The North Face FUTURELIGHT™ I Ellis Brigham

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NICK MCNUTT | ALASKA | PHOTO: NIC ALEGRE

Welcome to this dedicated magazine where Ellis Brigham brings FUTURELIGHT™ into the light. This game-changing technology from The North Face delivers superior benefits – breathability, durability, sustainability and comfort – while maintaining waterproofness. The inspired backstory about the company’s ethos has driven this new production process that utilises a revolutionary nanospinning method to create an ultra-thin nanomembrane.

Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre

Out of the lab testing phase with flying

to create the very best product possible for the

colours, FUTURELIGHT™ products have

end user.”

Glenmore Lodge has put FUTURELIGHT™ to the test. Their instructors and mountain guides appreciate that it’s possible to produce FUTURELIGHT™ garments that are “dialled up or down” with regard to “breathability, stretch, durability and construction” to customise products for variable Scottish-type climates, echoing what The North Face calls “tunability”. Ellis Brigham’s own mountain man and Purchasing Director Richard Shepherd steps up to the plate to deliver his test verdict from a ski touring expedition to Svalbard. Richard’s take? “FUTURELIGHT is set to shake the market up” and The North Face “has the focus

already been trialled on the trails, snow slopes and 8,000m mountains by members

FUTURELIGHT™ products are being

of The North Face global athlete team. We

introduced across all three pinnacle product

interviewed these world-class athletes from

ranges from The North Face: Summit

across the disciplines of extreme high-altitude

Series™ for mountain use, Steep Series™

alpinism, trail-running and elite snowsports,

for snowsports and Flight Series™ for trail-

and these men and women gave their

running activities. Ellis Brigham are stocking

unequivocal feedback – FUTURELIGHT™ is

a tantalising selection of FUTURELIGHT™

different, effective and special.

products including jackets, pants and mitts. The full selection available is specially

FUTURELIGHT™-equipped Pau Capell,

catalogued in this magazine. Visit us in-store

UTMB® 2019 winner in record time, raves

or shop online now at:

about the low weight and high efficiency of

ellis-brigham.com/futurelight

his Flight Series™ jacket. Extreme alpinist David Göttler considers the potential for highaltitude tents made with FUTURELIGHT™. Snowboard champion Marion Haerty applauds the green sustainability story of FUTURELIGHT™. Freeride World Tour legend Markus Eder expresses his amazement at how waterproof, breathable and supple (he calls it stretchiness) his test jacket was after 200 days in use (the robustness is self-evident!).

DEFY THE PAST WEAR THE FUTURE


WHAT IF WATERPROOF GEAR COULD BREATHE AS HARD AS YOU DO? The North Face has been enabling exploration for more than 50 years by disrupting the industry and pushing boundaries in product innovation, and FUTURELIGHTâ„¢ is the next chapter in that storied heritage.


FUTURELIGHT™ was born in the mountains out of specific requests from The North Face global athlete team looking for increased performance and breathability in their waterproof gear.

BREATHABLE: Breathes as hard as you do.

FUTURELIGHT™ is a new kind of technology. The

fabrics are designed with different weave structures, making

nanospinning, which creates nanosized fibres that

sacrificing how it protects you, FUTURELIGHT™ is the

FUTURELIGHT™ is made using over 200,000 tiny nozzles to create an ultra-thin layer called a nanomembrane. That’s how air moves through the fabric while water is kept out. SOFT: Feels so soft it’s like a second skin. FUTURELIGHT™

North Face tapped into a production method called

them more thin and nimble, not stiff and crunchy. Without

allow superior air permeability while maintaining

hardest-working breathable-waterproof fabric with the

waterproofness.

softest hand feel from The North Face.

Then they found a unique lamination process to attach

DURABLE: Tested in the world’s toughest conditions.

waterproofness or durability. In the end, they had created

tested by an elite athlete team in the toughest conditions

be adapted to meet the needs of any outdoor enthusiast.

down Lhotse. It was even tested for 100 days straight.

from waterproof outerwear gear .

