On April 8, SCOTT Sports athlete Hannah Otto set a new women’s Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Mauna Kea sea-to-summit cycling route, completing the 55-mile, 13,700-foot climb in 5 hours, 43 minutes, and 50 seconds. The effort is documented in a new film, Infinite Pursuit: Hannah Otto vs. Mauna Kea, released alongside the announcement.

Who Is Hannah Otto

If you haven’t been following the endurance cycling world, you should start here. Otto started racing at nine years old, turned professional in triathlon, and after winning the Overall Amateur XTERRA World Championship title twice, shifted her focus entirely to the bike. From there followed five collegiate cycling national championships, multiple Pro-XCT wins, and appearances on the USA Cycling World Championship XCO squad. She was named to the 2020 Olympic Long Team and won the Leadville 100 MTB race in 2022 — the latter coming one week after she separated her shoulder in a crash. She won Leadville by five minutes.

Her degrees in Athletic Training and Exercise Science led to a Board Certified Athletic Trainer credential and a USA Cycling Certified Coaching license.

She’s one of a handful of competitors, men or women, who have raced all four years of the Life Time Grand Prix and finished top 10 in three consecutive seasons. The LTGP is a six-race series mixing gravel and mountain bike disciplines — including Unbound, Leadville, and Sea Otter. But the FKT work is what sets her apart from the standard professional endurance racer.

The Route

To understand what she did, you first have to understand what Mauna Kea is, which is less a mountain and more a geological argument of scale. The climb begins with the waves of the Pacific lapping at the shore and ends 13,803 feet above sea level at the volcano’s summit, traveling through five distinct climate zones…Lush rainforest at the base, scrubland, then the saddle, a remote high-desert highway bisecting Mauna Kea and its neighbor Mauna Loa, each larger than some mountain ranges, followed by the access road’s sustained double-digit gradient and finally, the summit plateau, which resembles the surface of the moon.

The grade averages 9.9% for the final half of the ride, with sections reaching 16%. At the summit, riders are breathing with 42% less available oxygen. There is also a gravel section near the 9,500-foot mark that demands either a second bike or enough gearing to manage loose volcanic road, after already riding 40 miles and 6,000-plus vert to get there. PJAMM Cycling, which tracks and ranks the world’s hardest cycling climbs, lists Mauna Kea as number one.

The Time

Otto completed it in 5:43:50, a new women’s FKT on the sea-to-summit course. For context, former pro cyclist Phil Gaimon, who has a well-documented obsession with this climb, holds the men’s Strava KOM at 4:52:55, a time he set in February 2024, shaving more than seven minutes off the previous record.

“Mauna Kea is one of those efforts where you know pretty quickly it is going to ask everything from you,” Otto said in a statement. “It is long, exposed, and there is really nowhere to hide once you are in it. Setting the FKT was special, but more than anything, I am proud of how much went into the effort and how we were able to see it through.”

The Moab Triple Crown

Before Mauna Kea, Otto had already built a body of FKT work that doesn’t really have a comparable equivalent in women’s mountain biking. After relocating to Utah in 2018, she conceived what she’d eventually call the Moab Triple Crown: fastest known times on three of the region’s most demanding and iconic routes, each one testing a different set of capacities. She started with the Whole Enchilada, a 55-mile technical loop through the La Sal Mountains, crushing the previous record by nearly an hour with a time of 5 hours and 50 minutes in 2022.

The Kokopelli Trail came next and didn’t cooperate on the first try. In 2023, temperatures dropped dramatically during her first attempt, with wind chills reaching single digits and the trail buried in two to three inches of snow. She developed hypothermia and frostbite on her fingers before finally pulling out. She came back in 2024 and her second attempt produced a time of 11 hours, 53 minutes, and 30 seconds: an hour faster than the previous women’s record of 13:07, set by Kaitlyn Boyle in 2020. The White Rim Trail — 100 miles through Canyonlands National Park — fell on May 2, 2025, in 6 hours, 36 minutes, completing the Triple Crown she’d been building since 2022.

Mauna Kea is a different category. The Triple Crown routes are deep in Otto’s home terrain, at elevations she’s raced hundreds of times, while Mauna Kea starts at sea level. “The goal that I have in this sport is to demonstrate to people that they are capable of so much more than they imagine,” Otto said. “And I think offering that visual component so people see my struggles, not just my triumphs — like the first time doing Kokopelli, when I fell short — I think that’s really important for people to see and understand that even pros still fall short sometimes. That’s OK, you just keep going.”

The Film

“Infinite Pursuit: Hannah Otto vs. Mauna Kea” follows the effort from preparation through execution, described as capturing “the physical and mental demands of a ride where pacing, weather, altitude, and terrain all become part of the outcome.” Which, given the route, is not a stretch.

“Hannah’s Mauna Kea ride is exactly the kind of effort that deserves a larger spotlight,” said Garth Spencer of SCOTT Sports USA. “This is a real athletic achievement on a route that carries weight well beyond a single segment or social post for SCOTT.” SCOTT hosted a screening of Infinite Pursuit during Sea Otter Classic on April 17; the Strava segment from the ride went live April 14.

There are climbs, and then there are climbs…Mauna Kea is the one cyclists agree is hardest, and Otto’s time is now on top.

