Differentiate or Don’t Bother! This is the motto and large part of the company’s mission statement and one that held up as Mr. Clark sat us down and showed us why GROUND is truly different from what is out there. Pushing new products into the market for the past 3 years has brought these guys to the forefront of new technology. Ground incorporates a technology called EVENT, a really cool fabric that has been tested by the military in extremely harsh conditions and one that Ground is using in its outerwear. It is completely different from gore-tex in that it prevents moisture build up and breathes immediately upon wearing. “It’s cutting edge!” Clark told us.
Clark went on to tell us that the Outdoor Industry needed something “innovative and cool.” Their core audience is mainly mountaineering, ski mountaineering, AT & Telemark. This is where athletes like Cody Smith, Andy Jacobsen, and Noah Howell come into play that test new products in terms of usability and color. Athletes are encouraged to really wear the products out and feel free to modify things as they see fit. Then sending those modified products back to the factory for observation. Several new features have come about on Ground products from this testing period such as: new waterproof zippers and also padding inserts for shoulders and elbows for aggressive skiers.
Expect to see more Ground athletes out on the slopes of the backcountry and all around the world as they push the limits of perception and help bring more visibility to this growing outerwear brand. They assured us at FHL that they are not only the largest user of EVENT in the states right now, but that they are also working on other fabric developments that could revolutionize their cloths even more in the future. Fabrics like Equilibrium, an ultra light weight material similar to the outer part of a down jacket but with more stretch and the properties to resist ripping.
Sitting down with Ground was a great experience for us at the show and we look forward to seeing the progression of their cloths in the future. Till then, you can keep in touch with what is going on by watching for gear reviews on FHL or going to: www.groundwear.com
Contributed by freeheellife.com