What is Cork in our hockey grips? All you need to know!
Cork is the bark of the oak tree, known as the QUERCUS SUBER
The oak tree is an evergreen tree that only grows in agricultural plantations along the Mediterranean Sea. Portugal is the largest cork provider, contributing to more than half of the global cork growth. Besides Portugal, cork is also harvested in Spain, Algeria, Fance, Morocco, Tunisia and Italy. Today cork is used to manufacture a variety of products across multiple sectors, from the fashion industry all the way to sports and field hockey.
Fun fact, as early as 2500 before Christ the ancient Egypts used cork for fishing floats. About 400 BC, cork was frequently used as stoppers for containers as well as bottoms of shoes. History even tells us that conqueror Alexander the Great was a big fan of cork. The story goes that a piece of cork safed him from drowning when crossing a dangerous river. Currently, 2023 years after Christ, imagine that same piece of cork being implemented in your hockey stick grip!
Cork is sustainable and quickly renewable!
Today, not only we as hockey players, but everyone has increased concern for the environment. Compared to the environmentally damaging way of producing chamois grips and PU hockey grips, the cork tree can regenerate itself after each harvest. Producing cork without being harmful to the environment!
Cork is a 100% renewable resource! In fact, the cork tree is the only tree on earth that can renew its bark after being harvested, leaving the tree unharmed. The first harvest is carried out when the tree has reached an age of 25 years. Two-thirds of the tree is stripped off its bark. A thin layer of protective inner bark ratains, giving the cork oak its unique ability to survive and regenerate itself after the debarking process.
After nine years the cork tree is fully recovered, making it a quickly renewable resource we can use for producing our cork hockey grips. Since cork trees live over 250 years we face a sustainable future for the manufacturing process of our RIBBON cork hockey grips.
Towards a better planet with an environmentally friendly cork hockey grip.
At RIBBON Sportgrip we give special attention that the hockey grips we offer to our hockey players are treated with particular care and commitment to sustainability. Even before producing our first hockey grip, providing a unique eco-friendly product has been our top goal.
Back in 2021 we were able to find a way to produce our sustainable cork hockey grips in Italy. All our hockey grips available both in store and online, have the guarantee of using only premium cork material for their construction. The RIBBON hockey grips are made with only 1% of the best cork that is extracted from the oak tree, giving our hockey grips maximal grip and comfort.
Our RIBBON hockey grips with 100% renewable cork contribute to a sustainable future both on and off the hockey pitch!