 Poster: A snowHead
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Has anyone read the i newspaper today? They have an article about a company in Innsbruck http://spurart.at/en/ where you can build your own skis and snowboards. Has anyone on here built one yet?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Fogliettaz, yes I read it, will not be able to afford it for a long time but as a geek it sounds ace 
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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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Already thinking of booking next year! Partner says she'll get it for my 50th birthday.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Their workshop is 10 minutes from my flat, I keep meaning to go and check them out (beyond my budget atm though). Seem to be a good set-up, my friend used one of their skis whilst researching/skiing round here for an article for a Dutch newspaper, said they were great.
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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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V cool
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Why?
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Well, that's next years Xmas present sorted!
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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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A few of us were talking about it a while ago, but there's been not a lot of movement for some time. It's something I'm still keen to look into, and there's starting to be a bit of overlap with some other things I'm working on which would involve composites and resins.
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+1 for forktrees skis and for Idris
feef, Feefy. Feefy, feefy, feey {sigh}.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I don't think Fork Tree and Idris skis let you actually build your own though. That's the big selling point of Spur Art, as well as totally custom shape and flex, you build them over a three day course, then get to test them at the Nordkette ski area, just up the road from their workshop. Personally I really like the idea of building my own, to my own spec.
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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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Why? What on earth is the point? I feel sure I must being missing something somewhere. Do people really feel that of all the skis produced by experts there just isn't one that's right for them? Or do people somehow feel the need 'to express their personality' through the pretty patterns they put on their skis?
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foxtrotzulu, Both.
I think there's various degrees of 'right for you' though, I can list loads of skis from loads of brands that I really like the look of and I'm sure would do an awesome job, but would be perfect for me (and the specific job I want them for) if I could tweak just one or two aspects (shape/size/flex). I guess a lot of that depends on how often you get to ski, and what you ski - I'm quite specific in what I want, to fit my style and the style of terrain at the places where I ski. If you're a piste cruiser you've probably got less demanding criteria that you're looking for (also remember shapes/concepts for freeride-type skis are still changing and being tried out perfected - more innovation going on than for piste skis).
Also the making it yourself bit is quite attractive, to me, at least - pretty satisfying to ski something that you yourself have created, I think.
Here's the Independent article anyway: http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/ever-fancied-creating-your-own-snowboard-8510420.html
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You know it makes sense.
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foxtrotzulu, {takes his life in his hands} think of it like shoes. Shoe manufactuers make shoes to standard sizes but we all know that your feet are almost never the same size and that hand made, fitted shoes work better and tend to last longer. It's like that but with the added component that you can add in 'walking style'.
Custom ski makers like Idris can work with someone (within certain parameters) to create a ski that exactly suits what they want to do rather than them trying to work out which off-the-shelf product might work for them. Also because hand built skis tend to be construction cost biased rather than material cost biased, they tend to be made better from better materials. In many cases you can sort your own top sheet design as well so you can get something no one else has!
Basically it's the 'haute couture' vs 'pret a porter' argument. And, darling, you know you are worth it .... {sigh}
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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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Hi, Paul from SPURart here. If anyone has any questions, we're happy to answer them.
Regarding the very good question, why? You can read about why we got into this on our site. It's the quest for the perfect ski and we are getting closer.
Here are some of the reasons people build with us:
1. To tweak a pair of skis. Have a favorite ski you wish was a little stiffer or lighter? That had more sidecut or flex? You can do that.
2. To try something completely new. Have a crazy idea for a shape? Want to build something super light? Have a new material you want to try?
3. For a unique design - whether a sophisticated wood veneer design, cool graphic or wood core design. We've had cabinet makers, graphic artists and yes, someone who used their favorite Ikea curtains for a design.
4. To get closer to the mountain. It's hard to describe, but once you've ridden a pair of skis or a board you've built yourself the entire experience changes.
Oh and finally of course, because it's cool. 
How many people can say they've built their own skis?
It's a guaranteed conversation starter on the lifts, in the lines and at the apres bars.
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Poster: A snowHead
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SPURart, Welcome to snowheads
When will you publishing dates and prices for winter 2013/14? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We'll be running regular weekly courses until mid-Aril. After that, we are considering monthly based on demand through Sept. Thanks partially to the Hintertux glacier down the road, we've had requests for summer courses. We'll start regular weekly courses in Oct again.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
Oh dear, oh dear. The fact that I didn't 'get' this just underlines a number of painful facts.
1. I know I'm a rubbish skiier, but the fact that some people would want/need/notice that extra bit of flex/sidecut etc. rather underlines the fact that I don't know what I am doing. I am quite sure I could accidentally pick up someone else's skis (or even just one) and happily ski with it all day without noticing a difference. I would still have a fabulous time
2. I am clearly so desperately un-stylish that it has never really occurred to me that people would want skis with a 'designer' label.
3.
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Oh and finally of course, because it's cool.
How many people can say they've built their own skis?
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Then again, how many people can say they have built their own garden shed? (not that I have, but you get the point)
God, I'm getting old! |
It's not much different from any sport really, except that the process is a bit more complex and involved.
I've modified my push-bike to suit me better from stock, for that it's a simple case of swapping some components around and replacing some bits. This is because it's a cyclocross/commuter which I use mainly for road cycling.
My rally motorcycle has been modified from stock : It's involved mainly bolt on components, but has also required a little fabrication and customisation of stock parts to make other bits fit. Although it's designed as an 'adventure' bike, it's not a full on rally bike as standard, so I need to do this to compete in the classes I want to race in.
I've super-charged my MX5. That required fabrication of custom mounts to fit the supercharger itself, a custom wiring loom harness to plug in the stand-alone ECU which requires programming from the ground up to get the engine running, and modification and replacement of existing components to allow routing of the intake hoses as well as replacement of uprated sensors. I just wanted more power
With skis, the ski is a single piece of equipment, so any customisation must be done at the point of manufacture....
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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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foxtrotzulu, it's a boys'n'toys men-in-sheds thing! And he who dies with the most toys wins 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I like the idea of building my own skis - principally just for the pure fun of it.
On my dutch barge, which we fitted out ourselves, I built the 1m diameter ship's wheel for fun. Oak veneer laminated rim, oak spokes, elm and brass hub, took 80+ man hours, so totally uneconomic, but it works really well. Has good weight so a fair shove will set it spinning, turning the rudder through 30 degrees or so.
If curious - www.luxe-motor-kei.co.uk/internal/page/image54.html
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Feef - you've nailed it. Except its a loss less complex than people think. A good number of our students have no experience in a workshop and they build some stunning rides.
Foxtrotzulu - we haven't got quite to the shed stage, we're more out on the mountain types. And unless you're in your 80's we've got people building older than you.
Spyderjon - it's boys/girls 'n' toys. +30% of our customers are women. BTW - The Piste Office looks amazing!
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SPURart,
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And unless you're in your 80's we've got people building older than you
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They may not be older than me (I'm in my 40's), but I'll bet they are better skiers than me! I still wonder if I can tell the difference between my lovely old 204cm Dynastar GS skis and all these new-fangled parabolic thingies.
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