A green winter

Global warming has yet to completely destroy the chilly air and the falling snow. Soak it up while you can. Better yet, do the planet a favor and hit the slopes with eco-friendly gear.

EcoNico
To ensure your snowboard is eco-friendly, you could careen down the hill in a hollowed out pine, but it wouldn’t offer the control of Burton’s EcoNico. This 2009 model, designed for snowboarder Nicholas Müller, uses recycled and natural products to ensure a green experience. Encased in polyethylene, the same material used to make plastic shopping bags, most snowboards would end up in a landfill. However, the EcoNico uses recycled materials for the bottom of the board, turning the trash pile from a destination into a resource. With a wooden core, Burton tops it all off with soy oil, bee’s wax and carnauba wax for a slick finish. Available in two sizes, 156 and 159, the board features a slantwall and re-run WFO base. The EcoNico is part of Burton’s Green Mountain Project, a series of boards, boots and clothes that seek to minimize winter sport’s carbon footprint. As with many green items, though, expect to pay a little more. Retailing for $630, you’ll have to spend green to be green.

Ramona coat
The myriad of ski jackets that feature recycled polyester layers just aren’t your scene; you need something to keep you warm during 50-50 martinis, not 50/50 grinds. Eco-chic is in, and the Ramona coat from the Delano Collection proves it. The princess cut coat is an elegant design that mixes New York with a little dash from across the pond. Though the Delano Collection encompasses everything from furniture to clothing, sustainable materials rule supreme throughout. Organic wool is a welcome relief from synthetic shells, and a bamboo lining replaces chemically processed fur or fibers to create a sustainable source of warmth. Capable of bringing class, and a $425 price tag, to any ski lodge, the eco-friendly materials support the efforts to keep snowy peaks from turning into beachside resorts any time soon.