The Lacoste LAB revives the tradition of innovation, an integral part of the brand’s DNA. Besides being a tennis champion, René Lacoste was also a great inventor and designer. In addition to the famous L.12.12 polo shirt he invented and designed for his own comfort and efficiency on court, he also created technical and revolutionary tennis rackets, balls, golf clubs and golf bags as well as the first ever tennis-ball throwing machine. The artifacts produced by the Lacoste LAB naturally build a bridge between the brand’s heritage and its future.

The Lacoste LAB projects the brand into the future and continues to give Lacoste a competitive edge. It prepares for tomorrow by identifying products which could potentially represent the future of the brand. ‘By seeking new materials and new designs, the LACOSTE LAB expands the ways in which Lacoste expresses itself and boldly takes the crocodile into fields which it has yet to venture’, explains Lacoste Design Director Christophe Pillet, who spearheads the LACOSTE LAB project.

As part of the Lacoste LAB Collection, the French brand collaborated with a series of global brands, each an expert in what they do. GPA Design produced a carbon fibre helmet, LOOK produced a bike, the surfboard was shaped by J.P. Stark and engineered by NOTOX, the skis are produced by Black Crows, the soccer and rugby balls are engineered by MITRE Sports out of Tensile fabric with embroidered crocodile logos and the boomerang is produced by 3B of thin birch plywood. The outcome is a beautiful collaborative collection, now in stock at colette.

Check out all products from the line after the jump.

In an interesting new collaboration, the BMW M racing division has teamed up with K2 on a special edition version of the SideShow model. The design of the skis was inspired by the BMW M automobiles and features the traditional blue/red/white colorway of the M division. Limited to only 500 pairs, the skis will not go on sale, but can be won in this year’s BMW xDrive Cup, where people can collect badges at 13 winter sports venues in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. 5 badges will give you the chance to win the skis and 15 badges will actually give you a chance at a brand new BMW X1.

Founded in 1995 under the premise that skiers needed equipment that could help redefine what the sport was all about, Line Skis boast some of the industries most inspired graphics. Add to that consistent praise from the Ski rags (particularly for the Prophet) and you have yourself a high art product with some pretty high performance. Or a high performance product with some pretty high art, however you wish to view it. 2009 brings new editions of the popular Prophet, and some stellar graphics.

More Line Skis for 2009 after the jump.

We present you an interesting project that Rossignol will be launching towards the end of the month.
Using skate legends turned graphic artists, Rossignol has created  the Seven Artistic Sins (SAS) collection canvassed with artistic interpretations of the seven deadly sins as imagined by iconic boardsports legends Andy Howell, Steve Caballero, Caia Koopman, Mr. Jago, Andrew Pommier, Will Barras and Squindo, whose collective (Spacejunk) work has covered  skateboards, snowboards, surf boards and album covers for much of the last decade. The collection comes in a limited edition and will have a 7 year lifespan, with exclusive early availability at renowned board sports retailer Evo.
Have a close look at all seven artist designed skis after the jump.