Highlights from 2016

Here’s a look back at some of the wildest adventures from this year

Athlethes: TEAM SUBTECH
Products: PRO DRYBAG 45L, PRO DRYCASE (Coming Soon)
Continents: Antarctica, Australia, Asia, Europe, North America, South America

From time to time you encounter stories that amazes you, stories that are quite difficult to grasp. Here’s a selection of some of the highlights from this year.

Imagine running 5 marathons per week for 6 months during rain season. That is exactly what our team member Olly did as he ran 6000km, thru 8 countries with all his gear packed in our bag pulled by a cart to raise awareness for depression in young people.

Team rider Valentin paddled from Hamburg along Elbe together with his girlfriend, passing 300 meter long ships in the middle of the night in one of the most trafficked rivers in the world with all his gear packed in our bag attached to his SUP.

Australian Tom Mackay trekked 900km across India – An epic journey from Bekal, on India’s west coast, to the Bay of Bengal along the east coast. Tom completed the solo walk in less than two months, pulling a cart holding our bag with his possessions and camping gear, with which he set up camp along the route most nights.

The two technical students Aymeric & Antoine set out to drive 17000 km thru 20 countries in a rundown Citroën. On the expedition the students had nothing but spare parts, tools to fix the car, petrol and our bags packed with necessities.

In recent years team rider Wille Lindberg has been one of the top freeride skieers in the world but in order to pursue his dream he bought a boat, learned how to sail, packed his boat with skies, surfboard, food, water and necessities to set sails to the Fjords of Norway to live on his boat shooting films, skiing down the beautiful mountains of Norway.

The US Pararesque team are on a daily basis putting their life on the line. Here caught on camera after been launching the boat and all their gear including our bag off a plane at 10.000 ft in to the freezing cold Bering Sea, off the coast of Alaska.

Our friends at Fd Sports did an exciting scuba expedition where they flew all their gear up to 2300 m in the Austrian alps with helicopter to then scuba dive in crystal clear alp water.

For the past 12 years the research schooner Tara Expeditions has been constantly on the move and have traveled 400,000km km across the world oceans and has been an important platform for scientific research to study the impacts of climate change and the ecological crisis on the ocean.

We are proud to be an official supplier of Tara Expeditions supporting the crew with bags to keep their gear dry and protected during their 2-year long journey around the world.

Imagine operating a plane at a speed of Mach 2 (2450km/h)?! That is exactly what the F-16 pilots are doing and we are honored to have one one of the F-16 pilots within the U.S. Air Force on our team, pushing our products to the limit.

Besides taking part in these amazing expeditions we are also proud of what the team has accomplished, our mutual initiatives and what is about to come in 2017!

We successfully launched the PRO DRYCASE via Kickstarter during 2016 and after a lot of hard work we are excited about bringing the case to market in 2017.

We are proud to support World Wildlife Foundation by donating one dollar per sold product that goes directly to WWF Oceans program to help preserve the world oceans and wildlife.

We got selected as one of top 50 most innovative, newcoming brands for 2016 at ISPO and we can not wait to share what we have been working on during the year that is about to come in 2017.

Have a great new years and we are looking forward to an epic 2017 together with you!

For more pics from 2016 Link

Red Bull Illume finalist- Vernon Deck

‘Don’t be afraid to fail as failure is how we learn, don’t even think of it as failure, its experience you’re gaining.’

 

Name: Vernon Deck
Background: Outdoor/Sports photographer
Interests: Snowboarding, sailing & photography
Currently: Red Bull Illume Finalist- The worlds biggest photo competition
All images © Vernon Deck

We are happy to introduce our latest member to our team, Vernon Deck. Vernon is a very talented photographer that recently got awarded as finalist in the prestigious competition Red Bull Illume. We checked in to find out how Vernon got to where he is today.

How did you get into working as a professional photographer and what made you move all the way from New Zealand to Switzerland?

