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Never Grow Up | Oakley Team Collection by Ståle Sandbech

Oakley teams up with the Norwegian Team rider Ståle Sandbech to create one of the most stylish collections for this season

Norwegian snowboarder and Oakley team rider Ståle Sandbech had his hands full this season designing a collection that represents him to the very core. “Never grow up? I think it just fits snowboarding, it’s where we become kids again when we strap in. It takes away all the other worries, and things you may have on your mind, it becomes simple and fun.”

“It takes away all the other worries, and things you may have on your mind, it becomes simple and fun”

Oakley’s come a long way since its founder, James Jannard, first started the company in 1975 by selling motorcycle parts from the back of his car. Known for their high-quality products, the company’s fixation on innovation has paid off, as Oakley currently holds more than 850 patents, whilst having a snow team stacked with the who’s who of snowboarding.

Living up to their legacy, Oakley’s outerwear line too pushes the boundaries of innovation. Remember that Oakley jacket Ståle Sandbech was rocking back in the Olympics in 2018. Well after its success, Oakley thought they’d give the Norwegian wonderchild a go at designing his own entire collection.

For many snowboarders, Ståle is the equivalence of style. Born and bred in the midst of the snowboarding mecca where style is key, the Norwegian 27-year-old has been snowboarding for almost two decades now.

It isn’t just in snowboarding though where Ståle’s considerable style comes across, something Oakley was quick to realise. The guy has always had a good eye for fashion, which is why Oakley’s now teamed up with him to create a full ‘Team Collection’.

Ståle’s story with Oakley dates way back. It all began with an encounter Ståle himself, supposedly, can’t remember, “Lasse Andersson, who was team manager for Oakley at the time and knew my brother quite well, drove Frode [Ståle’s brother] home. I came running out, ran up to Lasse, kicked him in the balls, and ran back in.” Ståle laughs, and continues “A few years later, I got signed up to the Oakley team.”

“I came running out, ran up to Lasse, kicked him in the balls, and ran back in”

Ever since he was 12 years old, Ståle’s been rocking the Oakley look, “Since then, it’s been me and Oakley” he explains, “It’s just how it is – natural”.

After being part of designing his Olympic jacket back in 2018, things started to develop on the design front for Ståle. He explains how the new collection all of a sudden ‘just blew up’, “We kind of started talking about designing a collection together with Oakley, or a few pieces. And all of a sudden, there were multiple jackets, pants, a helmet, goggles, sunglasses… It was crazy all of a sudden”

It wasn’t just a matter of choosing the right colours and designs, it was the real deal Ståle explains. “I went to Milan three times for inspiration meetings and design meetings. I got to look at the first samples and go into more detail on things, like the seams, cuts, hood fit…”.

Ståle tells us how he got to be part of choosing the materials as well, “I got to feel the different materials”, he explains, “There is so much to choose from if you want this stretch or that stretch, this waterproofness, or that one… There is so much that goes into a jacket, things you wouldn’t necessarily think of. Like where to put the pockets, how big the arms are, how big the shoulders are… It was pretty cool to be part of the ‘deeper’ work of it.”

“I went to Milan three times for inspiration meetings and design meetings”

When it came to designing the line, Ståle’s personal ‘priority’ was on the fit of the clothing, but most importantly, the fit of the hood. The priority here was to develop a hood, you could pull on top of your helmet when riding while it’s snowing, without the hood sitting on the goggles, hence not allowing the goggles to breathe, resulting in the goggles beginning to fog up.

The Oakley x Ståle Sandbech team collection covers a wide range of items, which all compliment each other and come together as a ‘family’. Ståle tells us how he wanted to design a complete collection so that when travelling he could simply just throw the whole collection in his bag without thinking about it too much.

“There’s something for going out for dinner, something for snowboarding…”, he continues, “The shirts work equally well for a nice meal as they do for snowboarding. The collection is designed to just cover it all”.

