 Poster: A snowHead
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Tried to post this in news and happy for it to be moved.
Carradan Skis offer two new ski models for next winter, the
US$12,000 Carradan Copperhead
US$19,000 Carradan Mamba
http://www.carradanskis.com/index.htm
In addition, they've teamed up with our very own Martin Bell to offer the 'Martin Bell Advantage/Experience' for an additional US$ 3,000.
Would be very interested to read Martin's thoughts on this.
And someone please tell Eddie that he's selling himself VERY short.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sales office in Russia too. Seems a good idea.
Absurd though these prices may be to 99.99% of us here I'd be willing to bet that their business will do OK so long as they get that Russian angle working.
I'll keep a look out for anyone skiing them at Aldershot dry slope this summer and report back 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Do you get bindings, poles and a bag with that?
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Have a look at the photos on their website.
Old style steeze...fartbags, neon, skinny skis.
WTF are they doing with those photos when selling super high end skis?
Scam?
Joke?
Real?
Martin Bell....please tell us more!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I hope for the extra $3000 Mr Bell does something extremely special.
Edit to correct amount
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 4-06-08 16:08; edited 1 time in total
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Wow- I'd want the skis to skin me up the mountain with out effort for that money.
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I'd consider a pair..
..provided they came with a lifetime heli pass.
If this isn't a spoof, and something about the web page screams spoof from the old skool extreme photo to the no actual photos of the product.. then its very odd indeed. Odd that there's no demonstration of how cool the product makes you ski?
If it is for real any prospective purchaser will now be able to google what the mags think of his steeze too.
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Got a PM from Martin. Very comprehensive and honest reply.
Not a spoof.
The guy running Carradan Skis knows his market apparently. It's not me or anyone on this forum I would guess, but there are people that will pay this kind of money for something unique (or close to it).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I should start making matching $5000 goggles, and $6000 poles.
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He may have a workable business model... you've only got to sell around a hundred pairs worldwide to turnover over a million bucks. I suggest that there are plenty more than that for whom these prices are loose change. The cost of manfacture can't be that much more than a normal top end pair of skis so (I'm guessing) there's a huuuuuuge margin to play with. If he keeps it small and doesn't employ too many, there will be a healthy earner in it for him. I'd be concerned about the lack of image and quality portrayed by the cheap website though.
Mega expensive skis have been tried before and seem to have disappeared without a trace - "specials" from the likes of Bogner, Lacroix, Authier, Armani, Porsche... but they were all maybe only double the price of a normal top end ski. Carradan is so way out on price it might just work. At Harrodds they tend to put the price UP if something isn't selling too well.
I'd ask for a free bag.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'd want a titanium ski lock plus ski body guard (+ kalashnikov) to go with them! Either that or I would not take them off to go into the restaurant 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I can believe that the guy knows the market and if I had to hazard a guess is exposed with Martin to an ultra-wealthy client base at the Yellowstone Club. The website doesn't look very pro though - the stock photo rather than a shot of Martin in more modern dress skiing the things. Not that flashturbation is a good thing.
Maybe this is a feature of marketing to the megarich - its not them that will doing the buying but a PA who is told "Find me the best (=most expensive) skis in the world".
Not fat enough for heli skiing though and this is surely where the mega rich keen skiers worldwide prefer to spend their time. Perhaps those guys n girls would be assumed to experienced enough to have an opinion on skis themselves therefore not in the target market. I'd suspect then that they are probably pitched at flattering on blue/red slopes and looking good stood outside the exclusive little on hill fine dining establishments.
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The thread title is spot on though. Can skis get any better than, say, a top-end Atomic, Volkl, Scott etc etc. The limit of human ability is well within the envelope of the best skis now. Have Carradan been tested by any magazine tests?
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You know it makes sense.
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Don't think that the heli argument is really relevant.
The potential customers for these skis don't travel with kit to go heli skiing. They rent while they're there.