Well first off, I ended up in Switzerland before I ever thought of being a professional photographer. I had worked a year in the UK in the F1 racing industry and ended up in Switzerland after meeting a girl there. I went up to Laax to watch a world cup halfpipe snowboarding event. It was my first ever time seeing snowboarding, this was 1997. I had been taking photos constantly but never thought it could lead to something, I actually just never thought about it as a job at all, it didn’t enter my mind.

I just fell in love right away with snowboarding, they all seemed so free and were just having so much fun, I wanted to be part of it. It happened pretty fast I guess but even when I was getting jobs I still didnt really think of it as work, just a way to make it possible to continue. I made friends with some Laax locals like Jamie Phillp, Nicholas Muller and the 3 Buvoli brothers and just got better and better shooting with them. A few years later my tax man told me that I was earning more from Photography than my other job as an excavator driver so I decided to go for it full time. It took me a while to say it out loud, “I am Photographer”

Can you tell us a little bit about your photo that got nominated for the Red Bull Illume award?

I was super stoked when Red Bull told me that this image had made the finals of the Illume contest.

To be honest though, out of all the shots I submitted this one was the last that I thought would be selected. I love the shot but I just didn’t think it would do too well as a “Red Bull” shot. They have a pretty specific style, very in your face action. Volcom on the other hand have a very different and unique style. Volcom has contracted me for the past 10 years so obviously my style suits them well.

The Illume event in Chicago was awesome though and even though I don’t back Energy Drinks in general Red Bull does some pretty rad stuff. Talking to other photographers at the event it became clear that many of them shot projects specifically for the Red Bull Illume. My shot was from a day in St Moritz riding with old buddies Michi Albin and Iker Fernandez. It wasn’t a conceptual shot like most of the other submissions it was just a natural moment that I captured. Maybe that’s why it was chosen, it was different than the rest.

You currently work 6 months of the year in the alps shooting for Volcom and the rest of the year sailing the world on your sail boat. What would be your best tip for people wanting to follow your footsteps?

Oh wow, I wear size 46 shoes, thats some big footsteps! Nah just kidding. Honestly since my dad was killed in an accident when I was young I have just been super aware of how short life can be. I dont belive in afterlife or even a religion, I just believe I have this one chance and I don’t want to waste it. So I keep my life very simple.

I rather work very hard for a short time and then enjoy the fruits of that rather then work every day 8 hours my whole life. Twice every week I see people write the same thing, “Thank god its Friday” and “Damn, why did the weekend go by so fast”. I find that very sad. There is more to life than Kindergarten, School, University, Work, Retire, Die.

I believe that many people are unwilling to take a risk.

My tip would be to just go and try something. Don’t be afraid to fail as failure is how we learn, don’t even think of it as failure, its experience you’re gaining.

I make less money than nearly everyone I know but I am very rich. Time, friends, experiences, satisfaction, in these things I am a gazillionaire.

You recently started a Vlog named Learning By Doing. What was your aim with starting this vlog and is it worth all the time and effort it takes to produce each episode?

Good question. A few years ago I had a photo blog, I’d upload photos everyday and write something about my day. It was pretty successful gaining 500k views in 2012. Learning By Doing on You Tube is just another medium. I had never shot or edited video so this was a big motivator as well. I set myself the goal of a video each week, this way forcing myself to film something each week. Its sort of tough as I get people who are really into the winter/photo videos but when I go sailing for months they don’t like that and vice-versa. It seems people like the instructional type videos the most but I don’t feel too comfortable doing them as personally I never really liked to be taught, always preferring to teach myself, hence “Learning By Doing”

To answer the question, YES it is worth it as I am learning a lot myself but more importantly the feedback and conversation I have with some viewers is just awesome.

What would be your best advice for people wanting to start their own vlog?

I dont really think I should be giving advice as LBD is not exactly killing it. You Tube is huge and mostly full of rubbish that no-one watches but there is some great content out there for sure. Its the same as anything, you need to make something different.