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“Snowboarding is about connecting with the mountains. Surfing is about becoming one with the ocean.” — Patti Zhou

Patti Zhou might only be 14, but the spotlight isn’t anything new to her. Neither are podiums, big tricks, or the stunned reactions from spectators watching her ride. Whether it’s a national stage like the USASA National Championships in Colorado or an international contest like Stab High Japan, Zhou has already made a habit of turning heads.

Her reputation has largely grown through snowboarding, where she continues to push progression with the kind of confidence that can make even seasoned pros take notice. But the mountains aren’t the only place she excels. Zhou is also an elite surfer, balancing two sports that demand very different environments yet share the same sense of flow and freedom.

At just 11 years old, Zhou became the youngest athlete ever to reach the podium at the Dew Tour, an achievement that hinted at the trajectory she’s been on ever since.

Her latest film, In The Air, offers a glimpse into that rise—showing the style, creativity, and fearlessness that define her riding. And if the film is any indication, Zhou’s climb is only getting started. Maybe that drive was inevitable. After all, she’s named after legendary punk icon Patti Smith—a fitting namesake for someone already carving her own rebellious line through both mountains and waves.

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There is a philosophical argument buried inside the adidas TERREX x Shmoofoil collaboration, and it goes something like this: the divide between a concrete curb and a mountain trail is largely invented. Movement is movement. Terrain is terrain. And nobody has spent more of his life proving that point than Mark Gonzales.

The Gonz — as he is universally known — is widely considered one of the pioneers of modern street skateboarding, named the “Most Influential Skateboarder of All Time” by Transworld Skateboarding magazine in 2011, finishing ahead of Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen. What made him revolutionary wasn’t just technical ability — it was perception. Gonzales imagined the unthinkable, began exploring the previously untouched world of handrail skating, and his ability to work transitions inspired people to skate everything. A staircase became a launch ramp. A ledge became a canvas. The whole world was fair game. In 1986, he performed an ollie between a wave-shaped wall and platform at San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza — a trick so historically significant that the obstacle has been known as the “Gonz Gap” ever since.

That same restless re-perception of the world never stayed contained to a skateboard. Gonzales has been a prolific art-maker and writer-poet for decades, first showing his work in the early 1990s at Aaron Rose’s legendary Alleged Gallery, and has since been the subject of solo exhibitions at museums and galleries internationally. His raw, spontaneous style — expressive linework, dreamlike figures, poetic absurdity — has landed in galleries worldwide, yet remains rooted in skate culture. He’s a category-defying figure: not a skater who also makes art, not an artist who also skates, but something harder to pin down and therefore considerably more interesting.

The new Shmoofoil Collection for adidas TERREX is, in that sense, a perfect fit. At the center of it is the Skychaser GTX, a fully technical hiking shoe built on a GORE-TEX waterproof membrane, engineered for real terrain — not the kind of terrain you admire from a parking lot, but the kind that eats gear. The shoe pairs the agility of a trail runner with the support and durability of a hiking shoe, featuring a LIGHTSTRIKE EVA midsole for cushioning and responsiveness on technical terrain, with a moderate 10mm drop. Gonzales’ hand-drawn Shmoofoil universe finds its way onto the shoe’s insoles, a characteristically understated move — the art is there for you to find, not to perform.

“I’ve always been drawn to where worlds collide,” Gonzales said of the collaboration. “Whether it’s skating or art or the outdoors, it’s all movement, just different surfaces. TERREX builds products that are meant to actually be used and handle real terrain. That mattered to me. I wanted to shape something that performs without compromise, and make sure my world was built into it.”

It’s a statement that cuts to the ethos that’s defined his entire career. Skating, as Gonzales reinvented it, was never about a skatepark — it was about finding possibility in whatever surface existed. TERREX operates in a similar register: the brand’s whole premise is that the outdoors doesn’t start at a trailhead. The Skychaser is explicitly designed for those who move fluidly between concrete and dirt, which happens to describe the trajectory Gonzales has been tracing since the mid-1980s.

Beyond footwear, the Shmoofoil capsule extends into outerwear and apparel, each piece carrying Gonz’s hand-drawn work through reflective detailing, puff print, and screenprint applications — techniques that allow the art to shift depending on light and context, which feels appropriately Gonzales. The collection doesn’t subordinate function to aesthetics or aesthetics to function. Both coexist, neither compromised.

To launch the collection, adidas TERREX partnered with Portland’s Tactics for a community event on March 5, alongside the premiere of a short film shot between the shop and SEEK Skate Camp in Sandy, Oregon. The film follows an adidas team rider moving through city streets, forest trails, and mountain terrain — a visual essay on the premise underlying the entire collection. It is, perhaps, the most literal expression of the idea: one body, moving fluidly through every kind of surface the world offers.

Gonzales has been working with adidas since 1998, a relationship that has produced some of the most enduring collaborative footwear in skate history. But the TERREX partnership takes that relationship somewhere new — into technical outdoor performance, into the mountains, across the same kind of terrain that resists the comfortable categories we try to impose on movement and on people. Which, when you think about it, is exactly where The Gonz has always been.

The adidas TERREX x Shmoofoil Skychaser GTX is available beginning March 6 at adidas.com/mark_gonzales, priced at $170.

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The series comprises 100 pieces, each produced in a different color from a palette of 100 hues ranging from vibrant to muted tones and mélange shades. The manufacturing process positions each finished chenille cardigan on an inflatable mannequin with an HDry membrane placed directly beneath the garment, then inflates the mannequin with hot air to achieve adhesion between the membrane and knit layer. The membrane’s extreme thinness allows the knit construction elements, color, and texture to remain fully visible while retaining the three-dimensional character of the chenille yarn.