These are for the 'home' hill and will be stored in the "Starter Castle' slopeside.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| The thread title is spot on though. Can skis get any better than, say, a top-end Atomic, Volkl, Scott etc etc. The limit of human ability is well within the envelope of the best skis now. Have Carradan been tested by any magazine tests? |
From the look of the website it isn't clear if they even have any production models. 6 month wait time suggests to me its a case of needing the orders before the batch manufacture can commence. If you can buy a ski made to your specs out of the race room at Atomic, if you had the contacts, for say $3000 what does the extra $16,000 get you beyond prestige?
Plenty of far cheaper boutique brands out there if you simply want to stand out from the crowd - very little reason why you ever need to have the same topsheet as anyone else if you're prepared to go to a little effort.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
Don't think that the heli argument is really relevant.
The potential customers for these skis don't travel with kit to go heli skiing. They rent while they're there.
These are for the 'home' hill and will be stored in the "Starter Castle' slopeside. |
Fair point on the heli stuff but then the chore of actually having to take them back to my castle would be a barrier to me. Surely my private instructor would hand pick me the most appropriate ski for the conditions of the day and specify the tune on my personal Wintersteiger before my valet delivered them to me as I stepped into the VIP lane at the chairlift and then followed me around in case I wanted to change to something else in my quiver for a particular run. 
Better stop posting on this thread, I clearly have no idea about this end of the market.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Suprised Martin Bell's name is linked to such tosh! I can understand why a small company wishes to be associated with such a star of the English speaking world.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Roy Hockley, No disrespect meant to any party here, but if someone fancies paying $3000 for a days skiing with me, then I'll put my name to it....
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Back in the 80's I had a holiday job in Harvey Nicholls in the bedding department.
One of our top sellers was a range of patchwork silk bedspreads that cost £750. In those days £750 was a LOT! (still is for a bedspread!).
We sold plenty of them....they really were lovely is has to be said.
All the people who bought them didn't ask the price, and didn't care what the price was. They would still have bought them if they cost £75.
The liked it...they bought it. Price was not a factor.
I think the same applies here.
On another note...I suspect the reason for pricing the twin-tip at such a huge extra premium is to make the regular look "good value". This is a common technique when selling an expensive item...put another similar very expensive item next to it.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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rungsp, it was a harrod's buyer that told me about a Steinway piano. It wasn't selling at £5k so they put the price up to £7.5k and it went. People's perception of quality is often the price. The price difference between these skis looks a bit odd though. If you're prepared to pay $12k, you'd be equally happy with say $16k. Other issue is that 6 month wait... very wealthy people want things now now now.
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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| ... very wealthy people want things now now now. |
A further $3000 for queue jumping? In fact I might set myself up in competition - I reckon I should be able to buy a ski press and some wood cores etc for $22000 with my first order. Having a competitor at this end of the market might be good in establishing credibility. Find a garage in Acton to work out of and stamp - made in Chelsea (ish) on them - jobs a good un. Might need to enlist a lardy or 2 as my hand delivery and cherge people $3000 for intensive apres-ski coasching as my USP though.
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fatbob, I can save you all that bother. There are ski manufacturers out there who will make you your own private label. Pick a construction and a shape and you'll probably need to order 50 - 100 per size per model. A pukka top end construction including integrated binding easily for sub £150 all branded up to your design "Chelski". Why get your hands dirty? Start with one model in 2 lengths and one phat jobby in one length. Punt them out at $25,000 a pair and have a Russian-speaking Pammy Anderson look-a-like deliver. A really hot looking website with tons of technobollox and you're away.
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it appears that the Mamba is a uni-directional twin tip
i am puzzled by this 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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ha ha great fun.. I doubt people will actually ski on them..all the russians in resorts I've seen recently spend all day in the restuarants... so just rack them up and flaunt it...
