SNOW SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS GO GREEN - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

SNOW SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS GO GREEN

SANTA MARIA - We're getting an early start to snow season here in California.  Many ski resorts are now open.  In this week's Down to Earth, we're highlighting a few ways you can conserve as you head up the mountain.

 Snow is already falling in the Sierras.  While winter sport enthusiasts  take advantage of the weather, many are concerned with the impact they're having on the environment.

 Dan Pankratz is the co-owner of One Way Board Shop.  "With surf and snow board culture, you're dealing with the elements you've got surf boards in the ocean, snow boards in the mountains, they're making a huge push on being more eco-minded."

"We  feel a little bit more responsible we're using the snow we use the elements of the earth, so we have to give back to it," adds Mike Montemurro, a snow boarder.

That's why several manufacturers are beginning to create "green"  products, from clothing made from organic materials to snow boards made with recycled wood, and more 

"We're seeing soybean in lot of different things, surf wax is doing it, snow board wax," says Pankratz.

Montemurro is also a distributor for a company that makes sunglasses from recycled plastic.  He explains, when more customers demand green products, manufacturers listen.

"What we're seeing is the general consumer is walking into the store and asking for eco-friendly product, we felt if we didn't have a product we'd be missing that consumer completely."

And as Pankratz explains, while the eco-friendly version may cost a bit more at this point, that may also change in time.

"You get what you pay for, you usually get a better product and you get something you can feel good about having."