Acclaimed technical apparel designer Conroy Nachtigall was commissioned by The Dyneema® Project to develop an alpine jacket of tomorrow with Dyneema® Composite Fabric. The “Wow!†response when the jacket – the strongest and lightest ever made – is tried by some of the big names living in Canadian extreme sports capital Squamish is shown in a documentary.
Many have attempted to come up with an alpine jacket that is light, strong and fitted to provide snowboarders with complete freedom of movement – while still being waterproof and breathable. But as the legendary Swiss snowboarder Romain de Marchi notes at the beginning of ‘Sending It’: “I haven’t found the ultimate jacket yet and I’ve been a pro snowboarder for fifteen years. So I keep searching…â€Â
Fifteen times stronger than steel, but floats on water, Dyneema® is world’s strongest, lightest fibre and has long been used to moor oilrigs, stop bullets and repair human ligaments.
Currently, Dyneema® Composite Fabrics are spearheading a revolution in the performance sports apparel industry. “Dyneema® Composite Fabrics is a precise high-tech material yet still looks unfinished and raw due to its signature crinkly look,†says Nachtigall. “It’s a fabric but isn’t a fabric – bonded instead of woven, super lightweight yet super tough. Dyneema® shifts perceptions. And that’s what I try to do with apparel: to have the wearer shift their idea of what they can do based on what they’re wearing.†“It feels like you’re not wearing anything!†enthuses famed snowboard photographer Phil Tifo. “And I still feel warm!â€Â