The unique bonding process creates slight surface irregularities as the membrane adheres to the knit, contributing to the singularity of each garment. Zippered pockets appear on the laminate side while kangaroo pockets feature on the knit side, with each zipper opening cut by hand following the membrane’s application.

Ken-Tonio Yamamoto designed an installation for the series presentation that draws structural inspiration from circular knitting machines, deconstructing and reconfiguring industrial components into what the brand terms “the Apparatus.” Unspooled threads intersect above a circular pedestal before entering the installation in their primary form, while inflatable elements reference the three-dimensional lamination process. The 100 garments emerge from the machine displayed in three concentric color-organized rows, accompanied by a custom audio installation created by Joseph Williams.

The installation opened to the public on January 18 at Stone Island Tortona, via Tortona 31 in Milan. Following the presentation, the series was available for purchase in select Stone Island stores at €1,000 per garment.

Stone Island launched the Prototype Research_Series in 2016 as limited editions featuring garments in fabrics and treatments born from research and experimentation processes not yet industrialized. Previous series have explored techniques including lasering on liquid reflective base, garment-dyed Dyneema, extreme compacting processes, manual flocking on nylon metal grid, copper nanotechnology, dévoré with Kevlar core, liquid crystal heat reactive materials, and multi-axial textile construction borrowed from the automotive sector.

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With a completely reengineered Revoshock platform, the addition of a Carbon Booster under the heel, and a continued shift toward wider, more versatile waists, the latest Redster Q and Cloud Q skis are designed to deliver precision, stability, and confidence from first chair to last run.

Leading the collection, the Redster Q9.8 Revoshock S represents Atomic’s most advanced interpretation of all-conditions carving. Built on an 85mm waist, the Q9.8 defines a new category of piste skis, combining the accuracy and edge hold of a race ski with the composure required for changing conditions throughout the day. The newly updated stainless steel Revoshock S system absorbs vibration earlier and more effectively, keeping the ski smooth and controlled at speed. A World Cup wood laminate core and Ultra Wall sidewall construction provide exceptional torsional stability and edge grip, while the Carbon Booster under the heel enhances energy transfer through the tail for a more powerful, precise finish. Multi Radius Sidecut allows the ski to adapt naturally between long, fast arcs and shorter, more dynamic turns, delivering true open-to-close performance. ($1385 USD including Icon 12 GW Binding ) 

To learn more, we got out on the snow with Daron Rahlves — one of the most successful American alpine ski racers in history, best known as the winningest U.S. male World Cup downhill competitor with 12 World Cup victories, including a record nine downhills. Born in Walnut Creek, California, and raised skiing around Lake Tahoe where he still lives and trains, he became a dominant force on the World Cup circuit in the late 1990s and early 2000s, capturing the 2001 Super-G world title and multiple World Championship medals along the way. A four-time Olympian, Rahlves also excelled in ski cross after his alpine career and remains deeply involved in the sport through coaching, events, and mentoring the next generation.

“A life of ski racing and freeskiing has given me a keen feel for equipment and how it should perform,” he acknowledged. “The Atomic Redster Q9 is a smooth ski with a predictable feel. It’s damp and strong on edge providing a fun and confident feel turn to turn and not just on nice groomers, but through chopped up conditions.”

The Redster Q7.8 Revoshock C applies the same all-conditions concept in a more accessible, forgiving design. Sharing the 85mm waist and Multi Radius Sidecut, the Q7.8 is tuned with supple performance characteristics that make it easy to engage, comfortable through variable snow, and less demanding over the course of a full day of skiing. The updated carbon Revoshock C system reduces vibration and chatter, resulting in a smooth, energetic ride. A Power Woodcore, Dura Cap Sidewall construction, and TI Powered Titanal layer keep the ski stable and consistent, offering confident performance for intermediate to advanced skiers across a wide range of piste conditions.  ($1030 USD including MI 12 GW Binding)

In the Cloud Q14 Revoshock S, Atomic brings this design philosophy to high-performance women’s piste skiing. Designed for skiers who value speed, stability, and versatility, the Cloud Q14 combines Atomic’s All-Condition Piste Shape with a 75mm waist and Multi Radius Sidecut to deliver confidence across varying turn shapes and snow textures. The reengineered stainless steel Revoshock S system minimizes chatter at higher speeds, while a Light Woodcore paired with a TI Powered Titanal laminate provides a responsive yet composed feel that remains balanced from morning corduroy through afternoon chop. ($1385 USD including MI 12 GW Binding)

Across the Redster Q and Cloud Q families, Atomic’s focus for 2026/27 is clear: modern piste skis must perform beyond perfect conditions. By blending World Cup–inspired construction with wider platforms, refined damping, and improved energy transfer, Atomic continues to push on-piste performance forward. The latest Redster Q and Cloud Q collections will be available online and at select retailers nationwide beginning in February 2026.

In the heart of the Alps, the company has been developing and producing technologies for alpine, racing, ski touring, and cross-country skiing for more than 70 years. ATOMIC Austria GmbH is part of the Amer Group and employs around 750 people. As a market leader in quality and technological innovation, the company sells its products worldwide in 49 countries. With its passion for skiing, the brand aims to create a better experience for skiers of all skill levels.

Images courtesy of Atomic and Cam McLeod.

