US materials innovation company Checkerspot has launched skis called Vital 100, which are made from its newest material – Algal Cast. The company unveiled its algae-based bioplastic product via its outdoor consumer brand WNDR Alpine. The new bio-based performance material replaces petroleum-derived acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) with enhanced physical properties, and near zero waste, Checkerspot said in a statement. Vital 100 is a precision backcountry ski for technical, high alpine skiing. The new Algal Cast polyurethane is integrated into the Vital 100’s sidewalls. Applying this material creates a direct, epoxy-free bond to the ski’s core. Breakthroughs in industrial biotechnology have unlocked the potential to work with non-petroleum-based compounds that can now be produced at scale, providing product developers and designers with a slew of ecologically sustainable building blocks.