Seat Time: Behind the Scenes at Alpinestars

It’s been a while since we’ve put (proverbial) pen to paper. But luckily, not for anything as glum as what kept us at bay the last time. While Ana is indeed still hard at work in Colorado fulfilling a few personal goals as an ADV tour guide, I’ve been traveling – a lot – for work, hustling and riding and touring the Italian countryside then off to the Pacific Northwest to begin (officially) training for Red Bull Romaniacs. But before we dive into that grand adventure, our visit to Italy was quite fortuitous, and it subsequently inspired today’s post. This particular exploit led us to the headquarters of our Seat Time gear brand of choice: Alpinestars.

The tiny town of Asolo in Northern Italy was unsurprisingly Italian. But in a region known for industry, it’s pretty typical to find factories built into the many wide, flat valleys where agriculture had long arrested the progress of ancient cities, and so any buildings now present are of a more modern ilk. Less romantic, a bit more utilitarian. A necessity erected in small pockets of cities along the toll roads and highways for working class citizens to make a living and own property outside of the proverbial walls of thousand-year-old metropolises which we see in movies and imagine in our dreams.

But the reality is that on the outskirts of these cities are contemporary boroughs that stretch into the featureless backcountry reserved for fields and farming which have been constructed for more pragmatic purposes. Most of our native friends live in these sorts of communities. It’s cheaper. You can afford land. Many standalone houses even have garages. It’s practical. But the little town that’s housed Alpinestars’ headquarters for decades now resembled more of the romantic version of this classical country.

The slender roads wind through canopies of trees, groves, and stone houses, all of which seem to end in the quaint little center equipped with quintessential cobblestone roads, a motley assortment of architecture throughout the ages with cute eateries and boutiques at the base shouldering multi-family homes over streets and courtyards. With its network of buildings stretching for miles, Alpinestars HQ is the most current design in the area. The compound’s conspicuous presence could be considered vogue compared to its olde world counterparts, which made it all the more interesting to explore. It’s the Willy Wonka Factory of speed. And I was eager to see what’s inside.

A Legacy Rooted in Craftsmanship

Founded in 1963 by Sante Mazzarolo, Alpinestars began its journey with a focus on skiing and mountaineering boots. Mazzarolo, inspired by his father's boot-making expertise, ventured into the then-nascent world of motocross, crafting the first Alpinestars motocross boot in the same year. The company remains in Asolo, with its original building poised to become a museum celebrating its rich history. But that keen wit and innovation, seeing the need for proper riding protection in this quickly growing sector of sports, has preceded the brand over the decades with the early adoption of Kevlar in racing suits, ingenuity in motorcycle boots, implementing breathability in gear, pioneering the use of 3D modeling and CAD design in their factories, and, of course, the development of their airbag system.

Developed entirely in-house, Alpinestars’ Tech Air system is now available for off-road use and homologated for Dakar, has an impressive detection time of 30-60 milliseconds and an inflation time of 25-45 milliseconds. It offers three modes – Street, Enduro, and Rally – each tailored to specific riding conditions.

Inside The Heart of Innovation

Stepping into Alpinestars' headquarters, one might be surprised by its subtlety. The exterior is understated, integrating well with the quaint areas of the townscape. Inside, however, was a whole different story. The company prides itself on being a "safety company," a philosophy evident in every aspect of their operations. Testing is a constant, with state-of-the-art machines continually pulling and prodding and smashing and deploying…literally anything that will eventually cover our bodies.

With 350 employees in Italy and a global workforce of 550, Alpinestars supports over 400 athletes worldwide. Its transition into the high-octane world of Formula 1 began in 1992, and today, Alpinestars is integral to several four-wheel, and two-wheel, racing disciplines. Favorites from Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia, and Fabio Quartararo in MotoGP to Lando Norris and Daniel Riccardo in F1; Ricky Brabec and Austin “AJ” Jones in Rally Raid to Hunter Lawrence and Chase Sexton in Supercross. That infamous star can be found from the world of motorsport to the backwoods.

