When the Dew Tour rolled into Breckenridge, I had the opportunity to sit down with Danny Davis to find out more about the new 2012 Green Mountain Project outerwear collection. The outerwear will utilize fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. It’s part of the next phase of the Burton x Mountain Dew partnership which works perfectly since Danny Davis is a sponsored rider of both brands and committed to improving sustainability.
For 2013, this vision expands with the launch of the GMP outerwear collection, which includes three stylish and eco-friendly jackets and two pants for men, and two jackets and one pant for women, all featuring fabric created from the pellets of recycled bottles. In addition, the collection also implements recycled and natural blended materials that have a lower impact on the environment whenever possible, such as GMP Hemp Fortex, 3MTM ThinsulateTM insulation with recycled fibers, DRYRIDE EcoNanoshellTM 2L Fabric and 3-Layer Hemp Ripstop Fabric and recycled taffeta and mesh linings.
Once inside the Mountain Dew RV, I sat face to face with Danny to check in on his season so far, thoughts on the outerwear and what he plans for his next step in snowboarding. He walked in on crutches but that didn’t dampen his spirit and it was rad to walk through the outerwear line-up for GMP and bring home a piece to try out this season.
Shay: How has your season been so far?
Danny: It’s been a little bit of a mission. I got hurt in August, I broke my femur so that was kinda a bummer. But since it was August I had time to heal. I was almost back to cruising around, but about a week ago I got x-rays to make sure everything was going smooth and it turned out that the rod I had in my leg was just a little too thin. The fracture has been moving minutely for the past three months, so the fracture didn’t quite heal. So this past Tuesday, I got surgery again and got a new rod put in that’s thicker, better, stronger. So the start has been a little rough.
Shay: What was the motive into developing the outerwear?
Danny: Most companies have been about making their carbon footprint a little bit less. So Burton and Mountain Dew wanted to figure out a way to work together by recycling, reducing and reusing materials. Basically they can make clothes and jackets out of mountain dew bottles. The process is pretty complex but simple in the same respect. They stretch these pellets into fabric and they can make anything, snow pants, sweatshirts, jackets, tshirts. You feel good when you are wearing it. You aren’t messing with the environment.
Shay: What are the expectations for your outerwear?
Danny: It’s gotta be waterproof and with Burton. With the bottles, it makes the fabric a bit nicer and the shirts are even softer. The jackets repel really well with moisture. Just as good as the normal jackets, just the process is a little more time consuming.
Shay: What sort of materials you are working with?
Danny: The more natural, the better. In this GMP/PCR project that Mountain Dew is doing is using the plastic, turn it into plastic fabrics and interweave with cotton/hemp. I don’t get too tech with materials but I want it to look good. As long as it performs well in the snow and we can make more of a difference.
Shay: Once you are healed up, what are your Plans for season once you are healed up?
Danny: I just wanna start shredding. I can start splitboarding and moving within the next couple weeks. They say I can snowboarding within 4-6 weeks from now since I did build the muscle. Take some runs, start riding longer days and eventually get to some impact. Maybe by US Open or European X-Games I’ll start riding some halfpipe.
More Details on the outerwear seen in the photo above:
For men:
-GMP 2L Kohlman Snowboard Jacket features a trench cut and tailored silhouette and boasts mapped lining combined with platinum insulation for true climate control.
-Complementing the jacket is the GMP 2L Fireside Snowboard Pant, which features massive ventilation in a premium shell for optimum warmth and breathability, while maintaining a traditional men’s mid-fit with stylish flairs such as anti-scruff cuffs.
For women:
-Style meets function with a boyfriend fit in the new GMP Women’s Eleanor Snowboard Jacket, which is backed by incredible waterproofing and warmth.
-Another key style is the GMP Women’s Basis Snowboard Pant that features a light shell and a classic cargo design that compliments any jacket in the Burton line.
Johnny
March 16, 2013 at 12:24 amThat’s cool about the eco-friendly gear, but sucks about his leg! Sounds like it snapped in half or something… I would be so nervous to ride on that