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Just as they do on land in the Five Boroughs, the FDNY is there, safeguarding all of New York City’s waterways, ready to answer the call from their station in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard. Aiding them in their work is an impressive fleet of patrol and emergency response vehicles, tools, and even Mustang Survival Classic Flotation Bomber Jackets.  

Earlier this year, we were fortunate enough to spend a rainy winter day with them on Marine 6 patrolling the New York Harbor, and to get to know the ships, gear, and great people who keep NYC’s waterways free from harm for all of us. Thank you to the FDNY for having us and for all that you do to help ensure we can continue our urban explorations safely.

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“The outdoor industry follows a similar vein,” Bush says. “From its marketing to the way they look, outdoor apparel brands are really similar, with the brand name being the only point of differentiation. Even so, there are plenty of great brands, but we wanted to come out and do something that doesn’t fit the expected mold. You have to do something new, otherwise there’s no point.”

And Bush should know. He is an outdoor apparel pioneer, a visionary, a materials expert, a brand builder, an artist. Growing up literally immersed in the fledgling outdoor industry of the 70’s and 80’s in Boulder, Colorado, Bush rebelled against that life by letting skateboarding, snowboarding, and skate culture consume him. Then, he and his brother Troy (also a renowned apparel designer) launched their own streetwear and snowboard apparel brand called Twist in 1989, and it took off to a global level. “We were making everything by hand,” says Bush. “Not even with starting points in fit. Back then you could still make apparel in Boulder, there were actually production facilities.”

When Twist introduced sunglasses in the early ‘90s it was the only brand in the Sunglass Hut chain allowed to use its own branding. The duo was hand picked by Jake Burton to come to Vermont and design Burton’s apparel and accessories, in what Bush calls “our own little design agency, like internal outsiders,” where they created the brand Analog. After leaving left to start his own snow and streetwear brands, transitioning later in his career to focus more on technical outdoor apparel, with VP of product jobs at Fenix USA, (Fjallraven, Brunton, Primus) and Mountain Hardware, and most recently as VP apparel for Black Diamond Equipment.

“Artilect is not a typical outdoor brand, it’s a performance brand that excels in the outdoors. We grew up in the outdoors, but we did it in a time of revolution. A time of punk rock and skateboarding, of hip-hop and digital advances that led to a hyper-speed evolution of our environments,” reads the mission statement he penned himself. “We get out there, we get deep and we have the time of our lives, but it’s not about that alone. It’s about the destination and the journey. It’s also about getting lost in an unfamiliar city, discovering cultures and living new experiences so that we can look back on our time fulfilled with everything we’ve done and everyone we’ve met along the way. Equal parts art and intelligence, Artilect is an apparel studio backed by deep experience of the past, with a laser-focus on the future.”

The artwork at the front of the Artilect brand, seen below, is by Evan Hecox. “He started with us when we were kids,” says Bush. “He went on to Chocolate skateboards, Beautiful Losers, Nike and Adidas with co-labs, he’s of a stature and has been with us since the beginning.”

“At heart I’m more about technology and innovation and performance. We’ve made a concerted effort to go away from action sports to do performance innovation in a bigger way,” Bush explains. To find out more for yourself and see what limited products you might be able to get your hands on, visit www.artilect.studio. And now here’s the exclusive Vanish interview with Bush…

NATURE

// What does “nature” mean to Artilect? How have you taken a different viewpoint on outdoors?

A core belief of the brand is that we are never more alive than when we’re outside. I think the different approach we’re taking is we are going to define outdoors for anyone. If you are outside, you are outdoors. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the most remote wild place, or exploring a new city. In either case, there is a sense of wonder and experience that can feel exactly the same. ARTILECT was created for these types of people. I have this idea of being “Alive in the world”, as a participant, not a spectator. We want to support those experiences, regardless of where they happen.

// How have your past projects led to this moment? Why is it necessary?

It’s funny because I guess I didn’t realize just how much my past has prepared me for launching this brand. I can look at different points along the way, all the way back to my family and Frostline when I was a kid. I have had the amazing fortune to have a front row seat to the beginnings of not just the modern outdoor industry, but also the birth of broader market revolutions that have really shaped who I am and what I stand for, which is conveyed in ARTILECT itself. Throughout that time, and in every situation, there has been a thread of DIY mentality and a deep desire to avoid conformity at any cost, especially if it comes at the expense of innovation and progress. The outdoor industry has actually been pretty stagnant when it comes to innovation, which probably sounds a little sacrilegious, but I think it’s true. Compared to many other industries, like electronics or cars, it just hasn’t kept pace.

The outdoor industry has stayed very neatly in its own bubble for a generation, and the same basic fabrics, functions, and technologies have been used since the 1970’s. Of course there have been advances in things like manufacturing processes and fit, but where’s the true innovation? My necessity to create ARTILECT is very much like it has been throughout my entire career. When I thought there was a better way to do something, I have gone all-in to try to do it myself. In working with some major brands over the years, I have also been able to see how they work and the motivating factors and driving forces of each. If I didn’t think I could do something truly different, there would be no point. The only way to ensure that happens is to take a different approach. If I hadn’t had such a broad range of experiences over the decades, I don’t know if I would have quite the same viewpoint and motivations I have now. Every one of those experiences are integral and crucial to making sure ARTILECT is different, not because it is a conscious decision to be different just to be different, but because it’s just the natural next step on my path.

// How has the pandemic either helped or hurt this launch?