SUSTAINABLE: Being in nature can be good for nature.

those fibres to fabrics without sacrificing breathability,

FUTURELIGHT™ breathable-waterproof technology was

a revolutionary process and an innovative fabric that can

on Earth – from the top of Mt Everest to the first-ever ski

FUTURELIGHT™ will change what consumers expect

The philosophy and responsibility of The North Face is to minimise their environmental footprint while maximising the performance of their product. This project is no different.

FUTURELIGHT™ BENEFITS

They are using recycled fabrics, non-fluorinated DWR and production partners with a shared commitment to sustainability,

WATERPROOF: Built to weather all the weather. The North Face worked with an independent third party, UL: a world-renowned, independent safety science company with more than 120 years of expertise. The results unequivocally demonstrated that The North Face have created a new standard in waterproof outerwear. It’s innovative fabric technology that’s independently certified.

Independent waterproofness validation by UL (Underwriters Laboratories)

responsible manufacturing and eco-driven innovation. From start to finish, The North Face have created a new sustainably led fabric that will shape the future of the outdoors. FUTURELIGHT™ is the largest product innovation effort ever at The North Face. It’s an athlete insight turned into a moment of truth. It’s moving the world of exploration while making the planet a better place.

Nanosized fibres allow superior air permeability while maintaining waterproofness


RICHARD SHEPHERD Richard Shepherd is Purchasing Director for Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports and has been the company’s buyer for mountain and outdoor clothing for over 25 years.


PHOTO: MATHIS DUMAS

Having personally tested many hundreds of products in challenging outdoor conditions (he’s a skier, mountain walker, scrambler and an endurance cyclist), Richard is very excited about the new FUTURELIGHT™ gear from The North Face. He’s already tested FUTURELIGHT™ in Arctic Svalbard and the Swiss Alps ahead of its availability online and in store at Ellis Brigham.

The trip to Svalbard will stay in my memory for a very long

SO, YOU’RE STUCK IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER ALL

having the focus to simply create the very best product

DAY? Well, I do work with a fantastic team of buyers, all

with the clear brief of filling our stores with only the very best

time – wow, what a fantastic place. If you get the chance, grab it and go. You won’t be disappointed! MOST OUTDOOR MANUFACTURERS USE THE SAME CORE MATERIALS TO MAKE THEIR GEAR, BUT THE NORTH FACE HAVE GONE IT ALONE WITH NEW

FUTURELIGHT™. SENSIBLE MOVE? If you want to push the boundaries on any technology then you have to set out with a clear vision. Some of it is about having the financial resources to be able to do that, but it is much more about possible for the end user. The North Face have certainly done that.

of the latest outdoor and snowsports gear available. I’m also lucky enough to try out the products we sell in stunning

The North Face incorporate FUTURELIGHT in all three of their

locations and in some pretty wild weather throughout the

pinnacle clothing series; Summit for mountain use, Steep for

year – I pretend it’s work but it’s too enjoyable to call it that.

snowsports and Flight for fast-paced activities.

ONE PREVIEW OF FUTURELIGHT™ CLAIMS, “UP TO

ALONG WITH FUNCTIONALITY, SUSTAINABILITY

TO; NOW, WE HAVE APPAREL THAT ADAPTS TO US.”

FUTURELIGHT™ MEASURE UP?