If you just follow the same concept as others, pranking, gaming etc you wont make it as there are already many people doing that successfully. Finding the gem in a pile of rocks and recognizing it for its true worth is the hardest thing. On the other hand, if you don’t actually start then you also wont succeed.

What’s your feedback about our bag that you’ve been using on your boat for the past 6 months?

Id like to tell the story of how I came into possession of the Subtech Drybag. I was wandering through the halls of ISPO(massive trade show) last year and came across this little stand. The reason I decided to stop and talk to the two guys was because I could sense that they were not just selling the new seasons goods but actually had a product they were truly proud of. They had passion! Maybe they felt the same way when they asked me about what I do. Anyway we exchanged business cards and I wandered off. When Erik contacted me asking if I would like a bag I was really stoked.

I photograph in some of the harshest environments on the planet and the wellbeing of my camera gear is always in my mind.

The Subtech bag has never let me down and because of it I have actually taken my camera and drone to places that I wouldn’t have done before having it. So in that way it has helped me to be creative.

You really feel that the material is strong, the zip is solid. After looking it over and testing it once in the water I had no qualms about putting my expensive equipment in there and swimming out to the reef.

I believe the gurus at Subtech are working on some new designs and I cant wait to see what they come up with.

We are stoked to have Vernon on our team and look forward to follow him on his upcoming adventures. Chek out Vernon’s You Tube Channel Learning By Doing

The life behind the camera

‘Having given up being the other side of the lens as a skier, I moved back to London and picked up a camera in 2011’

Name: Hugo Pettit
Background: Professional photographer
Interests: Action sports and Fashion
Currently: Starting a Creative Production Agency and new member of TEAM SUBTECH
All images © Hugo Pettit

We are happy to introduce our latest member to our team, Hugo Pettit. Hugo is a talented action sports & fashion photographer that is currently in the process of setting up his own production agency together with two mates. We checked in to find out a bit more about Hugo and his coming plans…

-For how long have you been working as a professional photographer?

Having given up being the other side of the lens as a skier, I moved back to London and picked up a camera in 2011.

Having spent the majority of my life at a high level of various sports, I was immediately in a good position as a photographer, being able to understand and predict the intricate movements and skills within various action sporting disciplines.

My niche really is to get into positions where a lot of photographers cannot.

With a love for fashion photography also, this has lead to where I am now, specialising in a mix between sport and fashion and a ‘behind the scenes’ documentary style.

-Tell us a bit about working with the one of the world’s most known street car races, Gumball 3000?

It has been a very interesting journey, I feel truly fortunate to have been given the opportunity to get a glimpse into this mad, amazing world of Gumball.

An extreme mix of beauty, money, action sports, fashion and obviously car worlds appeals in some way to nearly everybody, and being able to capture some of this through a camera has been a pretty special experience.

Over the last 2 years I have travelled from Stockholm to Vegas and from Dublin to Bucharest heading up Gumball’s media team, travelling both in super cars and our own slightly more demure media wagons.

-What is your next step in your career?

I recently started a creative production agency with two of my best mates. Our aim is simple: to create beautiful and powerful story-telling imagery that inspires.

Through a network of influencers and creatives we build adventurous projects for a wide assortment of clients worldwide. We love to travel, meet inspiring people, push boundaries and capture it all on film.

-What’s your best tip for us amateurs that doesn’t own a proper camera but still want to snap a high quality photo with our smartphone?

Perspective. When you’ve seen a scene that captures your imagination and you want to take a photo, take a step back, look at the scene as a whole and try to get it’s various elements into the picture.

If it’s a skateboarder (for example) you want a shot of…compose your image using the foreground and background in the image, not only does this give perspective to whatever the subject of the image is doing, but plain and simple, it becomes much more interesting than a plain photo with solely subject filling the frame.

-What’s your impression of our PRO DRYBAG 45L after using it for a while now?

Epic. I travel a lot and live in the UK, it’s wet, cold and I’m always somewhere I shouldn’t be. The PRO DRYBAG 45L is sturdy, waterproof, big enough for all my kit and importantly keeps it all very safe.