I don’t know if ARTILECT would actually exist in its current form without Covid. The pandemic was the catalyst to sit back and really think about what I was doing and why I was doing it. Having some forced time to get off the road I was able to reflect on all of my experiences and my own needs. It allowed me to reconnect with my business partner Corry Taylor and his amazing team, and created the right set of circumstances to be able to execute in a 24 hour a day manner leveraging technology to communicate with teams all over the globe. Prior to the pandemic, everything was so “business as usual” with tradeshows, sales meetings, factory travel, etc. etc., and the pandemic has pushed us forward many years in our ability to connect.

What we did in 6 months probably would have taken 2 years if the pandemic hadn’t happened. That said, of course I would have much preferred the pandemic had not happened. It has been so devastating for so many people and the loss of life has been staggering. The only positivity I see is that for the people who I get to work with on a daily basis, it has hopefully helped to bring something a little brighter to look forward to. I know it has brought more meaning to my life and the way I view everything. I hope the world emerges trying to find more meaning in their lives too.

CULTURE

// What does CULTURE mean to Artilect?

Culture and experience are totally connected. Culture emerges from shared experiences, and I like to look at experiences as a whole of an activity, not just the activity itself. This was another lesson I have learned along the way. I always try to explain the distinction between the activity, and the culture. This is something I learned very early through my skateboarding and snowboarding roots. Skateboarding is an activity, but skate culture is so much more. It is the art, the music, the people, the places, and everything else that surrounds it. If you look at a brand like Vans, they wouldn’t be such a strong cultural-phenomenon if they just sold shoes to people who skateboard. By embracing the culture as a whole, they are able to affect magnitudes more lives than if they were just focused on the activity. That is where I am coming from with ARTILECT.

Yes, of course we are there to support activity-focused performance at the highest level possible, but we exist to support the entire culture surrounding it. Especially in the modern outdoor era where it isn’t all about “getting away from it all”, but more about the total experience, and the people you experience it with. These are the bonds that connect people and experiences, and a culture will start to emerge. I want to support those people, and support the emerging culture, bringing as many people along for the ride as possible.

// What are your current sources of inspiration, from what worlds and industries? Who influences you?

Most of my primary sources of inspiration are far outside of the apparel industry. Looking at what has been happening and advances in technology and innovation in other products and brands is much more interesting than what happens in the apparel or outdoor industries. I am especially interested in the net benefit of combined technologies as they relate to performance outcomes. If you look at what something like how an electric car can perform compared to old technology, there is almost no comparison. Through the thoughtful application of innovation and technology, the total experience can be transformed and have better outcomes for the driver and for the planet in terms of performance, safety, and sustainability. I believe apparel systems can do the same thing, and we are designing our products in the same way, with the user at the center of everything we do. I believe in taking a systems-based approach, utilizing complementary technologies and a unified fit/function approach from the skin-out, to support the human machine to perform better.

// Who should pay attention to this brand?

ARTILECT is for anyone who needs absolute performance, but doesn’t feel like there isn’t currently a brand in the market that speaks to them. There are already a huge variety of brands in the performance apparel/outdoor space, but they are all in a very similar “outdoorsy” vein. Today, people come to the outdoors or are seeking adventure or new experiences in a totally different way than earlier generations. While they may have done some of the traditional outdoors activities in their past, they are coming from a very different point of view than where their parents (and their parent’s brands) have come from.

ARTILECT is for people who have an openness to explore new innovation and technologies, not just conform to the same materials and components that have defined the performance apparel market up to this point. ARTILECT is for people who understand that their best performance gains may not be found in just paying attention to their equipment, but that their best gains will come paying attention to their own body, and in how an integrated apparel system can support their ability to perform at their best. We have launched the brand to be absolutely inclusive to any activity, and to any gender. If you need performance, we want to support you.

FUTURE

// What does the FUTURE look like from where you are sitting?

It’s honestly really exciting. We are working on so many breakthrough technologies in all areas of fabrics, insulations, trims, and construction methods right now that it is a super fulfilling to see a lifetime of work come together. By throwing any type of preconceived rules out the window, and only focusing on solving problems, we are able to really work with our suppliers to bring new ideas and innovations to market. These are relationships built over decades of the idea/build/test/refine/repeat cycle working with some of the world’s best suppliers, developers, and designers, all working together towards a common goal of improving the user experience. While most people seem to think most things have already been done in performance apparel, I firmly believe most things HAVE NOT been done in the space.

// Is there optimism in what you are doing? What problem are you solving?

I’m so optimistic that we can make a difference. We’re taking on the challenge of supporting a user’s unique differences and needs in their specific physiology to perform at their best. I’m optimistic we can do this in a way that does not impact our future environment, and we can bring a new level of durability and longevity to a product’s lifecycle. I know I don’t really have a go-to brand in performance apparel that I relate to, with performance needs above and beyond the action-sports-brand side of things, but with a level of design aesthetic that isn’t relegated to just the hype-driven collabs by outdoor, athletic, or fashion brands that don’t actually perform. Why do I have to choose one or the other? Every other product category, from phones to cars, offers amazing innovation and technology-driven performance, AND incredible design. I think outdoor brands have always played it way too safe in trying not to offend their narrow base. I believe there are a lot of people just like me out there, who truly need both. That goes right to the core of our name and our mission, which starts out with the words “Equal parts art and intelligence”…That’s what ARTILECT is to its core.

// What else do designers or followers of the apparel and materials world need to know about Artilect that might not have already been said?

