For a sport that emphasizes speed, Tim Karpinski and Spiral Wax Co. aim to bring the power of slowing down to the snowboard world. [Photo above by Aaron Staylor]
After decades in the snow sports industry—he founded Grenade Gloves and was creative director for Gnu Snowboards—Karpinski discovered the magic of shaking off the external motivation of success. He embraced the practice of meditation and self-care to thrive. Spiral Wax Co. found its foundation on this principle: even something as simple as waxing a snowboard can become a ritual.
Recently awarded a $75,000 production financing award at the 2025 Bend Outdoor Worx BreakOut Pitch event, Spiral Wax Co. is on its way to making a major impact in the sports world. Karpinski shared the inspiration behind creating a product that makes riders slow down in a world that wants to speed up.
How does Spiral make waxing a board less of a chore and more of a mindful experience?
At Spiral, our mantra is “Slow Down.” It might sound backwards for a wax brand, but for us, it’s more about the ritual. It’s a chance to pause, take a breath and connect with your board, then connect with the mountain. We see it as a form of self-care: taking care of your mind, body and snowboard alike. When all three are in balance, you can be fully present on the mountain and on your board, and get into that magical flow state when time stops and turns are effortless.
We want riders to embrace this slower pace—carefully carve the corduroy instead of bombing the hill, rip a new line through the trees you’ve never pursued or simply stop to soak up the beauty of nature. Slowing down lets you reconnect with the wonder that brought us to the mountains in the first place.
That same mindset flows into how we craft our wax. Each bar is made in small batches in Bend. Every step is done with intention. We like to think of love as the invisible ingredient that binds it all together. It’s a kind of quiet magic that resonates in every turn.
What inspired you to get back to the basics and make wax?
As creative director of Gnu Snowboards, I saw the power of owning my own manufacturing. Gnu hand-builds all their boards in Washington, and the founders actually taught themselves how. It took 20 years to perfect their process, inventing their own tools and tech along the way. Watching that showed me how much freedom comes from controlling the process—you’re not at the mercy of outside manufacturers raising prices or missing deadlines. At the same time, I discovered that I love working with my hands, not just designing on a computer.
By contrast, with my first brand, Grenade, we designed gloves in an office, sent them to China, and waited. I loved the creative part, but it always felt incomplete. So when I started Spiral, I knew the core had to be different. I wanted to own the factory, own the supply chain and reimagine snowboard wax from the ground up.
The packaging of the wax seems just as important as the wax itself. What informs the design?
I’m a graphic designer by trade, with a focus on packaging. When I looked at the wax market, I noticed most brands were making great waxes, but the packaging felt like an afterthought—with plastic wrappers, minimal branding, overly technical language and no real storytelling. I wasn’t connecting with what I saw. That gap was part of the opportunity I found with Spiral. I wanted to create a high-performing, earth-friendly wax that also looked and felt good. Since one of Spiral’s core values is making products that are better for the earth, it was important that our packaging reflected the same care we put into the wax.
We partner with an Oregon-based packaging supplier that works with recycled materials and soy-based inks, so even our packaging is local, recyclable, and low-impact. You can literally bury one of our boxes in the ground and it will biodegrade within months.
Where do you see Spiral heading in the future?
We’re taking things slow and growing steadily, which feels true to our mission. Our vision is to expand beyond snow into skate and surf wax, and further into self-care products designed specifically for boarders—things like chapstick, sunscreen, epsom salts and body oils. All of it will carry Spiral’s design DNA, to be mindfully made and look really cool.
We’re founded in Bend and want to grow deep roots in the community here. We plan to host community events that share the rituals of waxing, plus educate, inspire and help get the next generation “tuned in and tuned up!” Ultimately, we never want to lose sight of why we started this: To be out there together, riding snow-covered volcanoes and spiraling around the sun.
Tune in to the full interview with Tim Karpinski on the new “Birth of the Brands” podcast series | Learn more and shop Spiral Wax Co.
