, pop and float while keeping it playful. An advanced core composed of sustainably harvested poplar, paulownia stringers and bamboo insert reinforcements creates the perfect blend between lightweight, response, dampening and pop that is more approachable than a traditional freeride board. The castor bean based, Rugged Nylon topsheet, helps shed snow and adds durability while the Sintered 4001 base provides top of the line speed in a minimalist black design to create seamless repairs.
As with all of Weston’s splitboards, they shift the touring bracket forward to make kick-turns a breeze and on this model Weston utilizes active latching Karakoram UltraClips 2.0, installed with their holeless base technology, to help create the most responsive ride. MSRP: $949
Skyline Carbon X Vernan Kee Skis
The Skyline is Weston’s latest addition to the ski lineup. Designed for long tours that lead to steeps and variable conditions, the Skyline is going to lead the charge uphill while providing a reliable edge on the down. To achieve this, Weston combined a 95mm ski with their Freeride camber-dominant ski profile – there’s just the right amount of reverse camber in the nose to help keep you afloat, while the 3.5mm or more of camber maintains snap and edgehold and the flat to early rise tail allows the tail to release when you need it too. Weston paired this with an ultralight core composed of paulownia and aluminum stringers, with a carbon fiber overlay. The paulownia and carbon keep things ultralight while the horizontal aluminum provides dampening similar to a full metal ski while weighing in at only 1500 grams in a 184cm. MSRP: $799
Smartwool is also offering a special edition Vernan Kee print Ski Targeted Cushion socks as part of the collection.
Learn more and order online at westonbackcountry.com
Photos courtesy of Weston Backcountry