Dear CLEW fans,

every good magazine needs a little foreword. Therefore, we would like to thank you for the great support! We are really thrilled that we can inspire so many people with CLEW.  We devote so much work to this magazine in order to give you, our supporters, many different and exciting insights into our company. Exchanging ideas with you is awesome and greatly helps us in our development. You are the reason why our machines and employees are working at full speed in assembly and why we can really step on the gas this winter! We are not only looking forward to finally presenting you the new model of our CLEW binding, but also to a fantastic winter season with lots of powder. And now we hope you enjoy reading our 1st official CLEW Magazine edition!

Production

At a time when globalization has given companies a wide variety of options for their production processes, we have opted for the only way that feels right to us. From the very beginning, we wanted all CLEW models to be produced in Germany so that we could control and optimize every single step of the manufacturing process ourselves. This refers not only to the quality of the bond, but to the social responsibility we have for our employees in production and the resources we use as well. The challenging and difficult year 2021 is a confirmation that the approach "Made in Germany", along with our conviction of a socially and sustainably operating company, is the right one. Despite supply bottlenecks for many materials, we were able to ensure that we had all components of the new model available in time for the start of assembly thanks to our short and fast transport routes. This made it possible to start production on time. Furthermore, we are very proud to be once again able to intensively involve the workshop for people with disabilities in Miesbach in Upper Bavaria in our production processes. A wide variety of subassemblies are pre-assembled there for us by hand. For more than 45 years, the Oberland Werkstätten have been providing people with disabilities with precisely tailored vocational qualification places, technical guidance and educational support. We are very pleased that this cooperation has been running so professionally and successfully for 2 years.

We are aware that many components of our product are made of plastic, as it is not possible to do otherwise for safety reasons at the current time. For this very reason, we are keen to reduce our additional plastic consumption as much as possible, both in packaging and in the production lines. Therefore, we continue to use many wooden assembly units from previous years and are eliminating unnecessary plastic from our production step by step. We have also agreed with our parts suppliers to do without plastic packaging as much as possible, e.g. not to wrap every single highback in foil. Compared to last year's assembly, we were also able to replace some work steps with semi-automatic devices this year, enabling our employees to work more efficiently and ergonomically and to assemble all screws even more precisely. These changes ensure an even higher quality of our binding.

The fact that our production facility is only 50 km away from our office in Munich means that at least one of the founders is always personally on site. In this way we can be sure that the quality of the bindings is right and optimize our processes on a daily basis. To give you an insight into the production halls, we will soon publish a video on YouTube. Feel free to subscribe for more information.

Worth knowing: CLEW snowboard bindings are produced once a year in a 3-month period, because production efficiency and precision are our key success factors. Unfortunately, this also means that we cannot easily "re-produce" during a winter season. Our assembly is running at full speed from August to October, so that we can supply our customers worldwide this winter as well. With our new Fullfillment Center in the USA, we have added a large, additional sales market to Europe and Asia this year. The CLEW Freedom 1.0 is therefore only available as long as stocks permit.

Innovations Model 2021/22

Speed, innovation and creativity: these three things not only define our start-up, but are the basis for CLEW's steady growth. We have a flat hierarchy, do without formal processes where possible, as well as slowing down bureaucracy. The result is increased productivity in the development of CLEW. We want to completely revolutionize snowboarding, so we don't compromise in our product development. We constantly examine every part of our bindings, change them immediately if necessary, and thus ensure constant improvement.

From the beginning it was clear to us: A step-in snowboard binding is only sustainably successful if you do not compromise on the riding experience. In addition to the extremely fast entry and exit, our new binding therefore offers plenty of options for adjustment to provide the optimal, individual driving experience while snowboarding. The new model, the CLEW Freedom 1.0, is the result of various tests, as well as several missions of our team riders. These riders were allowed to participate in tournaments and ride in freeride despite the 2020/21 pandemic conditions. The insights we gained and the productive suggestions for improvement gave us a lot of important information during the past development phase.

