Together for the world’s greatest adventure race
Salewa is supporting Red Bull X-Alps, the unique hike & fly event again in 2023 For the fifth time in a row, Salewa is the main sponsor of Red Bull X-Alps and has once again developed a special collection for athletes taking part in the event. In addition, the South Tyrolean mountain sports brand is also presenting the “Salewa Trophy”

Extreme sport, adventures and alpinism – these shared passions form the basis of the long-standing partnership between Red Bull X-Alps and Salewa. For the fifth time, the South Tyrolean mountain sports brand is not just main sponsor of the unique hike & fly competition, but is also equipping all participants with technical clothing designed to cope with the extreme conditions and challenges of the race across the Alps.

The eleventh edition of the race starts on 11 June 2023. Salewa has supported the worlds’ toughest adventure race as main sponsor since 2015: Red Bull X-Alps. For two weeks, over 30 plus world class athletes will cover more than 1,200 kilometres across the Alps by running, hiking and flying. Once again this year, Christian Maurer, the Salewa-sponsored athlete is in the starting line-up. The Swiss athlete, known as ‘Chrigel the Eagle’ is often described as ‘impossible to beat’ as he has won the event seven times in a row. The other athletes in the Salewa Team are: Markus Anders, Thomas Friedrich, Simon Oberrauner, Aaron Durogati and Paul Guschlbauer.

Red Bull X-Alps is held every other year. In 2023, Salewa is also presenting the ‘Salewa Trophy’ as a special prize for the athletes of the Red Bull X-Alps. The ‘Salewa Trophy’ is intended to highlight the spirit of comradeship during the race. It’s awarded to the athlete that demonstrates outstanding fair play and comradeship towards their fellow competitors over the course of the competition. This might include stopping to help another athlete during the race, sharing or donating items of equipment, or acting in an altruistic manner in some way or other. “Supporting each other and comradeship are fundamental qualities for remaining successful in the mountains. This is why we have chosen to award a special prize in recognition of an outstanding gesture of solidarity amongst the athletes,” says Salewa. The award will be decided by an expert panel including a member of this year’s race organization team and two Salewa representatives. As such, the ‘Salewa Trophy’ will be awarded at the end of the race as part of the final prize ceremony. In 2021, US athlete Gavin McClurg received the award for his long-standing commitment within the hike & fly community.

 

The Dolomites are often described as the most beautiful work of architecture in the world. The South Tyrol region and above all the Dolomites themselves are fundamental to everything we do. They are the centre and starting point of all our activities. The Sexten region with its world-famous Drei Zinnen/ Tre Cime is the ideal partner for us. By working together with the Sexten tourist board, we want to highlight the importance of the alpine way of life and simultaneously uphold our responsibility to sustainably protect the beauty and incomparable value of mountain areas

Thomas Aichner
Marketing Director Salewa
New turnpoint in the Sexten Dolomites

This year, the innovative route of the Red Bull X-Alps is mix of familiar stretches and completely new stages. During, the race the athletes have to pass certain turnpoints. The race starts in Kitzbühel – Kirchberg, for the first time since 2007. From here, it heads via Achental in Chiemgau, Piz Buin in Switzerland and Europe’s longest glacier and the Aletsch glacier on the legendary Mont Blanc, back to northern Italy to a further new spectacular highlight, the Paternkofel via ferrata in the Sexten Dolomites. The athletes have to navigate the final turnpoint here and then cross the main divide of the Alps again as they head back into Austria to race for the floating finishing line in Zell am See.

The new turnpoint in Sexten, right in the heart of the Dolomites, the home of Salewa, has in many respects special significance this year. Throughout the summer in the area surrounding the turnpoint, Salewa is organising a series of events with the local tourist board and laying the foundations for a long-term strategic partnership.

The Salewa X-Alps collection

In addition to physical and mental fitness, strategic skills and resilience, adventurers like the athletes in the Red Bull X-Alps require one thing: the right equipment. The new X-Alps collection from Salewa is specially developed to cover the combination of speed hiking and paragliding. Inspired by the toughest adventurer race in the world, Dry’ton the main fabric used in the products has been tested and proven in the Dolomites. It stands out for its hybrid blend of materials, outstanding moisture and temperature regulation – that make it ideal for making highly breathable, fast-drying and long-lasting clothing.

