While the name AKOVA may not be on your radar (yet), those of you who grew up skiing/ racing know of Shred Dog, AKOVA's sister brand. AKOVA is the newest name in ski gear, making a name for themselves and for good reason. With a focus on the rider's comfort and function. AKOVA is making their own rules when it comes to ski clothing. This company offers no retail markups and products using PFC-free (C0) materials.
Who is behind the brand? The co-owners are names you've heard before. On the ladies side, four-time Olympian and Olympic Champion Julia Mancuso. For the guys, David Wise three-time Olympian and two-time Olympic Champion. While there are a lot of big ski names backing AKOVA, the only question that you care about as a consumer: Does the hype match the product?
It's easy in today's day and age to get overwhelmed with claims that each company is making. From the "best" material to "longevity," etc, you get the idea and you've already heard it all. How do you know that the claims meet the expectations? On a fateful day last spring, She-Shredz happened to connect with AKOVA. AKOVA linked one of their ambassadors, the legendary Lizzie Day with She-Shredz.
For those of you who don't know Lizzie Day let us catch you up to speed. If the last name Day sounds familiar you may have heard of Tom Day the legendary ski film videographer, Lizzie's husband. Lizzie is a badass ripper who has been skiing since the moment she could walk. She attended the 1960 Olympics at S**** Valley (granted her mother was pregnant with her but we'll count it either way). Her competitive background in moguls led her to a place on the US Ski Team and eventually the World Cup Team. Lizzie loves bumps and she loves to move fast. Blink and you may miss her down the fall line.
Lizzie has been skiing long enough to see the progression in skiing and ski gear. Her wisdom and experience in the evolution of ski gear offers a unique insight. When we sat down with Lizzie to get her perspective on AKOVA she gave us her honest opinion. After all, Lizzie has gone through a pair of pants or two (or dozens) during her time on the hill.
AKOVA is one of the few ski gear companies using a material called Torain®. Torain® is a different type of waterproof material. One thing that Torain does best, is improve movement. Which is excellent when you are skiing (who wants to be restricted). The best part? It's PFC-free (C0). For those of you who are powder sirens, don't worry it's equipment with Recco® equipped rescue technology
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She-Shredz's first question was about Torain® and its durability. Lizzie's response: "In the winter, the Torain does a great job windproofing and staying waterproof. In the spring, I love Akova because it's stretchy and breathes nicely. Truly, it's a multidimensional fabric that performs well in a multitude of conditions."
 Let's talk movement. Raise your hand if you have ever felt personally victimized by a lack of movement in ski gear? AKOVA's claim: that their gear moves with you, not against you. As any skier or rider knows, there are certain points on a jacket/pants that would be great to have some more give and stretch (knees, we're looking at you). What does Lizzie have to say? "I like to be able to sort of move my knee because when you're skiing powder, you don't know which direction your turns are going to take you. You want to have that mobility for a good reason. AKOVA offers that better than another brand I've been in."
When you're getting well over 100 days on the hill per season, ensuring your gear is going to hold is critical, not optional. Anyone who has had equipment failure on the mountain can express the feeling of frustration. How does AKOVA hold up? For Lizzie, 200 days is the dream. While we at She-Shredz may not be able to test every piece of gear for 100 days plus on the season. How does AKOVA hold up against elements, wear and tear, and more importantly stains?
We will have to take Lizzie's word for it: "AKOVA holds up. I was pretty hard on my jacket and pants this year and everything is in working order. From the zippers to the waterproofness after 100 days it's still holding strong. Even when I dropped a bit of olive oil on my jacket, a little bit of soap, and scrubbing it went away. This is fantastic because on other materials it's sunk in and is impossible to get out. Even on the wettest of days (there were some very wet days last season thanks to rain on snow) I never had any issues with seeping through with moisture."
For those of you searching for a new fit without all of the "big box" AKOVA is direct to its customers. Creating a unique ski gear buying experience. Other brands that offer Toray as their main materials, can go up to $1500 per piece of gear. AKOVA offers the same materials at a fraction of the price (around $585 per jacket). Backed by a 100% Comfort Guaranteeâ„¢ if the gear doesn't work AKOVA wants to make it right.
Main Take-Aways About AKOVA:
Stretchy fabric that is  PFC-free (C0) materials that offers an extended range of movement compared to other options.
Over 8 pockets in the Legacy Jacket (large enough to hold a water bladder).
Competitively priced thanks to AKOVA's direct-to-consumer price model.
New bright colors (the pink is quite a vibe).
She-Shredz looks forward to continuing to offer ladies the newest updates in ski gear for women. Here at She-Shredz, we are eager and enthusiastic to provide ladies with the most up-to-date reviews on ski gear personally tested and verified. Stay tuned throughout the season as we drop gear highlights from our top picks.
Have a specific piece of gear or equipment you want us to test? Connect with us and tell us what you want to learn more about here.
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