We would like to present you every single detail and its impact on the performance:

Toecap

We have replaced the entire unit. This makes the entry easier and more ergonomic. Thanks to the new design, the new toecap fits snugly to the boots. In the last model, we used components made of synthetic leather and EVA. Now we use cold-toughened, particularly resistant to abrasion TPU. This is significantly more stable and durable. The single-component material is also easier to recycle and therefore more sustainable.

Toolless screws

Here we have optimized the screw head. In the new version, you no longer need a screwdriver, but can turn the screw directly by hand. This has the advantage that you can make any readjustment directly on the slope. 

Toecap belts (teeth and adjuster belt)

We have changed the material composition of the straps and now use the cold-tough modified and durable TPU material as well. We have also strengthened the teeth. They now allow for faster engagement and provide more grip, speed and improved usability. In addition, we have added a better interface connection to the swivel joint, which also provides a better driving experience. 

Forward Lean Adjuster (FLA)

We have optimized the material composition and the shape. The new FLA gives you a more stable power transmission between highback and base and thus an even better response.

Disc               

The new disc has a lower weight and also offers finer adjustment options. Thus, you can adjust your binding even more precisely in the position. 

Easy Handle Grip

We have slightly optimized the handle shape of our system, so that the exit works even better. In summary, we have kept the most important key features and the basic design of the CLEW 20 binding, but have been able to reach a new level in terms of usability, ride feel and material composition with the CLEW Freedom 1.0.

Moonchild Snowboard x CLEW

This collaboration offers you the perfect snowboard setup: our new binding model in combination with the fantastic snowboard. Moonchild snowboards is a European rider-owned brand started by Jure Sodja and Marcus Montgomery in 2015. Jure has been a passionate snowboarder since the mid 90`s. He is born in Slovenia and educated as an aviation engineer and heavy machinery designer. Jure's true passion is designing boards, and he always thinks outside the box when it comes to new shapes and materials.

Marcus is born in Sweden and residing in Spain. His love for snowboarding started in the late 80's. He tested new materials, created prototypes, and built boards for Capita team riders. If you've tuned in to the X-games and Olympics, you may already have seen some of the boards he has built. He is also a vintage board collector and knows everything about the history of snowboarding. We are really excited about the collaboration with the guys from Moonchild.This model has been fully designed by us and tested by our team in Hintertux several times. The board comes in 155 cm, true twin, camber profile with an early rise rocker.Thinner Triax-glass, carbon stringers for extra pop, sintered IS 7200 base with an advanced side cut radius and wood core profile. If you want to make sure that you get one of these absolutely limited boards, just send us a mail for details. Or contact us on our social media channels. 

Office Expansion

What actually happened to our office remodel?Due to our many meetings and the growing size of our team, we decided to restructure our office. With regard to the new fulfillment in the States and the many new team riders, there are obviously more meetings, so we can now work much more efficiently thanks to the remodeling. Furthermore, we created a separate room for calls as well as space for a showcase of all CLEW prototypes and a showroom for the first CLEW hoodies and beanies. On our social media channels, we will publish behind-the-scences videos from time to time to give you exclusive insights into our office. It will be ready on 14.09.2021! The presale starts in 8 days and we feel the huge anticipation for the CLEW Freedom 1.0 and the coming winter through the many registrations! We have over 800 store visitors daily on our completely redesigned website! Each registered user will receive a unique access link by mail shortly before the release. This will take you directly to the store where you will be able to get the right size and color directly. Do you have any questions about sizes, deliveries or similar? Then have a look at the FAQ. In the next release of CLEW Magazine, which will be published at the end of October, you can expect exciting information about the CLEW Winter Hut. We have an exciting collaboration with an alpine chalet near Hintertux. We will not only have various celebrities from TV and Internet as guests, but will also teach them how to snowboard, guided by our pro riders. Of course, we will publish the funny and entertaining content for you on our social media channels. We also have a contest for you where you can win a few exclusive days with us at the lodge. Stay tuned.

Until then, cheer on, winter is coming!

Your CLEW® Team