Comments on: Custom Skis — Clyde Digs In — Part One

By: K

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:31:53 +0000

Another great reason to buy custom skis is the quality and the support of local business. The real reason is that they are so bitchin awesome, gorgeous, and perfect that you will cry when you see/ski them for the first year. I’ll never go back to skis made in China.

By: Scott Damen

Scott Damen — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:18:54 +0000

Great article on the custom skis. For any of you out there who are also knuckle draggers, Donek (www.donek.com) makes some of the best custom boards & skis right here in Denver. I ride a 179 Freecarve that is truly a work of art. Plus, if you live local the owner will give you a personal factory tour when you pick up your ski or board.

By: Jax

Jax — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:57:22 +0000

Nice to see ‘ya around these parts Clyde. I look forward to the follow-ups.

Oh, and I’m extremely jealous. I’d sell a kidney for a pair of custom Iggy’s.

By: Ben W

Ben W — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:08:39 +0000

I’m a big fan of the PMGear Bro shape (125-99-114) for a do-it-all ski for the East Coast and the Dolomites, the two areas I ski most, both of which frequently have less than awesome snow. My 179 stiffs weigh about 7.5 pounds for the pair, and they are reasonably stiff (a bit stiffer than Coombas underfoot). I also have 183s that weigh 9 pounds and are quite stiff, and have been relegated to resort-ski status.

Pat, the owner, provides excellent customer service, and while he doesn’t produce fully custom skis, offers multiple flexes on many models and has been known to make flat tails (as opposed to semi-twins) and skin notches for customers who request them.

I find the relative lack of sidecut on the Bros makes them predictable on steeps, as well as any uneven surface or manky snow. Big tips and tails are nice for low angle corn snow, but just get in the way in other conditions. Also, Bros are lighter than just about everything with similar dimensions and flex (the exception being 183’s which were made with a different construction at a factory in Europe). I got rid of my ultralight skis this year, in favor of the merely light. I’m 5′10″ 180, and a former wrestler. I have more strength than finesse, and find that slightly heavier skis with a bigger footprint let me make better use of that strength. Oddly, I find I do just fine with softer boots.

By: Clyde

Clyde — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:04:03 +0000

For a complete list of custom and boutique skis, go to http://www.exoticskis.com. It appears to include some that are no longer around and a few other glitches but still a good resource.

The 333 skis are cap construction and, judging from Ttips and TGR threads, still early in their learning curve. Certainly an interesting concept but time will tell. The environmental hype is a bit of a joke though.