Just about every facet of Alpinestars' production is handled internally. From helmet design and manufacturing to legal and media operations, the company maintains control. This dedication extends to their separate graphic departments for auto, leather, and moto gear, ensuring specialized attention to each product line. In the R&D building, the sight of lab coats is common, symbolizing the rigorous testing and development that underpin Alpinestars' products. The footwear team, split into hard and soft parts, showcases the brand's commitment to innovation. Prototyping can be done on the same day, highlighting their agility and precision.

Our tour through the MotoGP section revealed the meticulous craftsmanship that goes into the racing suits. Made from kangaroo leather, these suits are hand-cut and sewn, with measurements taken the old-fashioned way using a tape measure. The suits' vibrant colors are printed directly onto the leather, reducing weight and enhancing performance.

The R&D departments are split into two buildings. R&D #1 focuses on racing and the Tech Air system, while R&D #2 is dedicated to prototype testing. Here, products undergo rigorous evaluations, including exposure to extreme temperatures and humidity to simulate shipping conditions, and centrifugal permeability tests for boots to ensure waterproofing under intense conditions.

A Glimpse into the Future

Alpinestars continues to innovate with new product lines. The latest Tech 10 Enduro boots are set to launch in 2025, featuring enhanced durability and protection. This is a highly anticipated iteration which is no doubt due to its inner-boot system. This unassuming piece of the design was pioneered with the Tech 8 boot, and it has evolved to prevent hyperextensions and minimize the number of buckles required, streamlining the overall style.

Gabrielle Mazzarolo, Sante’s son and the President of Alpinestars, embodies the company's hands-on approach. A test rider himself, he often takes products on the road, combining business trips with product testing. His dedication ensures that every item meets the highest standards of performance and safety. He came to Death Valley to hang out and ride with the journalists, who were testing the Tech-Air Offroad airbag, including Anastasia.

Alpinestars doesn't just meet industry standards, it exceeds them. Products are tested far beyond mandatory protective margins, with materials undergoing cycle tests up to 600,000 times to ensure longevity. The result is a staggering production of roughly five million pieces per year, each crafted with the utmost attention to detail and safety. We saw a lot of this ourselves in the R&D building which has round-the-clock surveillance and testing by man and machine. No tables were left unturned; they reviewed heat and water resistance, the effects of high impacts on protective pieces, flexion in plastics and joints, even the amount of wear from washing materials over-and-over again. It was quite a sight. And reminded me why I loved the interactive science museums so much as a kid.

Part of the Family…

Alpinestars is more than just a brand; it’s a legacy. But more importantly, it’s a family. While our experiences have shown that many of these heritage automotive and motorsports brands in Northern Italy treat their business like a home and the employees like their kin, Alpinestars has been a standout. Not just because Gabrielle Mazzarolo is still involved at the R&D level, but because the people there have a face, a name, and personal investment in the quality, science, and craftsmanship of the products down to the hand-glued soles of their booties. 

It’s Mazzarolo’s vision of a Wonka-esque workshop, but instead of inventions of candies, they make tools to defy gravity, slice through air, and scale mountains. Rather than using chocolate, fruits, and confectionaries, they utilize materials like Kevlar, kangaroo leather, and Gore-Tex. While Charlie and the kids received the expected sugar rush, Alpinestars enable a high for their customers that’s unlike any other – one procured of risk, challenge, and glory. Their gear helps us navigate those feelings knowing our safety is in their capable hands. It might not have been your childhood fantasy. But nonetheless, A-Stars’ HQ is a mysterious and fantastical factory worthy of a golden ticket.

From its humble beginnings in Asolo to its current status as a global trendsetter, Alpinestars remains committed to safety, performance, and quality. And that’s why we choose to wear (mostly) their gear. Our tour of their headquarters revealed a company that thrives on passion and precision, seriousness for technique yet a light-heartedness to their execution. It’s not every day you can see the origins firsthand of those many commodities and luxuries we acquire, then unceremoniously stuff into our closets and onto shelves.

Like having a meal you witnessed from farm to table, knowing exactly where our riding gear came from – watching masters cook up designs and present them on a platter – made consumption feel just a bit sweeter…and a little less careless.