ARTILECT started with next-to-skin layers, but the same level of innovation and performance we are bringing through things like our alignment with the Nuyarn technology in the current line will be matched in every other layer we create. So much of what we will be bringing to the market will be new because it has never been seen before. I truly hope they steal the “no-rules” mentality of ARTILECT and really start pushing innovation. I hope they put in the time, the effort, and the energy to try to do things differently, and focus on new ideas from outside the industry instead of just looking within- You can’t just go to OR or ISPO and expect some type of innovation outcome by looking at what already exists from other brands. You have to live it to create it, and it takes time. It also takes a pretty solid knowledge and experience base to ensure they aren’t testing their new ideas on consumers. A lot of the things we have been working on are based on decades-long relationships, and my hope is that some of these things actually do become somewhat standard to move the performance apparel industry ahead as a whole.

Since we are launching in 2021 with Covid-driven communications, we can be much more decentralized and put our resources towards the product and brand, and not to overhead-heavy areas that past brands were forced to build. Because we are private, and not VC-backed, we are not in a position to need to rush faster than the technologies take to commercialize to support growth needs. Since we’re not crowd-funded, we have a much broader base of connections and deeper experience, plus a broader product offering than if we just came to market with one or two good ideas. Because we fully believe in traditional retail distribution, and in the power great retailers have built through creating their own communities, we feel we can teach them our beliefs and how our products can help their customers to perform better.

// Will there be a fashion/lifestyle play here or are you focusing on performance alone?

ARTILECT is broken down into ARTILECT Systems and ARTILECT Studio. A/SYS is our activity-focused apparel systems; and Studio is where we take those innovations and technologies and implement them to support a wearer’s everyday performance.

I am a big believer that there can be more of a need in everyday situations than there are in the backcountry. If you’re heading out for the day backcountry skiing or splitboarding, you pretty much know you will face sun, cold, wind, snow, internal heat and moisture, and need to manage a combination of those conditions. I have lived in cities where the hot/cold cycle of getting to work from your door to the coffee spot to the train to the office can be really severe, with 80 degree temperature swings along the way walking inside from the cold temporarily, and not wanting to take everything off, only to walk back out into the cold a few minutes later sweaty and starting to stink, only to get really cold because you’re wet. The technologies we are working on are perfect for these types of scenarios. Again, if you’re outside, you’re outdoors, and we can help keep you performing at your best, with a high degree of style at the same time. I have worked with so many brands where words like “style” are somehow a bad thing, or where the counterpoint to being outside in performance situations is perceived as sitting around a campfire, when that’s just not the reality for a lot of people.

// How will you grow?

Our equation for growth is actually very simple: Create a comprehensive systems-based performance apparel system leveraging technology and innovation for THE WEARER’S BENEFIT. If we focus all of our energy and attention on creating a superior user experience with both transparency and sincerity, then we feel we will be rewarded with growth. If we start making decisions from any other viewpoint or with any other motivation, we won’t deserve to grow.

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Nuyarn is the “world’s first performance stretch Merino yarn” — a patented process that offers unparalleled stretch, recovery, dry time, durability, and weight, and it is now being used in a handful of the world’s top performance apparel brands such as Black Diamond and Artilect. Nuyarn works by drafting Merino wool fibers along one of a number of high-performance core materials, creating a structure that amplifies that Merino fiber’s natural properties.

Nuyarn Merino Wool, from New Zealand fabric designers The Merino Company, retains the impressive natural properties of Merino wool by using a proprietary weaving process. In many cases, Merino wool loses much of its strength and durability due to a chemical treatment process. To prevent this loss, Nuyarn Merino Wool instead utilizes a mechanical technique that ensures that the fabric maintains its high-performance characteristics. This process guarantees durability and longevity.

Compared to typical Merino wool, Nuyarn Merino Wool features faster drying, increased elasticity, higher heat retention, and higher burst strength. These properties make the fabric a perfect fit for high-quality outdoor clothing. Nuyarn has partnered with high-performance outdoor brands such as The North Face, Ortovox, and Black Diamond, among others.

Nuyarn can make wool that performs as closely as possible to the way it does in nature. It unleashes wool’s natural abilities in moisture management and thermoregulation to rival or exceed even modern synthetic alternatives.

Here are some ways in which Nuyarn is revolutionizing performance wool:

1. 35% More Volume + Aeration

Twist free spinning creates much more loft and aeration within the wool fibres. As in nature this results in natural thermo regulation, breathability, air resistance and the ability to absorb and manage water vapour.

2.  5x Faster Drying

Nuyarn begins to absorb water vapour before it becomes droplets, one tier before synthetic fibres absorb moisture. Vapour and droplets are quickly wicked from the surface of the skin and absorbed into the fabric where aeration begins the drying process even before it gets to the fabric surface.

3. 35% More Elasticity

Ordinary spinning compresses wool fibres together,so manufacturers add elastane/spandex, for elasticity. This also adds weight, but it degrades over time and has little capacity to deal with moisture. Nuyarn’s twist-free technology results in fibres that can move with the body resulting in incredible stretch – 35% more than conventional merino, yet it regains to 100% of its original shape.

4. 35% More Thermal Retention: Nuyarn assists the body with thermoregulation, leaving more energy reserves for athletes to use in performance.

Nuyarn provides 35% more thermal retention than ring or core spun merino, but without the added weight. The thermal advantage provided by the loft results in lighter Nuyarn merino garments that perform better than heavier merino garments manufactured the old fashioned way.