NOW WE HAVE WORN APPAREL WE NEED TO ADAPT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? Well, it does sound

IS A CORPORATE CONSIDERATION. HOW DOES

Sustainability is quite rightly being taken very seriously

like marketing speak, but seriously, what I’ve found is that

by pretty much all of our suppliers. The North Face are

you can get on with your activities and not think about what

ahead of the pack having set new standards in responsible

you are wearing – simply put it on and leave it on all day.

production using recycled fabrics in a cleaner, solar-powered

WHAT DID YOU FIND MOST IMPRESSIVE WHEN YOU TESTED FUTURELIGHT™ GARMENTS? The thing I’ve

found the most striking in addition to its obvious breathability is that it’s such a quiet/soft fabric to use, and being so soft,

environment using methods that cut chemical consumption and utilising a new super-durable, non-fluorinated, waterrepellent finish. FUTURELIGHT production definitely ticks all the sustainability boxes and delivers improved performance.

it’s supremely comfortable to wear all day. I’ve tested the

SO IS FUTURELIGHT™ TRULY A GAME CHANGER?

fabric in a wide variety of conditions – from cold, high-altitude

Well, we must not forget that there are lots of other great

glaciers above Zermatt, through to very mixed weather spring

materials on the market, some with decades of reliable

ski touring in Svalbard. Getting a good workout breaking trail

history, but FUTURELIGHT is set to shake the market

though deep fresh snow is a genuine way to find out how

up, and I believe that moving forwards, a bit of healthy

breathable your clothing is! In short, it’s impressive.

competition for those established brands will only drive standards and performance even higher.

I’ve also used the FUTURELIGHT Flight jacket on long endurance bike rides in bleak, wet weather conditions –

We ordered our FUTURELIGHT range nearly a year ahead of

again it exceeded all expectations.

its launch – I just hope I’ve ordered enough!



PHOTO: TIM KEMPLE

SUMMIT ™ SERIES Designed specifically for The North Face athletes and engineered using knowledge gained from their first-hand experience in the field, Summit Series™ represents the pinnacle of product technology, design innovation and athlete testing. The collection is built without compromise, and Summit Series™ product – from the drawing board to final fabrication – is designed to be the strongest and lightest gear available. The North Face athletes depend on Summit Series™ product to keep them warm, dry and safe in the most punishing weather on the planet. Athlete Tested. Expedition Proven.


GLENMORE LODGE Glenmore Lodge, Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre near Aviemore in the heart of the country’s mountainous Highlands, has seen thousands of students from all ages and backgrounds pass through its doors and out into the wilderness beyond over the last seven decades.


PHOTO: LUKASZ WARZECHA

The Highland climate is unforgiving, turbo-charging Britain’s infamously changeable weather to a level where windspeed records are set, the lowest temperatures in Britain are recorded and volumes of rainfall give new meaning to the word torrential.

or shine, The North Face clothing protects

There are glorious sunny days too, and the

like a soft shell but performed like a hard shell.

Lodge’s instructional staff need gear that can

I mean, existing gear has served us well over

cope with it all – good and bad.

the years, but there has been no big progress,

“Basically, our team doesn’t have time for gear

and you just have to admire The North Face

that doesn’t work,” explained Shaun Roberts,

for having the courage and ingenuity to go

the Lodge’s Principal, who continued,

out there on their own and create something

“Back in 2012 we were looking for a new

completely new.”

partner for our outdoor wear and explored

This time Glenmore Lodge’s feedback was

the potential of working with a wide range of

about much more than the shape of the jacket.

brands. Right from the start, The North Face

“Usually, when we make suggestions on how a

showed they were very open to receiving

garment might be improved, we’d focus more

feedback, and the fact that we would be given

on the shape of a garment, maybe the cut of the

the chance to influence product design was a

hood or the length of a cuff, details like that,”

really big motivation for us to consider working

Shaun said. “With FUTURELIGHT technology

with the company.”

there are greater possibilities: we can broaden

Three months later, after extensively testing

our feedback to suggest dialling up or down

products from eight leading outdoor brands, the

the design and function of a garment, such

Glenmore Lodge instructors unanimously agreed

as breathability, stretch, weight, durability and

that The North Face apparel provided superior

construction, to meet our needs; what The North

protection and performance for the notoriously

Face calls the “tunability” of FUTURELIGHT in

harsh weather conditions of the Cairngorm

the fabrication process.”