On top of this, when I’m not on a shoot and just need a weekend bag, the PRO DRYBAG doubles up as this perfectly, looking good and when deflated more than big enough for everything I’d need on a weekend away. It is also perfect airline hand baggage size.

We are really happy to have Hugo on our TEAM SUBTECH and look forward to follow him on his upcoming adventures.

Follow Hugo Pettit on Instagram for more pics

Nuit de la Glisse- World premiere

with team rider Wille Lindberg

Name: Wille Lindberg
Age: 31
Background: Professional freeskier from Sweden
Currently: Premiere of the extreme sport movie, Nuit de la Glisse- Don’t crack under pressure 2.
Premiere: Sweden: 2/12. Italy 1/12. Rest of the World- Coming Soon…

All images © Nuit de la Glisse.

 

In recent years Wille has been one of the top riders in the Freeride World Tour. He is currently contributing in the premiere of the extreme sport movie Nuit de la Glisse- Don’t crack under pressure 2 with Premiere in Sweden on Friday, December 2nd.

“Nuit De La Glisse is an extreme sport movie. I’m representing the skiing part and it has been tons of fun making the movie. Flying heli and skiing lines.”

The movie has captured the most amazing footage’s…

With some of the most worlds best daredevils…

The work behind the camera is just remarkable…

Shot in the wildest places…

From the most beautiful locations..

Capturing the world below the surface…

With material that amazes even the best….

Don’t miss the premiere of Nuit de la Glisse- Don’t crack under pressure 2 with TEAM SUBTECH rider Wille Lindberg.

 

4x German Kite Champion

After my first session I was hooked- after my first victory it became a true passion!

Name: Linus Erdmann
Age: 20
Background: 4x German Kite Champion
Currently: Training in Brazil

Linus has currently escaped to warmer climate to train in great wind conditions and it sure seems like he has a pretty sweet lifestyle over in Brazil at the moment.

The lagoon they kite to everyday

Relaxing with mates in between sessions

We asked Linus a few questions to put him to work just a little bit in between sessions to share with all of you…

– At what age did you start kiting, and when did it become a true passion of yours?
I started kitesurfing when I was 9 years old. My father introduced me into this awesome watersport.

After my first session I was hooked on kitesurfing and after my first victory in a competition it became a true passion!

– How does a typical day look like during season vs off-season?
During the season I’m always checking the weather forecast. When the wind looks good I’m going straight to the sea for a couple sessions. And actually there isn’t really an off-season because I go out even in winter and snow. But usually I’m traveling the world to make sure I always have summer 😉

When there’s no wind I do some emails, videos and photos for my sponsors.

– You spend a lot of time in the cable park, how has that helped you in your kiting?
Wakeboarding is quite similar to kitesurfing so you can train the same tricks when there’s no wind.

I rather do any sport than sitting at home!

– You have a very promising career a head of you, what keeps motivate you to stay at the top as one of the worlds best kite surfers?
I just love to be out on the water. Seeing others doings tricks keeps me motivated to stay at the top.

It’s also a personal goal to do all the difficult tricks.

– What has been your experience so far from our waterproof bag?
In kitesurfing we do a lot races and trips on the water so when I’m not free styling I take my waterproof bag with me to have all my camera gear with me.

There are many spots that you can not reach by walking so that’s how I get my equipment secured to every unique spot!

‘The bag is seriously perfect for Brazil, because we have to kite to a lagoon everyday and that’s the only possibility to get drinks, cameras and phones secured over the water!‘

 

We are stoked to have Linus on our team and and we wish him the best of luck for the rest of the season.

If you want to follow Linus on his next adventure you can follow him here Link

U.S. Pararescue Team

The worlds most highly trained recovery specialists

The US Pararescue team are the most highly trained and versatile personnel recovery specialists in the world. Pararescue is the nation’s force of choice to execute the most perilous, demanding, and extreme rescue missions anytime, anywhere across the globe.

