Alpinestars

Alpinestars
Private
Industry Motorsport clothing
Action sports clothing
Casual clothing
Founded 1963
Founder Sante Mazzarolo
Headquarters Asolo, Veneto, Italy
Number of locations
 3 (2010)
Key people
 Gabriele Mazzarolo
Website alpinestars.com

Alpinestars is a manufacturer of clothing and protective gear for motorsports and action sports founded in 1963, and located in Asolo, Italy. Its lines include specialized products for MotoGP, motocross, motorcycling, Formula One, WEC and NASCAR, mountain Biking and surfing, and motorsports-themed, non-sports clothing, with fashion design centers in California and Italy.

History

Founded in 1963 by Sante Mazzarolo in Asolo, Italy, the company started out making hiking and ski boots, but quickly shifted its focus to making boots for motocross racing, and road racing boots shortly thereafter. The company's name comes from the English translation of the Italian mountain flower Stella Alpina (Edelweiss), which grows high in the mountains around the area where the company was founded. They sponsored motorsport world champions such as Roger DeCoster, Kenny Roberts, Mick Doohan and Marc Márquez. During the 1990s the company branched out into manufacturing all types of technical protective gear for motorcycling such as gloves, jackets, and full leather suits.

The company has been headed by Sante's son, Gabriele Mazzarolo, since 1993. There are offices in Los Angeles and Bangkok while the original headquarters and main research & development facility remain in Northern Italy.

Alpinestars leather suits and protective gear are worn MotoGP World Champions Marc Márquez, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo, and World Superbike Champions Ben Spies and Troy Corser. Alpinestars' motocross gear is used by AMA and World Motocross champions Marvin Musquin, Tyla Rattray, David Philippaerts, Christophe Pourcel, and Ryan Villopoto.

In 2011 Alpinestars developed the Tech Air Race System, an electronic airbag safety system that uses a data logging unit and dual charge inflation module.[1] It was used in the MotoGP and World Superbike championships and was intended to eventually be worn by street riders. In June 2013 Marc Márquez crashed at a speed of around 337 km/h (209 mph) while wearing the airbag suit and did not sustain serious injuries.[2]

Alpinestars developed flame and heat retardant Nomex fire suits, footwear, gloves, and underwear for Formula One and NASCAR, which has been worn by recent champions Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Jimmie Johnson. Top Gear's the Stig wears a white Alpinestars race suit, shoes and gloves.[3]

Alpinestars made mountain bikes until 1996.[4]

Sponsorships

References

  1. ↑ "Alpinestars TechAir race suit available July 2011, $2500 over the "Race Replica" | Hell for Leather". Hellforleathermagazine.com. 2010-04-30. Archived from the original on 2012-05-30. Retrieved 2012-05-01.
  2. ↑ By The Numbers: Marc Marquez’s Mugello Crash
  3. ↑ BBC Top Gear: Who is the Stig?
  4. ↑ Alpinestars History
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