Plateau and appointed the company as their

As FUTURELIGHT™ develops, Glenmore Lodge

“Technical Apparel Partner for Mountaineering”.

instructors will continue to provide invaluable

This partnership has flourished, and Glenmore

feedback through regular meetings with The

Lodge continues to provide the harshest and

North Face team.

most consistent “in field” testing available. Used daily throughout the year come rain, snow

professional outdoor instructors in temperatures ranging from -25°C to 25°C. When it came to their first experience of FUTURELIGHT™ though, Shaun explained it was a completely blind test. “The North Face delivered a plain black jacket to us; we didn’t know what it was at all or what was special about it. But it soon became clear this was a real paradigm shift, a jacket that felt

GLENMORELODGE.ORG.UK


DAVID GÖTTLER ON FUTURELIGHT™ David Göttler is a worldclass alpinist with ascents of five of the fourteen 8,000m peaks to his credit including Dhaulagiri (8,167m), Lhotse (8,516m) and Makalu (8,481m). He has also attempted K2 and reached 8,200m. When not on an expedition, David spends summer in Northern Spain and winter in Chamonix.


David has been testing FUTURELIGHT™ prototypes from the start, immediately following The North Face lab testing phase more than a year ago, and is clearly excited by what he has experienced and by the potential. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT FUTURELIGHT™? I can talk a lot about its breathability, light weight and so on, but really it’s just about how it feels, and for me it feels really, really nice. Essentially it performs like a hard shell but feels like a really comfortable soft shell. Before, if I was going on a run, I would carry a hard shell to put on at the top of a hill, or for weather protection. It’s the same for me with paragliding. FUTURELIGHT immediately feels warm and there’s much less hot and cold temperature fluctuations from sweating/cooling so it’s much drier. It was a real surprise just how good it is and what a difference it makes. WHAT BENEFIT OF FUTURELIGHT™ HAS ESPECIALLY EXCITED YOU? On a recent expedition to Everest we took a prototype single-wall tent incorporating FUTURELIGHT, and its performance was incredible. Normally, at high altitude, tents get caked in ice from moisture created by the climbers, but the breathability of FUTURELIGHT meant this did not happen and it stayed warmer, drier and lighter. It’s simply the best tent I’ve ever had. WHAT ASPECT OF FUTURELIGHT™ DO YOU PARTICULARLY VALUE? The breathability is really good. I know you have the lab numbers but in the real outdoor world the reality is it will vary a lot depending on your activity and the moisture in the air. But in every way I’ve tried it I’ve been surprised how well FUTURELIGHT breathes and works. It’s so effective. WHAT FEEDBACK HAVE YOU GIVEN TO THE NORTH FACE ABOUT

FUTURELIGHT™ PRODUCTS? For example, with the tent I mentioned, I proposed to the product guys maybe dialling down the water resistance, which is possible with FUTURELIGHT production as at high altitudes water resistance isn’t a big issue – it’s cold and dry. I love the courage that The North Face have to develop this material, and I’m happy to be involved with a company which pushes the envelope. WHAT’S NEXT ON YOUR EXPEDITION QUEST? I’m off to Nepal in October to tackle a 7,000m peak by a new route, and there’s another 8,000m expedition coming up after that. We have a FUTURELIGHT membrane available for athlete testing in different products so we will continue to look at new ways to use it.


MEN’S L5 FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET £550

MEN’S L5 FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET £550

WOMEN’S L5 FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET £550

Colour: TNF Red (960) S – XL | Code 201739

Colour: TNF Black (901) S – XL | Code 201739

Colour: TNF Black (901) XS – L | Code 201786

MEN’S L5 FUTURELIGHT™ BIB £490

MEN’S L5 FUTURELIGHT™ PANT £475

WOMEN’S L5 FUTURELIGHT™ PANT £475

Colour: New Taupe (937) S – XL | Code 201741

Colour: TNF Black (901) S – XL | Code 201742

Colour: TNF Black (901) XS – L | Code 201788

SUMMIT SERIES™ ATHLETE TESTED. EXPEDITION PROVEN.

