Gear Feature

A Formative Influence | The Elias Elhardt Interview

Influencing his gear of choice and sharing topics of importance on the big screen, Elias Elhardt shares his thoughts and concerns

Above Elias Elhardt. Photo: Theo Acworth.

Elias Elhardt is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, whether that’s through his all-around positive energy or through the pure joy of watching him ride. The 34-year-old has already left his mark on snowboarding, and we’re all familiar with his talent at standing sideways but, in more recent years, he’s also tapped into new areas through snowboarding, including filmmaking and speaking up about the severeness of climate change.

“Making a difference isn’t always just about raising your voice but also about being conscious of your actions and, in Elias’s case, what gear you choose to ride in”

Making a difference isn’t always just about raising your voice but also about being conscious of your actions and, in Elias’s case, what gear you choose to ride in. Elias’s long-term partner DEELUXE has been working towards finding the right materials to create a sustainable performance boot for a while now, and finally, it’s here.

We sat down with Elias to talk about his new signature boot with DEELUXE — the Formative — and his latest film Invisible Ground.

Some relationships are built to last, and after 18 years with Deeluxe, Elias’s bond with the brand has become family-like. “I was 16 and riding a local contest. The team manager at the time had heard of me and he wanted someone on the team that could wear the boots, so he reached out and that’s how I got on DEELUXE and ever since I’ve been there. It’s been 18 years now. Imagine. That’s so fucked up”, Elias laughs as he realises how long back his history with DEELUXE spans.

“I think I’ve taken the quality of the boots for granted because that’s what a boot is for me.”

With nearly two decades on the team, Elias has been part of developing multiple pro-models together with the brand and thus been able to follow the process of progression of the boots first-hand. “I think I’ve taken the quality of the boots for granted because that’s what a boot is for me.” Elias continues, “I think they have something hardly any other brands have because they only focus on boots. That’s their thing, that’s what they do. And that’s at the heart of their business so I think that makes it easier for them to be the master of snowboard boots.”

This season, DEELUXE have pushed innovation with something completely new in this space: the Formative. Working together with Elias, the goal was to reduce the boots’ impact on the environment, without compromising their performance, by replacing the traditional EVA foam with an algae-blend resin that contains a significant fraction of algae biomass and bio-based additives called Rise by Bloom, which has a renewable content of at least 45%.

Elias Elhardt in the Formative. Photo: Theo Acworth.

“I was really happy to hear [DEELUXE] found a material that could combine sustainability and performance because it’s been a process that’s been going on for years,” Elias continues, “I think it was a little over a year ago that we were at the glacier putting them into the test and realised they really work super well. They have all these qualities that we need and are more sustainable with part of the boot made of algae — and that’s the baseline.”

With algae being the fastest-growing plant on Earth, the rise of global temperatures, excess nutrient runoff, and human activities have contributed to an uncontrollable rise in algae growth in ecosystems around the world – harming plant, animal, and even human life. But, as the algae biomass doesn’t require fossil fuel or arable land to grow, this makes it the perfect resource for creating useful materials that can replace the less sustainable ones.

“They have all these qualities that we need and are more sustainable with part of the boot made of algae — and that’s the baseline”

However, both Elias and DEELUXE knew that this wasn’t just about making the most sustainable boots, but the most progressive boots on the market. Elias explains, “We need to find new solutions, not just sustainably, but also to build the best boot regardless. I want to ride the best boot technically, so we wanted to build the best progressive boot that combines both these things, and the algae-based Rise by BLOOM foam works really well for this.”

Demanding only the best from the boots he rides, Elias prefers a solid, stable, fitted boot that he can combine with a softer binding, “I would rather that the tension and impact that comes from the riding is forced onto the material rather than my own ankle. We really have to take care of our ankles and joints and the boots can have a great impact on supporting the knees and ankles and everything, so I wanted to have a good support, which [the Formative] has.”

At the same time, Elias also looks for a boot that allows him to express his trademark style. “I want to have a boot with good flexibility. I want to be free moving and have a lot of support on the front, and the Flex Booster, this plastic shield you can add into the tongue of the boot, really makes a difference.” He continues, “I put in the strongest Flex Booster so I’m really stable to the front and then to the sides I’m more flexible to move.”

The Formative up cloes. Photo: Theo Acworth.

After years of experience and multiple brand collaborations, Elias has found the right brands to work with – brands that live up to his values when it comes to both sustainability and performance.

“Following in the footsteps of his two previous films, his latest film Invisible Ground focuses on the topic of mountain safety whilst also questioning the heroic approach to the world we have as humans, thus utilising people to become more vulnerable and not constantly feel the need to prove themselves”

Advocating for a more sustainable future isn’t the only thing Elias wants to use his platform for, and we’ve seen him communicate equally important topics through his films Contraddiction and Narcis. “Narcis was about people coming together beyond their ethnicities, and Contraddiction really focused on questioning our lifestyle in terms of sustainability and how we grow up and take responsibility and see purpose in what we do and to not lose that joy of snowboarding and the lifestyle that is so playful, and maybe careless to the other world. How to find a good balance there,” Elias explains.

Following in the footsteps of his two previous films, his latest film Invisible Ground focuses on the topic of mountain safety whilst also questioning the heroic approach to the world we have as humans, thus utilising people to become more vulnerable and not constantly feel the need to prove themselves.

With the premiere of Invisible Ground behind, Elias Elhardt’s start to the season has already been busier than usual, and he’s looking forward to some downtime. “I think the most exciting plan for this season is to be a little bit more free again and to just ride with my friends. I won’t be jumping into the next snowboard film right away” he says with a smile on his face.

Check out the new Elias Elhardt signature DEELUXE Formative boots here and stay tuned for the online release of Invisible Ground in January 2023.

Deeluxe Formative Snowboard Boot 2022-2023

PRICE: £330 / €350 / $350

Elias Elhart is the owner of one of the finest styles – and one of the biggest smiles – in snowboarding. He’s pure stoke, and it’s great to see he’s had input into the new Deeluxe Formative.

While the plan was to make an eco-friendly boot, both brand and rider have acknowledged that you can only push that side of things so far before you end up with a product that doesn’t last the distance (and is therefore soon landfill fodder – the polar opposite of sustainability). Still, the Formative is stepping in the right direction at least, with no compromise to performance.

Who are The Deeluxe Formative For?

Deeluxe say that a pair of these can go anywhere and do anything – and we’re inclined to agree, with one caveat. If you mostly like cruising the resort, while occasionally getting the heart-rate up in the park or backcountry, move along. If you’re the other way round, these are for you.

MORE INFO:
DEELUXE.COM