Shred Optics

Last updated
Shred Optics
Company type Private
IndustryRetail
Founded2006;18 years ago (2006)
Headquarters Park City, Utah, U.S. and Venice, Italy
Key people
Ted Ligety - Cofounder and Chairman
Carlo Salmini - Cofounder and CEO
Products
Website shredoptics.com

Shred Optics is a manufacturer of sunglasses, helmets, and goggles designed for skiing, mountain biking, snowboarding, and other forms of outdoor recreation. [1] The company is based in Park City, Utah, and Venice, Italy. [2]

Contents

History

Shortly after winning his first Olympic gold medal in alpine skiing, Ted Ligety partnered with Carlo Salmini, a materials engineer graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management and an avid skier, to create Shred in the fall of 2006. [3] Just a few months earlier, the duo also created Slytech, which manufactures protective equipment for skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking. [4]

Shred's inaugural collection of goggles Shred's Inaugural Collection of Goggles.jpg
Shred's inaugural collection of goggles

Shred made its debut with a collection of four goggles, followed by helmets and sunglasses. [3] Since its inception, the brand has emphasized freeride culture, catering to the needs of skiers, snowboarders, and mountain bikers. [5] It has sponsored numerous athletes, including snowboarders Romain De Marchi, [6] Wolle Nyvelt, Tadashi Fuse, [7] Kevin Backstrom, Victor de Le Rue, Brandon Cocard, [8] Shin Biyajima, and Antti Autti, as well as mountain bikers Kelly McGarry, KC Deane, [9] Reece Wallace, and Ryan Nyquist. The company has also sponsored skiers Lara Gut, [2] Carlo Janka, [10] Resi Stiegler, Alexis Pinturault, [10] and Tom Wallisch. [11]

Technical Innovation

Rotational Energy System

Shred incorporates its Rotational Energy System into both its snow and bike helmets Shred Slam Cap Helmet.jpg
Shred incorporates its Rotational Energy System into both its snow and bike helmets

In 2015, Shred introduced one of the first helmet systems designed to address not only the linear forces of impact energy but also rotational forces. [12] Historically, helmets only mitigated the effects of linear forces, leaving skiers, bikers, and snowboarders more susceptible to injury. Shred’s patent pending Rotational Energy System (RES) [13] mimics the natural cushioning behaviour of the fluid between the skull and the brain. RES redirects rotational forces by allowing a small amount of relative movement between the helmet and the head during impacts from any direction. This reduces rotational energy transferred to the head. [12] Since its inception, RES has been noted for its ability to offer protection from rotational energy in all directions. Unlike other systems, it has no preferential directions that compromise the protection the helmet affords. It also has minimal impact on the helmet’s weight and dimensions.

Contrast Boosting Lens

In 2016, Shred introduced its Contrast Boosting Lens (CBL) technology to enhance clarity and contrast. [14] Featured in the brand’s goggles and sunglasses, these lenses use a variety of tinted dyes that are tailored to the prevailing light conditions and activities for which the goggles or sunglasses are designed.

ShredWide

Shred Cofounder Ted Ligety Shred CoFounder Ted Ligety.jpg
Shred Cofounder Ted Ligety

ShredWide is a goggle lens and frame design principle that reduces the field of vision restrictions in products designed for skiers, bikers and snowboarders. By offering a larger field of vision, this design aims to enhance safety and performance. [14] Shred emphasized this larger field of vision beginning with its initial goggle collection. [15]

NoDistortion

Shred’s patented NoDistortion technology [16] uses a semi-permeable valve to equalize the pressure between a goggle’s dual lens chamber and the current atmospheric conditions. [14] This eliminates optical distortion [17] while preventing moisture from entering the goggles’ lens chamber. Shred introduced its NoDistortion technology in 2011.

Slytech NoShock

Slytech NoShock technology creates increased efficiency in shock absorption by pairing two protective foams that have different mechanical properties. A foam with a honeycomb cone structure is integrated into an adjacent matrix made from a foam that is stiffer and thicker. The foam that is stiffer and thicker compresses when subjected to impact energy.

Shred uses several different foams in its NoShock technology, selecting materials and their pairing based on the specific needs and uses of each product. Shred employs NoShock technology in its skiing, snowboarding and biking helmets. At the same time, Slytech uses a slightly modified version of it in its back protectors, protective vests, elbow pads, knee pads and other protective equipment. The brand developed the NoShock concept in 2013 and filed for a patent for it that same year. [18]

The Shred Simplify Natural goggle uses reclaimed, recycled, and organic materials, including content recycled from the snowboard manufacturing process. Shred 2017-2018 Simplify Natural Goggles.jpg
The Shred Simplify Natural goggle uses reclaimed, recycled, and organic materials, including content recycled from the snowboard manufacturing process.