Final preparations before launching the PRO DRYBAG 45L off a plane at 10.000 ft in to the freezing cold Bering Sea, off the coast of Alaska.

 

When it comes to their gear it is only Function, Quality & Durability that matters as it has to withstand the most extreme conditions you can possibly imagine so that they can focus on what they are trained to do, which is saving lives.

Back to the roots

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

There is nothing like the experience of exploring new places with friends and family and just be one with the nature.

This short video clip below really takes us back to where it all started in Australia with our vision of developing the ultimate waterproof solutions for active people to be able to Share Your Passion.

Don’t forget to live life to the fullest!

The German SUP Champion

“…the sport is going to become one of the coolest watersports.”

Name: Valentin Illichmann
Age: 17
Background: Professional Stand Up Paddler (SUP) and Adventure addict
2x German SUP Champion Whitewater
3x German SUP Champion (under 18)
3rd best Paddler overall
Currently: Planning the next adventure

At what age did you start with Stand up paddling and when did it become a true passion of yours?
I tried SUP for the first time when I was 12. One year later I was totally hooked.

 

What is your next goal in your career?
I want to do more expeditions in remote nature and start compete more in International races.

 

You recently paddled from Hamburg along Elbe, tell us a little bit about your adventure?
Yes, it was hard because of the tides. The Elbe from Hamburg is also one of the most trafficked rivers in the world so it was a very crazy feeling to paddle there in to the dark when suddenly 300 meter long ships with one meter high waves was passing us in the dark.

At day 1 we started at 3 pm and had to paddle 50km so we didn’t arrive until 10 pm and had to set up the tent for the night in the dark and try to get some sleep and try to recover for an intense next day.

At day 2 we started at 3 am after some difficulties with a lot of morning fog we then finished the expedition at midday.

I carried all my stuff in the ProDrybag for the trip. Tent, Jacket, dry clothes, first aid, food and water for two days.

 

The sport is growing rapidly all over the world, where do you see the sport to be in a couple of year time?
There is no doubt that the sport becomes bigger and bigger every year. It’s very hard to say something about this question but I believe the sport is going to become one of the coolest watersports. The Events and Competitions attracts more attention and draws more athletes to this growing sport.

 

What has been your experience so far of our waterproof bag?
This bag is your best option when you’re travelling in the nature. Adventures and Expeditions on the water have no more limits with the ProDrybag.

 

It’s a true pleasure to have Valentin on our team and we wish him the best of luck for the rest of the season and looking forward to follow him on his next adventure.

Make a Difference

Save the World Oceans

The research schooner Tara Expeditions has now reached Easter island and are continuing their important work to try and help save the world oceans.

For the last 12 years the boat has been constantly on the move and have traveled 400,000km km across the world oceans and has been an important platform for scientific research to study the impacts of climate change and the ecological crisis on the ocean.

Here is a glimpse of their incredible journey from Malpelo, Colombia to the French Polynesia.

Image rights: ©MAEVA BARDY  ©TANE SINCLAIR TAYLOR  ©FRANCOIS AURAT  ©YANN CHAVANCE ©DAVID HANNAN OceanArkAlliance

We are proud to be able to support the crew in their important research work that they are doing on board with our PRO DRYBAG 45L to keep their gear dry and safe onboard.

Live life to the fullest

Here’s a glimpse of a photographers life sailing the Great Barrier reef

Wouldn’t it be awesome to be off work 6 months of the year and just travel the world?

That is exactly the lifestyle that the professional photographer Vernon Deck is living, as he spends 6 months of the year in the alps shooting powder runs for Volcom and the rest of the year on his sailing boat traveling the world, exploring the most amazing places, meeting new and old friends that share the same passion for adventure, and get to enjoy life to the very fullest with memories that last a lifetime.

Verified by our users

Here’s a glimpse of our bag in use from around the world

Since we successfully funded our PRO DRYBAG 45L via Kickstarter in December, 2014 we have not only received an prestigious award for our innovative design but more importantly had it verified by our valued customers from around the world.