SUMMIT SERIES™ L5 FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET, BIB, PANT Perfect for single or multi-day technical, mixed climbing objectives in unpredictable weather. Lightweight, durable and packable. The new standard for alpine pursuits. The answer to The North Face athlete team requests to create something with increased performance and breathability in their waterproof gear.


DEFY THE PAST WEAR THE FUTURE

MEN’S L5 LT FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET £400

WOMEN’S L5 LT FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET £400

Colour: Fiery Red (960) S – XL | Code 201740

Colour: Knockout Orange (980) XS – L | Code 201787

INSULATED / HYBRID FUTURELIGHT™ PRODUCTS

MEN’S L6 FUTURELIGHT™ DOWN BELAY PARKA £630 Colour: TNF Black (901) S – XL | Code 201738

MEN’S L5 LT FUTURELIGHT™ PANT £315

WOMEN’S L5 LT FUTURELIGHT™ PANT £315

MEN’S HYBRID FUTURELIGHT™ PANT £315

SUMMIT SERIES™ BELAY MITT £135

Colour: TNF Black (901) S – XL | Code 201743

Colour: TNF Black (901) XS – L | Code 201789

Colour: New Taupe/TNF Black (937) S – XL | Code 201744

Colour: Fiery Red (960) S – XL | Code 202700

SUMMIT SERIES™ L5 LT FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET & PANT Perfect for single-day, fast-moving missions with potentially short weather windows. Lightweight, minimal and packable. Validated with over 100 continuous days of athlete testing in some of the harshest conditions.

Shop online: ellis-brigham.com/futurelight Speak to our team: 0808 164 0600 or visit stores nationwide



PHOTO: NIC ALEGRE

STEEP ™ SERIES Launched in 2013 by The North Face, Steep Series™ is a purpose-built big mountain collection built to ride steep and deep lines. Gear for the outer limits, engineered from the ground up in partnership with The North Face athletes, this is one kit for any mission. When it comes to staying protected in the backcountry, the next generation of big-mountain skiers and snowboarders rely on Steep Series™ gear.


PHOTO: TERO REPO

MARKUS EDER ON FUTURELIGHT™ Reigning Freeride World Tour champion Markus Eder grew up in Italy’s South Tyrol and over the past decade has moved through the disciplines, specialising initially in ski racing before finding success in freestyle skiing and winning the prestigious Nine Knights contest in 2010 when he was the sole wild card entrant. From there he progressed to freeriding and worldwide ski films.


From spring 2018, Markus was one of the first athletes to be given FUTURELIGHT™ prototype clothing to test on the mountain and in comps. After his summer surfing and skateboarding road trip in France and Spain we caught up with Markus to discuss FUTURELIGHT™. WHEN YOU RECEIVED YOUR FUTURELIGHT™ GEAR, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT? Well, to be honest, I didn’t really know

what to make of it. The North Face didn’t give me any information about it. They just asked me to try it. It was a blind test, but I knew from the start I really freaking liked it! WHY? Well, I liked the style of it, the feel of the fabric. When you’re doing jumps and tricks, usually you feel the weight and the stiffness of the outer shell, but this material was really stretchy and moved as I moved, so it felt almost weightless. It looks and feels nice and isn’t noisy at all. WHAT ELSE ABOUT FUTURELIGHT™ IMPRESSED YOU? The breathability is great, but because of that and how soft it is, I didn’t imagine it would be as waterproof as it is. It also dries super-fast. I was in deep powder in Japan last winter (and you know how there it just dumps snow for weeks), constantly bouncing through very deep snow. I had a few crashes and got covered in snow, but my jacket and pants dried right away, which is really great performance. WHAT FUTURELIGHT™ FEATURE DO YOU LIKE MOST? For me I think it has to be the stretchiness. It’s super-light and you don’t feel any weight or resistance from it when you do tricks. I wore it in every Freeride World Tour competition last season and all the other days on the slopes and backcountry too, the same jacket and pants. I never needed or wanted to change them after around 200 days on snow. WILL YOU BE DEFENDING YOUR FREERIDE CROWN IN 2020? Competition has always been a big part of my life, but for the coming season I am planning to take a slightly different direction. I’ve been thinking about ideas for film projects for a while and will be working on these over the next few years. I don’t know when I will return to competition; I never really look more than a year ahead and never say never, but for now I want to focus on these new creative ideas.