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| Quote: |
| Other issue is that 6 month wait... very wealthy people want things now now now |
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Ah, but don't very wealthy (not to mention dopey) women put themselves on lengthy waiting lists for "must have" handbags?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have always thought that Snowheads is privilaged that someone as much in the public eye as Martin Bell is gives the forum as much as the time of day let alone all the input from him that I have seen. It seems a little disrespectful to decry his business involvement in this company just because certain folks don't agree with the product or the way it is being pitched. In particular:
| Quote: |
Suprised Martin Bell's name is linked to such tosh! I can understand why a small company wishes to be associated with such a star of the English speaking world.
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To be honest, and just IMV, I don't think it is anyone's business, but his own, if he wishes to be involved in the company, let alone to make these sorts of comments about his involvement on a public forum. Sorry, if that upsets anyone, but reading that comment just made me feel a bit annoyed.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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They're all just jealous, Megamum.
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Megamum, certainly a few folks are having some fun with this and, given the price ambition of an unheard of ski manufacturer, nobody can be surprised at that. These skis are around 10 times or more the cost of the most expensive ski from any established maker (who would have a racing pedigree and a heritage and substance to their brand built up over many decades). The performance claims, the price and the delivery method are all off the wall. The brand is new, has no gravity or substance to it yet to justify commanding the price tag or the claims. Sorry, but it is bound to give rise to exactly the reaction you've seen. I don't think anyone for one second is having a go at Mr Bell personally and everyone I know is respectful of his skiing CV but I hope, for his sake, he's worked out a remuneration package for the use of his services, time, name, image etc. The company has a website, they are in the public domain and Martin Bell is a feature. It's all fair game. No company or high profile person can escape the spotlight these days.
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You know it makes sense.
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Megamum, in addition to Bode Swillers comments above, also remember that a good few snowHeads have trained with, worked with, got drunk with and in one case went to school with Martin and Graham.
Martin has proved in the past more than capable of defending himself and dealing with any disrespect either real or imagined that may appear on here.
PS. There are other 'well known' or "in the public eye" snowHeads but unlike Martin choose not to post under their own names.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Fri 6-06-08 8:53; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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if worst comes to worst, Martin Bell can settle it in a ski-off with Bode Swiller 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Arno, he stands no chance on a pair of $19,000 skis (mind you, he can deliver his own and save $3k)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'll be equipping Mr Swiller with the Chelski Romanov 9500 Si for the ski off.
A snip at $25,000 or the deluxe version at $35,000 with polar bear hide detailing. (Giant Panda hide version pending approval from black market suppliers) Animal rights is not a concern for my target market.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 6-06-08 14:29; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Why don;t you call the UK number to check out. I don't believe it's for real though. No self-respecting luxury ski or any company would have such a crappy site. Unless they just started. My thought is:
- there is no current production skis
- there is no deal with Martin Bell
- as the first order comes, they make the skis
- if you buy Martin Bell, they get you the tutorial and keep the monies between the normal price and theirs
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
Got a PM from Martin. Very comprehensive and honest reply.
Not a spoof. |
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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For the benefit of demos
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what a load of pish!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Could be a wind up or could it be a scam designed to divest hapless Russian Mafiosi types of their ill gotten Roubles?
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Megamum, Sponsorship is different, being associated with Audi as opposed to BMW, or Volkl as opposed to Atomic. I gather the products endorsed by the great and the good may not be the same as us, the great unwashed can buy off the shelves. I know and accept this, but I doubt if the skis being sold would be as good as the ones MB used to great effect.
pam w, We are all jealous of your must have bag!
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FAQ
Guess with regards to the mark up, thing is that they will sell relatively few in comparisson to the big boys so their r&d wexpenses will be a much greater proportion of the overall costs, however there will be some mental mark up on these. The clients buying these will be purely buying for the image, of course they will expect top quality but they will want exclusivity. I skied on some Volant platinum skiesfor a week in Ischgl (retailing at around £1000.00 a pair) and I have to say they were the best pistes skis I have skied on for hammering down the mountain in gs mode.
