FOR THE LOVE OF THE SLOPES
Bespoke Skis by Wagner
Telluride in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, USA, has exerted a mysterious pull on generations of adventurers: first as a summer camp for Ute Indians, then as a thrilling source of precious silver, and more recently as home to some of the best ski slopes and infrastructure in the world. For avid skier and Californian golf industry engineer Pete Wagner, the attraction of Telluride one day became unbearable. He yielded, transferring his high technology skills from clubs to skis. He established Wagner Custom Skis in 2006 in a converted gas station close to the Telluride ski lifts and has since hand-crafted thousands of pairs of skis, each ‘uniquely optimised’ for an individual skier. In the process, he has garnered a cult following around the world.
But for most skiers, the initial leap from off-the-shelf purchase to custom skis is often daunting, so Wagner and his team set up a personalised system to demystify the ordering process. “Ours is a simple process – skiers don’t need to know anything about shape or materials or any other details, but it is helpful if they are familiar with their past equipment and what they like and dislike about them,” he says.
The process starts with ‘skier DNA’ research, based on a series of basic questions about the customer. One “of the team’s ski designers then gets more in-depth information about the customer’s skiing background, preferred slopes, and current ski needs. Wagner adds: “During our ski design phone calls, we cover where the client skis and where they anticipate using their skis.
This helps us design a ski that is complementary to the terrain they prefer.”
All this information is then run through a proprietary software design algorithm designed by Wagner, which then analyses the data to recommend a design that meets the client’s preferences, needs, and style. Each pair of skis has custom length, width, side-cut, tip and tail shapes, camber, rocker, materials make up, and graphics.
Once the ski design is agreed on, the customer gets to the most exciting part of the process – choosing their topsheet graphic. This can be made from small-batch wood veneers and stock graphics. Those who prefer a full custom graphic can work with Wagner’s in-house graphic designer. Some customers commission artists to create artwork for their skis, while others use personal graphics from family or friends.
Once a topsheet has been chosen, the skis are produced. Customers receive photos of the skis to remain updated on the work progress. All in all, the process – from skier DNA research to shipping – takes three weeks. A client may also choose to pick the skis up from the factory to test them for comfort and fit and try them out on the nearby Telluride slopes.
On average, about 1,500 skiers worldwide have their skis custom made by Wagner; only less than two per cent have been returned for modification or warranty replacement. The most popular request, he says, is for the ‘one-ski quiver’, which can “do it all” on the mountain.