Minimalist – The Lightweight Ether Collection.
The Ether Collection is a real collaboration between 3 of our key designers, all focusing on different products, but with a lot of cross pollination of ideas. Craig and Clinton worked together on the harnesses, while DK jumped into the mix with Clinton on the boots, while concentrating on the bindings and straps. Craig had the mammoth task of the new Carbon Aerobar, which is a beautiful piece of engineering that captures so much of our brand ideology in a single product…
There is an old Albert Einstein quote, “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” and within that idea, we really tried to focus on the essence of each product and what it needs to bring to the rider.
Although the collection is lightweight as well as minimalistic in terms of features and aesthetics, the importance of the fact that these products are lightweight is sometimes overstated. Purely focusing on weight was not the idea with the Ether Collection.
We noticed that one of the key points that advanced riders often mention is that they prefer products that focus on pure functionality rather than some of the feature-rich products that currently dominate the market, and also exist in our other lines.
There are 5 products in the Ether Collection, listed below:
THE ETHER WAIST HARNESS
Minimalist & lightweight waist harness.
Ergonomic lumbar support.
3D load plate with soft edges.
If you have a look at a classic harness with molded components on the outside and inside, much of the detailing on the outside of the harness is purely aesthetic.
We removed all of these details and developed an aesthetic that we felt was minimalistic but still beautiful. On the inside, we kept more classic lycra and foam padding to maintain the same level of comfort while considering all of the optimization of the load plate, able to reduce the foam thickness further.
THE ETHER BOOT
High-cut freestyle-oriented lace boot.
Lightweight, high support, fly-line construction.
Rubber molded heel lock.
The full range of AK boots are built with our high memory impact-resistant footbeds for maximum comfort and support. Ergonomically shaped to fit the curves of any foot, the non-water absorbent EVA foam used in production allows for uniform shock absorption and stability underfoot.
This high-cut boot is built with medium flex in the outer shell and a rubber heel-lock, creating a highly responsive feel with easy ankle articulation, while still maintaining a high level of support.
Constructed with our fly-line support around the foot by reducing the weight of the actual material and allowing the supportive load and fast response to come from the lines running through the entire shell.
This construction creates a highly responsive feel with easy ankle articulation, while still maintaining a high level of support. AK has developed a TPU rubber molded heel lock.
This high memory medium density rubber, combined with the ergonomic
shaping allows for the rider’s heel to be locked into the boot. This creates a reliable
locked-in feeling when riding.
“Strength needs to be optimized for the working range of the product over extended use.
Once we have this sorted, we work to minimize the weight as much as possible.”
THE ETHER BINDINGS
Ultralight minimalist performance binding.
Soft & comfortable screw adjust footstrap.
Self-adhesive EVA ultracush footbed.
The Ether is a self-adhesive, ultralight, high-performance binding. Featuring an ultra cush EVA footbed that is designed for high grip and to cushion your feet during high-impact landings. Considering there is no baseplate adjustment with the self-adhesive pad, the Ether Binding features a soft & comfortable screw adjust foot strap to keep you locked in.
No chassis or on-the-fly adjustment, for lighter weight and fewer hassles.
The Dual Density Footbed creates a high grip top layer that locks your foot into the strap, while lower the density outsole absorbs the impact from monster landings. The 3D molded footbed contours to the rider’s foot, allowing for its high level of comfort. The footbed is designed with directional grooving and a pronounced top bar to keep the rider’s foot firmly positioned during riding.
THE ETHER FOOTSTRAP
Ultralight minimalist performance footstrap.
Soft & comfortable strap with screw adjustment.
Ideal for kite surfing, foiling, and racing.
The Ether is an ultralight, minimalist, performance foot strap, featuring a soft and comfortable screw adjust foot strap, ideal for surfing, foiling, and racing.
THE ETHER SEAT HARNESS
Minimalist & lightweight seat harness.
Low hook position ideal for racing & foil.
Low-cut leg straps to keep the harness down.
The Ether seat harness is a lightweight, compact, low-cut seat harness.
The streamlined features minimize obtrusive connection points and reduce weight, while the advanced shaping optimizes freedom of movement and comfort.
The harness features a low hook system, perfect for foiling, high-performance racing, or riders who simply prefer the low-down pull.
Low-cut leg straps to keep the harness locked down in a comfortable position.
RECOMMENDED SPREADER BAR
THE CARBON AEROBAR
The Carbon Aerobar is a unique one-piece molded composite spreader bar, ergonomically designed to move with the curve of your body.
Boasting rigidity, weight reduction using pre-preg carbon fiber, and comfort with a built-in EVA molded bar pad. The release mechanism is installed on both sides of the spreader bar to allow easy, and instant, entry and exit. The release mechanism is designed to release, even while under tension, making it arguably the safest spreader bar on the market. The Aerobar release mechanism is designed to be exposed, allowing the mechanism to flush out any sand or salt that may cause regular release mechanisms to jam up and malfunction.
The webbing buckles are compatible with all harnesses with 25mm and 40mm webbing slot options.