Selected products in the X-Alps collection

PEDROC PRO PTC ALPHA JACKET M

 

The Pedroc Pro Polartec Alpha® Jacket is the ideal jacket for movement-intensive, high-energy activities in the mountains with stop-and-go phases and extreme temperature differences and changing conditions. It was developed especially for the legendary hike & fly adventure race, Red Bull X-Alps. The jacket offers warmth and breathability in a very lightweight package. It achieves this high functionality by matching the lightweight, breathable and water-repellent woven nylon/Tencel™ main fabric with Polartec® Alpha® Direct active insulation panels – at the front of the torso and the upper arms. Inside, the lofted insulation fibres are connected to a solid mesh core and are temperature-regulating and fast-drying. The harder the activity, the more Polartec® Alpha® adapts to ensure the ideal body microclimate, which is why it is commonly referred to as active insulation. The X-Alps Alpha is given a PFC-free durably water repellent (DWR) finish and is a Salewa Committed product manufactured according to additionally strict environmental and socially responsibility requirements.

Product features:

NYLON/TENCEL WOVEN 15D PFC FREE 45 g/m² (75%PA 25%LY)

DURASTRETCH LIGHT PUNCHED PFC FREE BLUESIGN 96 g/m² (88%PA (recycled) 12%EA)

Layer: Insulation:

Insulation weight: 60 g/m²

Gender: Men

Back length: 73cm (50/L)

Fit: Athletic Fit

Colour: electric

RRP: 240 euros

X-ALPS TECH DRY T-SHIRT M

 

The X-Alps Tech Dry T-Shirt was designed specifically for the legendary Red Bull X-Alps hike & fly mountain adventure race. It is a lightweight, wicking baselayer with excellent temperature regulation and outstanding moisture management for fast-moving mountain activity. The hybrid blend of fabrics offers high breathability and rapid drying performance to ensure good wear comfort during intensive use,
Tested and proven in the Dolomites, its Dry’ton main jersey fabric has back panel and side inserts in a special, lightweight Dry’ton mesh for greater breathability. In addition, this technical tee benefits from Polygiene® odour control to ensure that the baselayer stays fresh without smelling unpleasant during long days in the mountains.

Product features:

DRY'TON JERSEY 120 g/m² (100%PL (73% recycled))

DRY'TON MESH BLUESIGN 133 g/m² (94%PL (89% recycled) 6%EA)

Textile finish:

POLYGIENE

Layer: Baselayer

Gender: Men

Back length: 71cm (50/L)

Fit: Athletic Fit

Colour: electric

RRP: 70 euros

X-ALPS JACKET W

 

This functional women’s X-Alps zipped hoody is made of stretch blend cotton and is designed especially for the Red Bull X-Alps hike & fly mountain adventure race. The X-Alps Jacket is made of a Dry’ton polyester/ cotton terry hybrid blend with a soft, brushed inner face. It’s lightweight, warm and fast drying – ideal for dawn starts or descending from the summit after dusk. This hoody also washes well, is easy to care for and has a fitted hood and two zip-secure side pockets.

Product features:

DRY´TON BRUSHED 290 g/m² (60%PL 40%CO)

Layer: Thermal

Gender: Women:

Back length: 63 cm (42/36)

Fit: Regular

Colour: syrah

RRP: 100 euros

PEDROC 3 DST CARGO SHORTS M

 

These men’s lightweight, water-repellent, abrasion-resistant and breathable softshell shorts are made for fast-moving mountain training and speed hiking – perfect for participants in the Red Bull X-Alps. Salewa makes them from its proprietary 123-gram, lightweight 2-way stretch-woven Durastretch fabric (84% polyamide, 16% elastane) and gives it a PFC-free DWR (durable water repellent) finish. Durastretch is an extremely abrasion and tear resistant fabric made to provide long-lasting durability. Moreover, it is easy to wash and provides maximum flexibility and comfort for aerobic activity. The athletic fit guarantees maximum freedom of movement. There are two useful front pockets and two cargo pockets – one zipped, one open – and reflective detailing for greater visibility in misty, rainy conditions or at dusk.

Product features:

Main fabric:

DURASTRETCH PFC FREE BLUESIGN 123 g/m² (84%PA 16%EA)

DURASTRETCH LIGHT PUNCHED PFC FREE BLUESIGN 96 g/m² (88%PA (recycled) 12%EA)

Textile finish:

Durable water repellent – PFC free

Layer: Pants

Gender: Men

Side seam length: 53cm (50/L)

Fit: Athletic Fit

Colour: black mat

RRP: 90 euros

About Salewa

 

Salewa is passionate about mountain sports – ambitious alpinism and the mountain experience. Founded in Munich in 1935, the management-led, family-owned company is now located in the Dolomites of South Tyrol. Based at its headquarters in Bolzano, the company develops technical products that combine traditional materials and progressive design. Salewa is committed to high environmental and social standards and rooted in regional identity, quality and integrity. Consistently striving to find new ways to build better, game-changing equipment, the brand has a unique understanding of mountain sports. Progressive mountaineering is about more than just performance, it encompasses an appreciation of the natural world and individual and shared experiences in the mountains. Salewa is a leading international manufacturer of mountain sports equipment with innovative products in four product categories: Apparel, Footwear, Equipment and Technical Hardware.  

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