5. 53% Less Air Permeability: The body can expend less energy in maintaining its core temperature caused by convective heat loss.

Nuyarn retains natural pockets of air within the yarn structure that are normally twisted out by older spinning methods. The additional loft provides a natural barrier to wind and as a result fabrics created with Nuyarn are up to 53% less permeable to air. This does not inhibit the garment’s breathability, as the moisture is moved mechanically from the vapour stage.

6. 50% Greater Burst Strength: Apparel made with Nuyarn Merino lasts longer.

Nuyarn’s twist free technology can use longer fibres without creating tension. It maintains the fibre structure and is therefore less prone to the breakage that besets traditional spinning. Compared to traditional ring spun merino, it delivers a 50% increase in tensile strength,resulting in a more consistent appearance, less pilling, more comfort and fewer holes in areas of impact or abrasion.

7. More resistant to abrasion:Clothing made with Nuyarn resists damage caused by friction such as backpack straps.

Nuyarn’s structure is much more resistant to abrasion. In standard martindale abrasion tests, Nuyarn merino resisted abrasion by at least 50% compared to ring and core spun equivalents. Nuyarn seams also proved to be 120% stronger than traditional merino seams in tests. The ring spun merino failed at 3kg of applied torque. Nuyarn seams withstood multiple efforts before 8kg of torque applied led to seam failure.

In the last decade, the fabric and technology available to outdoor brands has seen huge growth and shows no signs of slowing down. They have evolved dramatically through new fiber blends, more advanced laminates, and increasingly sustainable and natural materials.

The post Revolutionary Fabric Technology Drives Innovation in Performance Apparel appeared first on VANISH TODAY.

Launched in the Fall of 2019, Beringia is a ‘development-driven brand that draws equally from design ideation, technical innovation, and advanced fiber and fabric engineering’. Prior to successfully launching Beringia, Bernie co-founded Duckworth, the only 100% Made-in-USA Merino wool clothing company, and has also played major roles in providing Brand and Marketing direction for outdoor powerhouses K2 and the SWATCH group, to name a few.

While Bernthal’s work experience is certainly commendable, he’ll be the first to tell you his story and Beringia’s span WELL beyond the confines of any office. As you’ll find out in this interview, Bernie is a true pioneer of the outdoor industry whose passion for nature and outdoor recreation has taken him on a multitude of worldly adventures over many decades. Through these experiences and shared passions of skiing, surfing, mountain climbing, and mother nature, Bernie’s formed friendships with like-minded folk – from across Europe to Japan – that have helped him propel Beringia into a reality.

We’ll leave it there and let Bernie takeover in sharing his perspective on Nature-Culture-Future…Strap in and get ready to enjoy the latest Wild Ingenuity™ adventure!

NATURE
Tell us a bit about yourself, your company/scope of work, and how nature is woven into your product strategy…

NATURE (continued)

CULTURE
Where do you go for inspiration and what out there in current culture is creating the best or most interesting vibes to motivate you?

Bernie: Really good design. Anything made with wool, the process to the final product. Kinda obvious and vanilla. The Japanese outdoor/street/fashion/textile scene is a pretty cool collision of styles that is producing an interesting aesthetic.

FUTURE
What does the future look like for your work and what’s on your mind as you look forward?

Bernie: Great timing to ask this question. I will never stop working and will always be looking to bring newness and change. I want to disrupt the commodity brands, find new, international, interesting like-minded people and brands to do cool stuff with to keep us young and active. It’s also inspiring to see the trending collision of sorts on the way between outdoor, technical, and fashion industries.

Follow Beringia on Instagram // learn more about Beringia’s Master of Bishu Collection here

Our many thanks to Bernie for offering his time, wisdom, and experience towards this piece!

The post Wild Ingenuity™: Robert ‘Bernie’ Bernthal of Beringia appeared first on VANISH TODAY.

Some of you may have read my recent Best Products feature on travel tech, covering everything from noise-canceling essentials to smart luggage and in-transit connectivity. But as spring settles in and my work continues between Colorado and my residency at the Savannah College of Art & Design, I’ve been testing a new class of gear — tools that go beyond travel utility and instead reshape how we live and move. This is not about gadgets for their own sake. These are products that disappear into your daily flow. Tech that enhances without interrupting. Tools that make your lifestyle, whether remote, urban, off-grid, or in constant motion, more efficient, more present, and less noisy. Across every one of these tools, there’s a common trait: intentionality. Not just in function, but in form. They simply integrate, adapting to the rhythm of your life, whether that means a quiet morning in Atlanta, a backcountry shoot in Colorado, or a red-eye across the Atlantic. These aren’t gadgets. They’re upgrades.

