Since our first boards rolled out of the press in 2010 we have strived to balance the qualities of performance, durability and sustainability in our production. We recognize that our manufacturing has an impact on the environment so we use as many sustainable materials and processes as possible that meet our performance standards. This ECO-Performance design philosophy is the foundation upon which everything we make is made.
This quest to be at the forefront of high performance sustainable snowboard design took a massive leap forward in 2019/20 with our switch to Super Sap® Bio-Resin and FSC certified wood cores. These two new sustainable materials help make the 2019/20 line the most sustainable board collection we’ve ever produced.
Super Sap Bio-Resin is manufactured by Entropy Resins®, a global pioneering epoxy formulator. This unique epoxy is a USDA BioPreferredTM certified product that replaces petroleum-based carbon with plant-based carbon and contains 25% bio-based material.
The raw materials used to make Super Sap are primarily sourced as a waste stream from the production of biodiesel that also uses recycled or reclaimed materials as its raw material source, such as used frying oils from the food industry. Through this selection of raw materials and the use of green chemistry techniques, Super Sap products reduce their carbon footprint from production by up to 33% over conventional epoxies. Unlike other epoxy manufacturers, Entropy Resins only produces bio-based epoxy formulations so carefully monitors and certifies their products to ensure consistent bio-based contents which ultimately ensures that we minimize the carbon footprint of our snowboards.
In substantial testing we have found that there is no measurable difference in board performance between the Super Sap Bio-Resin and standard epoxy. Super Sap delivers the same dynamic pop as the premium petroleum-based epoxy we have trusted for the last decade. This reflects Entropy Resins key technological expertise - balancing bio-based content with performance. Much like the biodiesel from which it comes, Super Sap performs the same as conventional epoxy, it’s just sourced from bio-based raw materials.
Not all wood is created equal. Wood from forests that have been unsustainably harvested can lead to deforestation and the destruction of local economies and natural habitats. We’ve always sourced responsibly harvested wood and for 2019/20 we are proud to solidify this commitment to sustainable wood by building 100% of our snowboards and splitboards with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood cores.
FSC is an independent, non-profit organization that sets global standards for responsible forest management. FSC’s mission is to meet our current needs for forest products without compromising the health of the world’s forests for future generations. FSC certification traces the path of wood products from harvest to the end of the supply chain to ensure that when you purchase an FSC-certified product, every company that harvested, processed or transported the wood components of an end product maintained FSC’s environmental, social and economic standards.
Note that we have not changed the range of wood species that we use in our cores. We use exclusive combinations of poplar, paulwonia and beech stringers in our wood cores. Only the supplier of these wood materials and some of the ways we transport and process the wood have changed. We’ve continued to fine tune our core designs for 2019/20 and in combination with the FSC certification our cores are some of the most highly evolved in the entire ski and snowboard industry.
The new Flagship features an FSC wood core and FSC Engineered Wood topsheet.
Beyond these two new sustainable materials, all Jones boards also feature recycled ABS sidewalls + steel edges, topsheet graphics printed with water based inks and are factory waxed with Wend Natural Wax. Select models are also built with FSC certified engineered wood veneer topsheets and the remaining models feature wood or eco-plastic topsheets. We’re proud of the collection of sustainable materials in our 2019/20 line, but it’s only the beginning. We’ll never stop innovating new materials. Sustainable design progression and ECO-Performance are in our DNA.
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FSC Engineered Wood topsheets are featured on the Flagship, Women’s Flagship, Hovercraft and Women’s Hovercraft.