Phunkshun Wear: Protect and Panache

For the past four seasons, Phunkshun Wear has been supplying skiers across the land with stylish and functional facemasks. It was in 2009 that Lanny Goldwasser and Jacob Levy conceptualized the company, and since then, it has grown tremendously from the original operation that began in a Summit County, CO condominium.

“We started manufacturing in Silverthorne, right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains,” explains Jay Badgley, CEO. “We’ve just recently finished developing our new manufacturing facility in Denver, allowing Phunkshun Wear to maintain its Colorado roots. This keeps all Phunkshun Wear products ‘Made in the USA,’ something that is very important to us.”

The company sources most of its high-quality raw materials from around the US but will be adding some merino wool from the land down under to the collection this year. “It’s a big jump for us. It’s the only natural fiber we’ve used in the line,” says Badgley. “And it’s really popular with our athletes and retailers.”

Implementing the merino wool into Phunkshun’s line of facemasks and balaclavas will result in an ultra comfortable, temperature-regulating mask that isn’t itchy to the skin. The merino line will supplement Phunkshun’s other high- quality masks, including the SL Trunk, which utilizes an antimicrobial agent to combat odors on the single layer of moisture wicking stretch polyester.

For more inclement weather, the DL Trunk uses an antimicrobial mesh on its inner layer and a stretch-polyester fabric with durable water repellent to battle the elements on the outer layer. And for the most brutal days on the hill, Phunkshun’s new DL Thermal replaces the mesh of the DL’s interior with high-performance Polartec fleece. Also new for this season will be a convertible balaclava, available in both a polyester spandex blend as well as merino wool.

What really sets Phunkshun apart from its competitors is the collection of eye- catching graphic designs all across the line. From intergalactic prints to floral designs and everything in between, these masks make a statement and are designed almost entirely in-house. For 2014-15, be on the lookout for limited-edition masks to be released as part of the White Elephant Collection, including a photo-realistic camouflage, Lost Camo.

In an effort to spread the style, Phunkshun puts its masks on the faces of hard-working up-and-comers. “We aren’t taking the cliché approach of endorsing a name that frequents podiums just for the sake of creating an association between their image and our product. We sponsor athletes that genuinely like and wear our products,” says Badgley. “We’ve got guys like Noah Wallace, Robby Franco and Cody Cirillo. These guys are amazing athletes that have a really strong local following through continuous content production. They’re hard workers and great people.”

Said content—in the form of web edits, blog posts and banger ‘grams—has helped to put this young brand on the map and will continue to do so in the coming years. From its humble beginnings in Silverthorne to its new Denver headquarters, the company has made big strides in a short span of time and has no doubts about the mission going forward. They will continue to blend fashion and function for skiers who know what they want.