Audio That Moves With You

Whether I’m on foot in Atlanta’s humid mornings or navigating high-altitude trails back home in Colorado, I’ve become increasingly selective about audio gear, especially when it comes to how it fits into real environments. Chamelo’s Magic Shield Audio Sunglasses are among the most complexly designed I’ve tested. They combine adaptive tinting with built-in directional speakers in a shield style frame, allowing me to stay aware of my surroundings while listening to music or taking calls. No earbuds and no disconnection from the world around me, integrated sound that doesn’t draw attention to itself. They’re ideal for global adventures: one device that handles eye protection, audio, and ambient awareness in a package that packs in a nice case and performs across time zones. (lead image courtesy of Chamelo) Chamelo Magic Shield Audio Sunglasses

H2O Audio’s Tri Pro Multi-Sport Headphones have become essential for days in and around water — whether I’m swimming laps at VASA, paddleboarding the Chattahoochee, or running in the rain, bone-conduction audio keeps ears open, while full waterproofing (IPX8) ensures uninterrupted playback even underwater. They support Bluetooth and internal MP3 storage, which means I can leave my phone behind entirely. The noise cancellation on the over-ear headphones is also amazing for studio and travel. H2O Audio Tri Pro Multi-Sport Headphones

Smart Rings Are the New Smartwatches

I’ve never been drawn to traditional smartwatches for daily metrics, too much distraction, too many devices. What I’ve come to value instead are the new generation of smart rings, particularly for what they offer in terms of passive, meaningful biometric insight, and accurate sleep tracking, something I have not found in my watches. Oura Ring Gen3 is the tool I trust most for accurate, overnight health tracking. It captures core metrics — heart rate variability, resting heart rate, body temperature, respiratory rate, blood oxygen (SpO2), and detailed sleep stages — without demanding daytime attention. It doesn’t try to coach you in real time. Instead, it gives you a deep understanding of how your body is recovering, adapting, and performing, the science behind it and suggestions for improvements. For anyone managing high output across multiple locations and time zones, this is the kind of data that informs smart decisions — when to push, when to rest, and how to balance the load. Oura Ring Gen3

Ultrahuman Ring AIR adds its own take, with a focus on metabolic efficiency, glucose variability (when paired with the company’s wearable CGM), and circadian rhythm alignment. It’s lightweight, comfortable enough to forget you’re wearing it, and durable for both gym and travel. Ultrahuman Ring AIR

Travel, Elevated

When it comes to luggage that balances unapologetic durability with refined, heritage-informed design, the Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case exceeds its place in the rotation. Built from 5052 aluminum alloy with a reinforced frame and riveted construction, it’s the kind of case that doesn’t flinch under the pressure of hard miles, wet tarmacs, or brutal transfers. The full-grain Italian leather handles offer a tactile reminder that this isn’t your average rolling polycarbonate box. The dimensions (22.5″ x 14″ x 9″) slide cleanly into most overhead compartments (assuming you are strong enough to lift it), while the dual latch locks, silent 360° spinner wheels, and intentionally spartan interior make it suited for precision packers and efficient travelers. It rolls smoother than any other luggage I’ve tried and is known to be trusted by pilots and other discerning jet setters. Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case

AI Daily Planners That Actually Understand You

For those of us juggling multiple projects across locations, time zones, and disciplines, time management can’t just be about putting blocks on a calendar — it has to be adaptive. Reclaim.ai and Notion Calendar AI have been surprisingly useful in helping me protect creative time while also staying responsive. I’ve been using Reclaim to auto-schedule routines like workouts, deep work, and even writing time, letting it dynamically adjust based on my meetings and deadlines. At SCAD, where my days can shift quickly, this kind of automation keeps me from slipping into reactive mode. Notion’s calendar integration helps bridge the gap between long-term planning and daily task execution — especially useful when bouncing between editorial deadlines and creative project development. Reclaim.ai | Notion Calendar AI

Clean Energy That Travels With You

Tech doesn’t run without power — and when you live between the city and the backcountry, you need options that are reliable, scalable, and designed for movement. The Anker Solix Powerhouse 757 has been a mainstay for my off-grid shooting days in Georgia. With solar compatibility, fast charging, and 1500W output, it keeps my camera batteries, laptop, and lights powered through a full-day location shoot. It also fits cleanly into a vehicle or gear kit without feeling like industrial hardware. Anker Solix Powerhouse 757

At home in Colorado, the Goal Zero Yeti Pro 4000 anchors my studio’s backup setup. With a massive capacity, expandable ecosystem, and app-controlled outputs, it offers peace of mind during storm season and longer fieldwork trips. Both units are quiet, emission-free, and easy to deploy — no generators, no noise, no fumes. Goal Zero Yeti Pro 4000

The Rise of Quiet Living

There’s a throughline to all of this: silence. In both my Colorado home and temporary SCAD studio, I’ve become increasingly aware of how much noise — digital or otherwise — degrades quality of life. The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Emerge stands out for its minimalist design and full-bodied sound in an ultra-slim form factor. It looks more like a book than a speaker, and it blends into any environment, from a hotel shelf to a writing studio. The audio quality is rich, directional, and full, without the bombast of larger systems. Bang & Olufsen Beosound Emerge

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde filters indoor pollutants and fine particles without drawing attention. Its sealed HEPA+Carbon filtration and formaldehyde sensor do real work, especially in dense or humid environments. Not glamorous, but effective. Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde

Smart Home, Subtle

What defines smart home design in 2025 isn’t novelty — it’s invisibility. The Level Lock+ is a textbook example. Installed directly into your existing deadbolt with no visible changes from the outside, it offers secure, keyless entry via smartphone or key card — ideal for multi-location living or Airbnbs. No keypad, no smart hub, no attention drawn. Level Lock+

Govee and Nanoleaf continue to lead in responsive, Matter-compatible lighting ecosystems. Govee’s color temperature-tuned lights match natural circadian rhythms and Nanoleaf’s modular panels create adjustable ambient lighting that shifts with mood, light levels, or even music. All controlled locally. Govee Smart Lighting | Nanoleaf Panels

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