Philanthropy

In 2017, Shred partnered with Protect Our Winters, a climate advocacy group that focuses on the winter sports community. [19] Shred donates a portion of its proceeds to POW’s efforts to combat climate change and educate the public about its effects. Shred has also partnered with POW to develop a goggle that uses waste recycled from the snowboard manufacturing process. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowboarding</span> Snow sport involving a single board

Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorcycle personal protective equipment</span> Protective clothing and helmets for motorcycle safety

To improve motorcycle safety, many countries mandate the wearing of personal protective equipment such as protective clothing and helmets. Protective clothing may include certain types of jackets, gloves, boots, and pants. Jackets meant for motorcyclists are typically made of leather or specialized man-made fabrics like cordura or Kevlar. These jackets typically include padding on the elbow, spine, and shoulder regions. This was once quite bulky, but modern technology and materials have made it unobtrusive. Gloves are generally made of leather or Kevlar and some include carbon fiber knuckle protection. Boots, especially those for sport riding, include reinforcement and plastic caps on the ankle and toe areas. Pants are usually leather, cordura, or Kevlar. Except for helmets, none of these items are required by law in any state in the USA, or in any part of the UK but are recommended by many of those who ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunglasses</span> Eyewear for protecting against bright light

Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that are colored, polarized or darkened. In the early 20th century, they were also known as sun cheaters.

Photokeratitis or ultraviolet keratitis is a painful eye condition caused by exposure of insufficiently protected eyes to the ultraviolet (UV) rays from either natural or artificial sources. Photokeratitis is akin to a sunburn of the cornea and conjunctiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goggles</span> Forms of protective eyewear that do not enclose the nose

Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and in woodworking. They are often used in snow sports as well, and in swimming. Goggles are often worn when using power tools such as drills or chainsaws to prevent flying particles from damaging the eyes. Many types of goggles are available as prescription goggles for those with vision problems.

Atomic Austria GmbH is an Austrian sports equipment company headquartered in Salzburg, Austria. It manufactures and sells skis and other skiing equipment, such as boots, bindings, helmets, ski poles, goggles, bags, apparel and protective equipment. Atomic is a subsidiary of Finnish retail conglomerate Amer Sports, which in turn, oversees Arc'teryx, Precor, Salomon, Suunto, Sports Tracker, and Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirrored sunglasses</span> Type of sunglasses

Mirrored sunglasses are sunglasses with a reflective optical coating on the outside of the lenses to make them appear like small mirrors. The lenses typically give the wearer's vision a brown or grey tint. The mirror coating decreases the amount of light passing through the tinted lens by a further 10–60%, making it especially useful for conditions of sand, water, snow, and higher altitudes. Mirrored sunglasses are one-way mirrors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burton Snowboards</span> American manufacturing company

Burton Snowboards is a privately-owned snowboard manufacturing company that was founded by Jake Burton Carpenter in 1977. The company specializes in products aimed at snowboarders, such as snowboards, bindings, boots, outerwear, and accessories. The company, whose flagship store is in Burlington, Vermont, was privately owned by Jake Burton Carpenter, until his death in 2019, and by his wife, Donna Carpenter, who has been active in the business since 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Ligety</span> American alpine skier

Theodore Sharp Ligety is a retired American alpine ski racer, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and an entrepreneur, having cofounded Shred Optics. Ligety won the combined event at the 2006 Olympics in Turin and the giant slalom race at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. He is also a five-time World Cup champion in giant slalom. Ligety won the gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2011 World Championships. He successfully defended his world title in giant slalom in 2013 in Schladming, Austria, where he also won an unexpected gold medal in the super-G and a third gold medal in the super combined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D3O</span> Impact protection equipment company.

D3O is an ingredient brand of British company D3O Lab specialising in advanced rate-sensitive impact protection technologies, materials, and products.