MARION HAERTY ON FUTURELIGHT™ The Freeride World Tour snowboard champion Marion Haerty (who also won the 2017 title and took the runnerup spot in 2018) calls Chamonix her hometown, but she travels all over the world. She took to snowboarding aged 10 after getting a snowboard for Christmas.


PHOTO: MATHIS DUMAS

Encouraged in the sport by her brother and inspired by the great female boarders of the early noughties, Marion began boarding at the 1968 Olympic resort of Chamrousse, near Grenoble, where Jean-Claude Killy won three gold medals. Initially competing in the park, Marion switched to freeride after reconsidering her career while on an injury break in 2015. For the past year Marion has been testing FUTURELIGHT™ gear. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS SUMMER? I was

WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT FUTURELIGHT™? Well, actually I respect the fact that the new manufacturing process means it can be made using recycled fabrics and that The North Face is also using solar-powered factories to limit the carbon footprint of production. Anything that helps in the fight against climate change is good news. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN TESTING? I have been wearing Steep Series jackets and pants made with FUTURELIGHT. Apart from being very functional, the gear looks super-cool. Everything about it feels and looks good – the softness, colour, the shape … everything!

training in Les Deux Alpes some of the time and helping

HOW DO YOU WORK WITH THE NORTH FACE TEAM?

with a mountain training association for girls. I was also

As a sponsored athlete, one important job is for me to give

snowboarding on the glacier, climbing and paragliding.

feedback. I was in the USA recently meeting with their team

WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF FUTURELIGHT™? It’s really nice and a very different technology. It feels very

– designers, marketing, tech specialists and other athletes – and we look at every detail and ways to improve the products to make them even better.

different to what we’ve had until now. Of course, it is superbreathable and lightweight, but I also noticed it’s very strong and durable, for example when I hit a tree branch.

Like the name says, I really think FUTURELIGHT is the future.


STEEP SERIES™ GETS A NEW SEASON RE-BOOT WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF FUTURELIGHT™ FABRIC, SETTING THE NEW STANDARD FOR BREATHABLE AND WATERPROOF PERFORMANCE

MEN’S PURIST FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET £490 Designed specifically for human-powered expeditions accessing extreme terrain and variable snow conditions in search of deep powder. Skinning, bootpacking, hiking, climbing, this product needs to be lightweight for the long haul but still bomber to survive the expedition. Pack-friendly pockets give you easy access to your gear and a powder skirt means snow is kept at bay on really deep sessions. COLOUR: PAPAYA ORANGE / WEATHERED BLACK (980) | S - XL | CODE 306901

MEN’S BRIGANDINE FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET £690

Designed specifically for advanced backcountry skiing and snowboarding, the Brigandine Jacket made from FUTURELIGHT™ takes lightweight waterproof breathability to a new level. The hyper-articulated fit of this jacket offers outstanding freedom of movement. Radio-compatible features in the pockets ensure you won’t lose contact with your riding buddies, and packfriendly pockets mean you can stash gear on the go. COLOUR: CHLOROPHYLL GREEN (930) | S - XL | CODE 306900