Used on Heli scuba dive expedition at 2300m in the Austrian alps, used to protect scientific equipment trying to save the world oceans, used to hike the Grand Canyon, used by top athletes from around the world, used to paddle from Hamburg to the open north sea on a SUP or used on a 170.000 km long expedition thru 20 countries just to name a few settings where our products have been used today.

Verfied by the Best

This is how our award-winning bag is currently used

Product: PRO DRYBAG 45L
Use: Adventure dry bag
Key Features:
– Waterproof down to (50m/164ft)
– Shockproof Inflatable System
– Air/Water/Condensation tight zipper
– Ergonomic backpack
– Floating

 

Since we successfully funded our PRO DRYBAG 45L via Kickstarter in December, 2014 we have not only received an prestigious award for our innovative design but more importantly had it verified by some of the worlds best within their respective sport and profession.

America’s Cup, Gumball 3000, Freeride World Tour and US Air force just to name a few.

The sky is the limit

“It requires discipline, physical fitness and dedication to be in the U.S. Airforce”

Name: Lt Col Mike
Currently: F-16 Pilot, U.S Air Force.

 

Lt Col Mike is a U.S. Airforce F16 Pilot. A profession that has enabled him to travel and explore parts of the world one can only dream of. The workdays are filled with challenges, along with spending lots of time abroad. But the journey has not been simple. To become a U.S Air Force Pilot requires both discipline and dedication. Taking in consideration though where Mike is today, and where his goals are set, one can simply say that the sky is the limit.

What was the main reason you decided to join the U.S. Air Force?
The main reason I decided to join the Air Force was to travel the world and have an opportunity to fly fighter aircraft.

What does it take to become a member of the U.S. Air Force?
Becoming an Officer and a pilot in the U.S. Air Force requires a lot of dedication over a fairly extended period of time in order to attain high grades both in college and in the pilot training process.  It also requires discipline, physical fitness, and dedication to attain the standards to be in the U.S. Air Force.

Describe your daily routines as a F16-pilot.
Let me first start with a weekly routine to help give some perspective. On a weekly basis I would usually fly 3 times per week, 1 time per week I will sit the Operations Desk in a Supervisory role of the daily flying schedule and the 5th day of the week I will usually teach some type of academics, attend academics, self-study, or an F-16 simulator. On a flying day we will show up to the squadron and prepare for the day’s flight by checking the weather, getting Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), looking at our flight currencies, Intelligence reports, and Tasking’s for the days flights.  We will then brief the flight for approximately 1 hour, then we will go out and do the aircraft pre-flight followed by anywhere from a 1-hour to 5-hour flight depending on the mission. After landing we will review our tapes for approximately 1-2 hours which record everything we do during the flight to analyze what we can do better. The rest of the day is finishing any required paperwork or administration that needs to be completed.

Have you experienced any setbacks during your pilot carrier?
I have experienced a handful of set-backs in my pilot career to include not being selected to be a pilot when I first started my Air Force career. I was also denied a couple of specific flying jobs in my career due to Air Force level decisions. In each of these cases I just continued to work hard, worry about the things I have control over, and in the end I think things have happened for the best.

Do you spend much time abroad?
I spend less time abroad in my current assignment but I have been very fortunate to have lived in South Korea and Italy for approximately 5 years of my life. I have also had the opportunity to deploy 7 different times to the Middle East in support of operations there which was an extremely challenging and rewarding experience

What is the main perks of your profession?
There is no doubt in my mind that being able to fly the F-16 is the #1 perk in my profession. Other added perks are definitely the ability to travel to very cool parts of the world and working with amazing people.

What’s your impression so far on the PRO DRYBAG 45L?
I have been very pleased with the PRO DRYBAG 45L’s performance so far. My first impression was how professional, and precise the bag looked with the little details being mastered. The exterior material, seams, color scheme, and interior construction of the bag really gives me a solid confidence that the bag is very slick looking and durable for all types of extreme activities, not least mine. My important gear is completely protected in the PRO DRYBAG45L.