Thinking back about his journey with Oakley, and how far he’s come since he first started snowboarding, Ståle fills us in on how he feels about what he’s worked himself up to, “Most things I do now, feel normal, which is crazy.”

“I do like the yellow jacket and black pants. They’re my favourite fit and shape ever”

He thinks back to when he first met his long-time idol and another Oakley team rider, Eero Ettala, “My first time doing European X Games I stayed in the Oakley house and was hanging out with Eero, which was huge for me. He was my favourite rider at the time and now he’s like a brother to me. It’s crazy, how things just fall into place. I mean, to design a collection, to be part of this, it’s huge.”

We were also keen to find out if Ståle had any personal favourites from the collection. “I do like the yellow jacket and black pants. They’re my favourite fit and shape ever.” Ståle mentions.

By the ‘yellow jacket and black pants’, he refers to the TC Gunn Shell Jacket and the TC Gunn Shell Bib pants. The Gunn Shell jacket is a 3-layer jacket with a 20K waterproofing/breathability rating. It’s made of a stretchy material and has got a three-point hood adjustment system to keep the hood in place whether placed over your helmet or beanie.

As for the TC Gunn Shell bibs, they’re also made with a 3L construction and have got the same 20K waterproofing/breathability ratings as the jacket. Both the jacket and pants have been designed to take on the cold weathers, something Ståle himself is no stranger to, growing up in frosty Scandiland.

“I mean, to design a collection, to be part of this, it’s huge”

With its unique design and colour, the most recognisable piece from the line must be the TC Ice Pullover BZI jacket. “The white softshell is more unique in its design. I love how it pops and how it’s kind of grey and not crazy white, so it won’t get dirty right away”, Ståle laughs.

The 2L softshell jacket is a statement piece but doesn’t lack in any technicalities. With a 20K waterproofing/breathability rating, the jacket is designed to take on any kind of winter environments, while the BioZone lining system promotes moisture management and movement in key areas. Adding to the jacket’s ability to tackle the cold, is the Primaloft insulation.

To complete the look, Ståle’s also designed the TC Stretchy Softshell pant to go with the jacket, which is made out of 4-way stretch allowing you to move around more freely. Make sure to check out our full review on the Oakley TC Stretchy Softshell pant here.

Ståle also seems super stoked on his signature Line Miner XL goggles, which are designed to give you the ultimate peripheral vision and come with a cylindrical lens. On top of that he also mentions the ‘fleece travel kit’, “The whole fleece travel kit has zippers on every pocket, so you don’t lose your passport. You really don’t want to do that when you’re on the plane…”.

“The travel kit Stale’s referring to includes the Flight Time Hoodie and Pants, which are made from eco-friendly Polartec microfleece, created from 100% post-consumer recycled fabric”

The travel kit Ståle refers to include the TC Flight Time Hoodie and the TC Flight Time Pants, which are made from eco-friendly Polartec microfleece, created from 100% post-consumer recycled fabric. Each piece helps keep more than 24 plastic bottles from ending up in landfills and the ocean, saving up to 1.5lbs of CO2 emission from the air.

In other words, you can wrap yourself in a comfortable and warm hoodie and a pair of pants that aren’t just lightweight and breathable but also help us stop polluting our planet any further.

Adding to the whole collection’s sustainability score is its durability, a trait Oakley’s well-known for. Each product has been specifically engineered with greater resilience to last, meaning you won’t just get your money’s worth; you’ll also be giving Mother Nature hope of a brighter future.

The DNA of Stale runs through the entire Oakley Team Collection, and his ideas have had a big input in the outcome of the line. “I think it fits great, it looks cool, it’s just how I wanted it. I’m super happy with it.”, Ståle tells us with a cheeky smile. He continues, “I’ve always been interested in design and all that, so this was a great experience, and I learned a lot through it. Hopefully, people will like what we’ve made. I’m excited.”

Check out the full Oakley Team Collection with Stale Sandbech here!

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