A-CAD OUTFIT The hard-wearing A-CAD jacket and bib are designed for versatility on the mountain so you can enjoy season after season of use ranging from full-on backcountry to warm spring park days. With long lift rides the need for warmth and comfort are important so this 3-layer shell has an

MEN’S A-CAD FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET £490

WOMEN’S A-CAD FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET £490

Colour: Papaya Orange / Weathered Black (980) | Sizes: S - XL | Code 306902

Colour: Trellis Green / Radiant Orange (930) Sizes: S - L | Code 306918

MEN’S A-CAD FUTURELIGHT™ BIB £400

WOMEN’S A-CAD FUTURELIGHT™ BIB £400

Colour: Weathered Black (901) Sizes: S - XL | Code 306903

Colour: Trellis Green (930) Sizes: S - L | Code 306919

insulating backer to provide light warmth. Should things get toasty you can dump that warmth with pack-compatible pit-zip vents in the jacket and knee vents in the bib. Laden with pockets and features that take you from first chair to last call seamlessly.

Shop online: ellis-brigham.com/futurelight Speak to our team: 0808 164 0600 or visit Ellis Brigham stores nationwide


FLIGHT ™ SERIES Designed specifically for trail-running athletes by The North Face. Flight Series™ performance running gear is race-day ready and engineered using knowledge gained from the first-hand experience of The North Face athletes at Ultra races around the world as well as the endless miles covered exploring our planet using only human power.


PHOTO: TIM KEMPLE


PAU CAPELL ON FUTURELIGHT™

UTMBÂŽ 2019 winner Pau Capell discovered his talent for distance running almost by accident. Originally heading towards a football career, after a serious knee injury in 2012 doctors suggested that Pau run and train in the mountains to strengthen his muscles.


Following this advice, Pau, from Catalonia, discovered he had a natural talent for distance running. He completed the 2013 Barcelona marathon in under three hours then went on to longer ultra-running events, claiming eight victories so far, mostly in races over 100km long. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO THIS SUMMER? I have done the same as always, although maybe I have spent a little more time in the high mountains to train. But I tried to spend as much time as I could with my family, who are an important

MEN’S FLIGHT FUTURELIGHT™ JACKET £225

support, and also get some downtime relaxing on the beach.

A great example of the tunable

WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF

North Face design team were

a new jacket, and the impression was so good! It’s a light

breathability and durability of

FUTURELIGHT™? The first FUTURELIGHT gear I got was product so obviously great for runners like me. When I go to the mountains I always take this jacket now because the

nature of FUTURELIGHT™. The able to adjust the weight, stretch, this Flight Series™ product to meet their athletes’ needs.

weight is almost nothing and so I use it all the time.

The end result is a lightweight

WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOU WHEN YOU

breathability and air permeability

is just how windproof and waterproof the gear is. That’s

while retaining the right weather

CONSIDER YOUR KIT? For me the most important thing because when training or racing we can be in quite extreme

trail-running jacket where the qualities have been dialled up protection for harsh wet climates.

weather situations, so we need to carry or wear the right

COLOUR: TNF BLACK (901)

jacket. If we can move faster because we are lighter and also

SIZES: S – XL | CODE 205604

have gear that performs in extreme weather, I think it’s a really good combination. WHAT’S THE BEST ASPECT OF FUTURELIGHT™ FOR

YOU? I think that for us, the trail runners, the best thing about FUTURELIGHT clothing is that it offers more efficiency with less weight. That’s something we are always striving for and in FUTURELIGHT we get both. WHAT’S NEXT AFTER WINNING THE 2019 UTMB® (20HR 19MIN 7SEC!)? It was an incredible day. The course was really hard. Now I will take some weeks off, resting and preparing for my next project in November. This is a project in Lapland with the main objective being to help in the fight against climate change.

Shop online: ellis-brigham.com/futurelight Speak to our team: 0808 164 0600 or visit stores nationwide



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