With a crispness in the air and some manmade snow on the trails of Mt Rose in the distance, @Andy Mink and I took a field trip to visit the Moment ski showroom and factory in Reno. Moment is located in the industrial area of Sparks just east of Reno in an unassuming warehouse-like building. If it weren’t for the Moment Sprinter parked by the street, we might very well have missed it.
Jake greeted us as we walked in. We introduced ourselves and mentioned that one of our skiers, @Brian Finch, suggested we ask for him since that is who he talked with about his recent purchase. The showroom was not what we expected. Sure, the complete lineup of their newest collection was on the wall, along with David Wise’s gold-medal winning skis, but what became apparent is that Moment is evolving from indie ski builder into ski shop. You can order your favorite Look Pivot binding with the purchase of your Moment ski online, but in the shop you can pick any Atomic binding, including the new Shift.
But wait there's more: not only can you buy bindings, you can choose from a comprehensive selection of Lange and Atomic boots and receive full bootfitting services, including custom footbeds. You can outfit yourself in the latest Flylow or Stio kit and protect your noggin with our sponsor Pret’s newest helmet offerings. Moment's showroom is darn near one-stop shopping.
We did get a tour of the facility's back shop -- where the magic happens. We got to experience every phase of the ski-building process, from seeing the woods used in the cores (including but not limited to paulownia, ash, and bamboo) and the ways they are put together to create the best application for each ski. We checked out the CNC machine for sculpting the Titanal, and all the fiberglass and fiberglass/carbon combinations for different skis. There was a great pride in every aspect of the build process; nothing was left to chance, whether monitoring humidity levels when spreading the epoxies to the exact pneumatic pressures of the ski press.
I have been through more than one ski facility like this, and I will say there was a different tone here. There was a strong sense of pride in the construction process, and as with anyone confident in the process, Moment knows that it isn’t just using the best materials; what separates Moment from the other indies is what it does with the materials and how it constructs the skis.
As brands go, Moment is is more blue collar than boutique, but it is not a garage brand -- gawd no. If I even mentioned that, I think Luke, the head honcho and chief bottle washer, might have punched me in the throat. I understand, because I feel the same way when someone says we have "a little blog." There is a feeling of synergy between Moment and Reno: one shirt says, “Biggest Little Ski Company,” which is a take on Reno’s slogan "Biggest Little City." After our tour, Luke and Jake chatted with us about the company and its direction, where it is and where it is headed. Moment is not trying to be everything to everyone. It is comfortable in its own niche. Seeing the loyalty it has locally and its following here and on some other sites, I would say that Moment is one of the more successful gara ... oops, … independents out there.
We plan on getting with Moment for a demo at Mt Rose this season; anyone who wants to join us will be welcome.
Jake greeted us as we walked in. We introduced ourselves and mentioned that one of our skiers, @Brian Finch, suggested we ask for him since that is who he talked with about his recent purchase. The showroom was not what we expected. Sure, the complete lineup of their newest collection was on the wall, along with David Wise’s gold-medal winning skis, but what became apparent is that Moment is evolving from indie ski builder into ski shop. You can order your favorite Look Pivot binding with the purchase of your Moment ski online, but in the shop you can pick any Atomic binding, including the new Shift.
But wait there's more: not only can you buy bindings, you can choose from a comprehensive selection of Lange and Atomic boots and receive full bootfitting services, including custom footbeds. You can outfit yourself in the latest Flylow or Stio kit and protect your noggin with our sponsor Pret’s newest helmet offerings. Moment's showroom is darn near one-stop shopping.
We did get a tour of the facility's back shop -- where the magic happens. We got to experience every phase of the ski-building process, from seeing the woods used in the cores (including but not limited to paulownia, ash, and bamboo) and the ways they are put together to create the best application for each ski. We checked out the CNC machine for sculpting the Titanal, and all the fiberglass and fiberglass/carbon combinations for different skis. There was a great pride in every aspect of the build process; nothing was left to chance, whether monitoring humidity levels when spreading the epoxies to the exact pneumatic pressures of the ski press.
I have been through more than one ski facility like this, and I will say there was a different tone here. There was a strong sense of pride in the construction process, and as with anyone confident in the process, Moment knows that it isn’t just using the best materials; what separates Moment from the other indies is what it does with the materials and how it constructs the skis.
As brands go, Moment is is more blue collar than boutique, but it is not a garage brand -- gawd no. If I even mentioned that, I think Luke, the head honcho and chief bottle washer, might have punched me in the throat. I understand, because I feel the same way when someone says we have "a little blog." There is a feeling of synergy between Moment and Reno: one shirt says, “Biggest Little Ski Company,” which is a take on Reno’s slogan "Biggest Little City." After our tour, Luke and Jake chatted with us about the company and its direction, where it is and where it is headed. Moment is not trying to be everything to everyone. It is comfortable in its own niche. Seeing the loyalty it has locally and its following here and on some other sites, I would say that Moment is one of the more successful gara ... oops, … independents out there.
We plan on getting with Moment for a demo at Mt Rose this season; anyone who wants to join us will be welcome.
- Who is Moment for? Skiers. Many brands claim that, but it is in Moment’s DNA.
- Who is Moment not for? Poseurs. I have not spent much time on its skis, but I can get a pretty good idea how a ski will react on snow, by flexing it and knowing the skiers that they appeal to.
- Insider tip: When you buy a Moment ski, you get tuning and base repairs for life. If you are local, just drop the skis off; if you are not, you just have to pay for shipping (both ways).
- Jmeb Insider's Insider tip I: Moment has a semi-custom program. For about $200 extra, you can have any topsheet you want and some other design tweaks such as a camber profile from a different ski or softer/stiffer flex.
- Jmeb Insider's Insider tip II: Moment's touring skis are among the lightest in the industry (nearly the weight of Black Diamond's Helio series), despite its use of full-thickness 4001 bases, full-thickness edges, and fiberglass in the layup. Asked how they keep weight down: "We use eagles' blood instead of epoxy."