Le Bent welcomes two new prominent North American athletes to the team

DENVER, Colo. (December 16, 2019) – Le Bent, Australia’s beloved makers of ultra-comfortable technical socks and next to skin layers, proudly announces two new high-profile athletes to their global team, Elyse Saugstad and Sammy Carlson. The star skiers found their way to the brand through different paths, but both were ultimately drawn to the quality of the product and the people behind the brand.

ELYSE SAUGSTAD

Saugstad is easily one of today’s most recognizable and accomplished big mountain skiers, having received many industry awards for her mind-blowing lines in films over the years. She was first introduced to Le Bent through her husband, Cody Townsend, who last year partnered with the brand to develop his touring sock, Le Send. It wasn’t long before Le Bent founders approached Saugstad to join the team.

“Cody’s spending most his time on uphill missions these days,” says Simon Blondel, Le Bent co-founder. “But Elyse is just full-on sending it all season long. She bloody rips! Naturally we felt her experience and level of commitment would make her an excellent addition to the Le Bent crew.”

The first project for Saugstad and Le Bent is a women’s version of Le Send.

“I joined Le Bent because I like to work with companies that don’t just use me for my athlete recognition, but actually want to truly work with me to develop the best possible product,” says Saugstad. “Already I am stepping into a co-lab on a women’s sock and that’s exciting for me because socks are such an important and very specific fitting piece of gear for skiing. If your socks don’t fit perfectly and the material is crap, you’re going to have a bad day skiing.”

The Elyse Pro Model will be available to preview at ORWM and at retail Fall 2020.

SAMMY CARLSON

Eight-time X-Games gold medalist, Sammy Carlson (or Sammy C as he’s known to many) joins the team after a fortuitous meeting with Blondel on a BC cat trip last winter. “It was completely random, we met at the top of a run called Cloud 9,” recalls Carlson. “We were getting ready for another lap, then one of the cats rolled up. I noticed Simon wearing a Quicksilver jacket, so naturally I said, ‘What’s up!’ We talked briefly before the run, then that night at the lodge over a beer, he convinced me he makes the best socks in the industry. As soon as I tried them, I knew these guys weren’t messing around.”

Carlson is known for his big freestyle tricks, both in the park and off jumps built in the backcountry. These days, he’s more focused on finding those pristine lines and hitting natural features, simply skiing as much powder as he possibly can.

For Fall 2020, Carlson has teamed up with the Le Bent team to design a sock that offers a little more padding in the shin and around the ankle for added comfort, something that hill bangers like Sammy and novices alike could appreciate.

“I like a medium thick sock with padding in the right spots,” explains Carlson. “If it’s too thick and bulky, I often find I’m swimming in the sock by midday.”

The Sammy Pro Light will be available to preview at ORWM and at retail Fall 2020.

For more information, please contact Maro LaBlance, at maro@campfire-collective.co.