Shaun Palmer is an American professional snowboarder, skier, mountain biker, and motocross rider. Nicknamed "Napalm" and "Palm Daddy", he is known as one of the forefathers of extreme sports. He won the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviator sunglasses</span> Style of sunglasses

Aviator sunglasses are a style of sunglasses that was developed by a group of American firms. The original Bausch & Lomb design is now commercially marketed as Ray-Ban Aviators, although other manufacturers also produce aviator-style sunglasses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ski helmet</span> Winter sports equipment

A ski helmet is a helmet specifically designed and constructed for winter sports. Use was rare until about 2000, but by about 2010 the majority of skiers and snowboarders in the US and Europe wore helmets. Helmets are available in many styles and typically consist of a hard plastic/resin shell with inner padding. Modern ski helmets may include many additional features, such as vents, earmuffs, headphones, goggle mounts, and camera mounts.

Shredding, shred, shredder, or shredders may refer to:

Head Sport GmbH is an American-Austrian manufacturing company headquartered in Kennelbach. It owns the American tennis racket brand Head. Head GmbH is a group that includes several previously independent companies, including the original "Head Ski Company" ; Tyrolia, an Austrian ski-equipment manufacturer; and Mares, an Italian manufacturer of diving equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GoggleWorks</span> United States historic place in Reading, Pennsylvania

GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is a community art and cultural resource center located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The mission of the GoggleWorks is “to transform lives through unique interactions with art.”

Swans is the brandname of the Japanese eyewear manufacturer Yamamoto Kogaku Co., Ltd. located in Osaka, Japan. The company produces and sells optical lenses, sunglasses, goggles, as well as safety glasses. The sports eyewear brand Swans includes sunglasses, ski and snowboard goggles, swimming goggles, as well as helmets.

Ballistic eyewear is a form of glasses or goggles that protect from small projectiles and fragments. For the U.S. military, choices are listed on the Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL). Ballistic eyewear including examples that meet APEL requirements are commercially available for anyone who wishes to buy it. The history of protective eyewear goes back to 1880 and extends through to World War I and the present. There are three standards that are currently used to test the effectiveness of ballistic eyewear. These include a U.S. civilian standard, a U.S. military standard (MIL-PRF-31013), and a European standard.

Tom Wallisch is a professional freeskier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bollé Brands</span> Eyewear and head protection designer

Bollé Brands is an eyewear and head protection group that designs, markets and distributes sunglasses, safety glasses, goggles and ski and bicycle helmets. The group owns the brands Bollé, Bollé Safety, Cébé, H2Optix, Spy Optic and Serengeti and is headquartered in Lyon, France.

References

  1. Kim, Erin (August 2, 2012). "Olympians going for startup gold". CNNMoney.
  2. 1 2 "Olympic and two-time giant slalom world champion Ted Ligety finds a new way to win — by sponsoring his rivals". Associated Press. 30 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Ligety finds a new way to win - by sponsoring his rivals - FOX Sports". 30 December 2016.
  4. Waldman, Gunnar. "TGR Interviews Ted Ligety: Gold Medalist, Mountain Biker, Shred/Slytech Founder". www.tetongravity.com.
  5. "What Ted Ligety Wears Under His Race Suit - Skiracing.com". www.skiracing.com. 25 January 2016.
  6. "Romain de Marchi". Whitelines Snowboarding. 2020-05-04. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  7. "Tadashi Fuse Signs with Shred and Slytech - Snowboarder Magazine". 3 November 2016.
  8. http://www.grindtv.com/transworld-business/shred-slytech-sign-brandon-cocard/
  9. "Shred and Slytech Sign KC Deane - Pinkbike". 11 January 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Ligety finds a new way to win _ by sponsoring his rivals". Associated Press . 30 December 2016.
  11. "Tom Wallisch speaks on move to Shred Optics and Slytech Protection - Freeskier". 11 September 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Read about the cool, new tech employed in Shred Optics' Bumper NOSHOCK™ helmet". January 26, 2015.
  13. "Protective helmet".
  14. 1 2 3 "Shred Goggles FW16/17 Preview". Boardsport SOURCE. 17 March 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  15. "Shred And Slytech: A Move To Park City And A Strong Vision For The Future". www.snowindustrynews.com.[ permanent dead link ]
  16. "Double-lens ski goggles".
  17. "Olympic Skier Ted Ligety's Other Job: Entrepreneur". 22 January 2014.
  18. "Composite Element For Protection Devices of Parts of the Human Body".
  19. "Shred Partners With POW - SGB Online". sgbonline.com. 9 February 2017.
  20. "Shred Collaborates on 'Green' Goggles - Inside Outdoor Magazine". insideoutdoor.com. 25 January 2017.