The Indie Ski Thread

[dean_spirito]

What are your favorite small, independent, boutique, or custom ski manufacturers?

 

[SBrown]

Does DPS still count?

Oh, and I loved the Wagners I've skied.

 

[dean_spirito]

Does DPS still count?

I'd say so. Although with the amount we saw at Wolf Creek the other day you'd think they were a larger company.

 

[SBrown]

I'd say so. Although with the amount we saw at Wolf Creek the other day you'd think they were a larger company.

lol, we saw three or four pairs? But that was about 15% of the skiers we saw in total, so...

 

[dean_spirito]

The S7 of WC!

 

[cantunamunch]

Does Kessler/Palmer count?

Also shout out to:
Zag
Ramp
Maxel (I suspect they're really Blossoms but anyway I heart my GS Storms)

 

[Drahtguy Kevin]

I enjoyed the Wagners as well.

@Doug Briggs speaks highly of his Zags.

 

[SBrown]

I have a pair of Zags in my coat closet at home. I haven't skied them, though. (Noodler, are you out there??)

 

[coskigirl]

I also enjoyed the Wagners, especially when I put the core shot in them instead of my beloved Great Joys. But really, they were great skis.

 

[fatbob]

Whitedot

Icelantic

 

[Jim McDonald]

Moment & Praxis both offer fantastic customer service/support, great attitude and the skis in my experience are bombproof.

 

[Tricia]

DPS is the first that comes to mind.

 

[Philpug]

Indie Brand, the lines are very blurred. Once Armada and Line fit under these titles, now they are mainstream. Some of these companies make their own skis some are basically marketing companies getting their skis from other manufactures built to their specifications. Some if these indies take their business seriously and want to deal through established distribution chains like retailers some sell directly and some actually straddle the line and try to do both. Indies have been integral in ski design with reverse cambers and different shapes because they are small enough can design on the fly others have put product out that have had serious quality issues.

 

[bbinder]

Sego -- (shameless plug to follow b/c I haven't actually skied their product)(but I did buy a pint glass with their logo). These are friends of my daughter Daria, and I am impressed with their earnestness and honesty and how they build the skis, and would love to see them succeed. Having Linsey Dyer as one of their athletes seems to be a plus...

 

[Lorenzzo]

Does DPS still count?

I think they do. There are few retailers here and the ones that carry them have a hard time getting certain models.

 

[Monique]

I would like to get my hands on a pair of J skis at some point.

 

[Monique]

Also, I'm not sure if Icelantic is still as small as it used to be - I noticed the Patagonia catalog used their splitboard in its section on snow packs.

 

[Philpug]

Paging @Eric Edelstein (Exotic Skis) to the white courtesy phone.

 

[cantunamunch]

Oh, are we doing 'want to try' too?

current WTT list:
RTC
Virus
Coda (the asymmetrics especially)
Raccoon (the maple cores, not the carbon)
Lucid
Lusti (the SL)

I think they do. There are few retailers here and the ones that carry them have a hard time getting certain models.

By that criterion, I should have put Ogasaka in the list

 

[SkiEssentials]

Also, I'm not sure if Icelantic is still as small as it used to be - I noticed the Patagonia catalog used their splitboard in its section on snow packs.

Icelantic is still relatively small in terms of production. I believe all their skis still come out of the Never Summer factory in Colorado.