The Big Mountain Powder Plank: PFD Launch Brand New Snowboard For The 2018-19 Winter Season
PFD Skis (Pure Freeride Design) has launched its first ever snowboard for the 2018-19 winter season. The British freeskiing brand has produced two snowboard designs – The Big Mountain Powder Plank, for charging the whole mountain on powder days and the BMPP Split, enabling snowboarders to benefit from the possibility of touring.
Alongside the new snowboard, the ski collection has been completely re-designed with new construction. The full bamboo core is now complemented with a carbon fibre and flax fusion lay-up. This advanced layer brings light weight stiffness to the ski from the carbon and complimentary dampening qualities from the flax (a type of linen material) working together to create the perfect flex.
PFD only use the very best materials that are sustainably sourced – Bamboo cores and top-sheet, the flax-fusion, extra thick base and edge material, all help to boost performance and durability. Ski and snowboard models are freeride focused, the area of the market that PFD are most passionate about.
Founder of PFD Skis, Rupert Gammond, said: “we have always wanted to launch a freeride snowboard and we are really happy with the results. Taking our knowledge of ski construction and design and applying it to what is a high-performance freeride snowboard has been a great journey. The re-design of the ski construction, following extensive testing last season, has taken our freeride line to another level too – now we are just looking forward to the winter so we can get back out on the snow and into the backcountry”.
In 2012 Pure Freeride Design was born out of a young designer’s passion for quality craftsmanship coupled with an equal passion for skiing.
PFD began its journey in a purpose built workshop, driven towards creating the perfect blend of materials, design, and a ‘no gimmick’ attitude to freeride skiing. Every detail is planned and executed to deliver the highest standards of performance and aesthetic, with zero margin for compromise.
At the heart of PFD is a dedication to the careful production of bespoke handcrafted skis, and now snowboards; all made to order for a limited number of passionate freeriders each year. After finishing a product design degree, Rupert Gammond, founder of Pure Freeride Design, went straight to the mountains. Over the course of six seasons, both passions of creativity and freeride skiing merged together to produce fresh, purposeful designs with a pure, minimal approach.
The following two years were dedicated to development, using the best possible materials to create a range of prototypes. Working with contributors in Sweden, Japan, and France, Rupert built upon the success of the unique designs, shaping them into something truly original.
Looking ahead, PFD will remain faithful to producing individual and unique pieces, whilst also developing a wider choice of possibilities and options in freeride skis and boards, always maintaining its values of true craftsmanship and quality.