Safeback Unveiling New Partner at Norwegian Winter Sports Showcase

At the invitation of the Norwegian Consulate General and Innovation Norway, Safeback will display its snow safety system and partner backpacks at the Norwegian Winter Sports Showcase. This two-day event will be held in Beaver Creek on the first days of the FIS World Cup Races.

The Safeback SBX avalanche survival system is the first innovation in 25 years focused on extending the survival timeline of avalanche burial victims under the snow.

For decades, avalanche safety technologies have focused either on preventative technologies like airbags or avalanche rescue equipment for users above the snow locating and recovering buried victims as fast as possible. However, once engulfed by 500kg per cubic meter of snow, victims have just 10 minutes to be rescued before asphyxiation becomes life-threatening. As a result, three out of four avalanche fatalities are due to suffocation beneath the snowpack.

Safeback SBX uses patented air supply technology to extend the rescue window for skiers and snowboarders caught in an avalanche or tree well from 10 minutes to over 90. SBX is designed to be integrated into backpacks, and to date there are 3 backpack producers in market with Safeback technology: Db, Bergans, and Raide Research.

At the Norwegian Winter Sports Showcase in Beaver Creek, two backpacks from Safeback’s newest partner, Helly Hansen, will be showcased.

“We are proud to introduce the Safeback SBX system in two of our new backpacks for the fall/winter ’25 season,” said Erik Meusburger, Product Manager of Professional Services at Helly Hansen. “As a leading ski brand trusted by professionals, we work closely with our ski patrol partners around the world to ensure their gear keeps them safe and protected in any environment. Helly Hansen is a brand committed to helping people stay and feel alive, and we’re excited to be integrating this life-saving system into our products available next fall/winter season.”

Helly Hansen’s backpacks were designed with both professional and recreational users in mind and will be introduced in the 2025/26 winter season.

“Safeback’s mission is to protect the lives of users exposed to avalanche and tree well risk. Ski patrollers and other professional avalanche rescue groups are on the front lines of these problems, working to mitigate or rescue people from them every day," added Tor Berge, CEO and Co-founder of Safeback. "With Helly Hansen’s deep experience delivering products to meet the standards of these pro users and our shared roots in Norway, we couldn’t think of a better partner to bring SBX to market. We are thrilled that these professional-grade products will also be made available to recreational backcountry skiers as well,”

Innovation Norway has invited outdoor retailers, stakeholders and media to attend, allowing all Norwegian companies who deliver products to the US market to share their latest and greatest in person.

The kickoff event on Dec. 6 will be held at the Gorsuch Beaver Creek store from 1pm to 4pm.

Saturday, Dec. 7, the main event will be held at CBAR – Beaver Creek Chophouse, from 1pm to 4pm. Norwegian seafood and drinks will be served at this event, and will also feature a speech from Norway’s Consulate General in San Francisco: Gry Rabe Henriksen. Entry tickets will also be used for raffle prizes from participating brands.

Both days, Safeback and Helly Hansen will have stands displaying these new avalanche backpacks.

Safeback was founded in 2016 by three engineers and backcountry enthusiasts in Western Norway - Tor Berge, André Mjølhus, and Sigmund Andreassen. After analyzing the avalanche safety equipment available today, they realized that there was a lack of innovation and investment in solutions for the avalanche victim under the snow. They then set out to create user-focused products that reliably get backcountry travelers home safe.

Safeback’s research and development has targeted the problem of asphyxia under the snow. Their initial product, Safeback SBX, is a breathing assistance system which actively provides clean air to the victim’s breathing area under snow, extending the survival window for up to 90 minutes.

Founded in Norway in 1877, Helly Hansen continues to develop professional grade apparel that helps people stay and feel alive. Through insights drawn from living and working in the world’s harshest environments, the company has developed a long list of first-to-market innovations, including the first supple waterproof fabrics nearly 150 years ago. Other breakthroughs include the first fleece fabrics in the 1960s, the first technical base layers in the 1970s, made with LIFA® Stay Dry technology, the patented H2Flow™ temperature regulating system, and the revolutionary lighter, warmer LIFALOFT™ insulation. Building on Helly Hansen’s proprietary HELLY TECH® waterproof/breathable system, the technical outdoor brand has most recently introduced the award-winning LIFA INFINITY PRO™ - the company’s most innovative waterproof/breathable technology to date.

Helly Hansen is a leader in technical sailing and performance ski apparel, as well as premium workwear. Its uniforms are worn and trusted by more than 55,000 professionals and can be found on Olympians, National Teams, and at more than 200 ski resorts and mountain guiding operations globally.

Helly Hansen’s outerwear, base layers, sportswear and footwear are sold in more than 40 countries around the world and the company is owned by Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC). To learn more about Helly Hansen’s latest collections, visit www.hellyhansen.com