Kickstarting Skis

[littlebigwater]

I wanted to let everyone know I have built and designed some new skis - I would love your feedback - Just as an intro, I have been working on this for the last 2 years, and some of the modeling technology I applied was invented in the manufacturing of a medical device - I decided to use it in the design process of my skis. They are a bamboo / poplar / paulowina core and carbon fiber. We modeled the entire setup and tweaked the design and cores until we got our current prototypes.
I have launched a Kickstarter campaign with tons of info on them - I am really looking for as much feedback as possible, and for early adopters to have a go at the tech.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...7/templar-skis


I will try to answer any questions you guys may have I really want to be open about the whole project; so if you have any questions or comments they will be super welcomed, even the silly ones (I am a telemarker so I do get quite a few of those regardless).

[Buster Highmen]

Choice name.
(from WiKi)

The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Latin: Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonici), commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple (French: Ordre du Temple or Templiers) or simply as Templars, were among the most wealthy and powerful of the Western Christian military orders[4] and were among the most prominent actors of the Christian finance. The organization existed for nearly two centuries during the Middle Ages.

Officially endorsed by the Catholic Church around 1129, the Order became a favoured charity throughout Christendom and grew rapidly in membership and power. Templar knights, in their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, were among the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades.[5] Non-combatant members of the Order managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom,[6] innovating financial techniques that were an early form of banking,[7][8] and building fortifications across Europe and the Holy Land.

The Templars' existence was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Holy Land was lost, support for the Order faded. Rumours about the Templars' secret initiation ceremony created mistrust and King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Order, took advantage of the situation. In 1307, many of the Order's members in France were arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, and then burned at the stake.[9] Under pressure from King Philip, Pope Clement V disbanded the Order in 1312. The abrupt disappearance of a major part of the European infrastructure gave rise to speculation and legends, which have kept the "Templar" name alive into the modern day.

[Timberridge]

Are you sure naming a ski the "Petard" is a good idea?

"Petard comes from the Middle French peter, to break wind, from pet expulsion of intestinal gas, from the Latin peditus, past participle of pedere, to break wind, akin to the Greek bdein, to break wind (Merriam-Webster)....

Petardiers were used during sieges of castles or fortified cities. The petard, a rather primitive and exceedingly dangerous explosive device, consisted of a brass or iron bell-shaped device filled with gunpowder fixed to a wooden base called a madrier....

The word remains in modern usage in the phrase hoist with one's own petard, which means "to be harmed by one's own plan to harm someone else" or "to fall into one's own trap," implying that one could be lifted up (hoist, or blown upward) by one's own bomb."

Also, the maximum size of all your skis is 185cm, which is certainly too short for TGR. Even if the ski only measures 185, you need to stamp it a 190. I also predict there will be some people who will think it funny to deface the Petard name by changing the P to an R with a permanent marker.

[PNWbrit]

[Buster Highmen]

C/mon. With a brand name like that, you can't pass up naming a model "The Holy Grail".



Just think of all the coconut accesories you could sell!

[TBS]

So, other than name your skis after the fiercest band of gay soldiers in the history of Western Europe, what makes your skis better than the 20 or so other indie manufacturers that use bamboo, paulownia and carbon fiber in their layup?

[littlebigwater]

Let me start off and say I am happy to see honest, candid feedback. The name in hindsight may not be the best choice, true, but I wanted to build great charging skis and when I think of charging I think of knights. What convinced me was an old family friend told me they were fanatics (I know very little about templars - apparently they were advanced for their time as well)- and I always thought of myself as a ski fanatic - I mean anyone that has called in sick on a pow day is a fanatic. The Petard name - came from bombing down runs on those prototypes - and I hate text on skis so the names will not be vandalizeable ahaha. Holy Grail -why did I not think of that?! Brilliant. Def gonna use this in the next ski we make - and you can def have credit for slipping me that name!.

As for stamping 190's on the petards I am not too interested - I know they won't be a huge hit at 185 but I don't want to dupe anyone. I am tired of ski companies doing that. This run is to test the new tech - I don't foresee myself making any money off this venture anytime soon (tons of money was spent to get to this stage already)

In terms of novelty - the only thing I can tell you is that I have spent 2 years mathematically modeling the ski cores - and from that we learned 3 things - the wood array we have is theoretically more stable at speeds and on impact (our wood grain direction is chosen to maximize that stability so the wood is not just slapped together but rather each piece needs to be aligned and I pay quite a bit for that). We had implemented a supplier validation process just like in FDA approved devices - that was especially important for our resins as they can be different batch to batch. Finally we needed a bracing system that let us tune torsional rigidity during the manufacturing process. I also did not want to have "mystical" properties in skis - so I try to be as open about everything. Take flex - or stiffness, that can actually be measured (KPa) and so people should not be lead to believe that it is a wishy washy magical property of a ski.

I know this is long, I apologize and if you have any questions let me know! I don't think these skis are for everyone (they are charging skis) and I don't want to force them down peoples throat - I just wanted to see if there are people that like to test new gear and give them the opportunity to have at it first, and worry free (the 1 year warranty is really there to make everyone happy)

[Buster Highmen]

I have spent 2 years mathematically modeling the ski cores - )

Does that mean you've been draping Bernoulli Polynomials with cheap lingerie or you yourself have been prancing around wrapped in "wood cores"?

[PNWbrit]

Holy Grail -why did I not think of that?! Brilliant. Def gonna use this in the next ski we make

Please post the C&D letter you get from Python's lawyers.

[littlebigwater]

Does that mean you've been draping Bernoulli Polynomials with cheap lingerie or you yourself have been prancing around wrapped in "wood cores"?

LOL that has to be the best reply I have ever seen!

[Hugh Conway]

Please post the C&D letter you get from Python's lawyers.

Need something special for the spank bank?

[shirk]

The hybrid cap/sidewall looks like it's out of the Tunisia factory. Who is doing the manufacturing?

Oh hold on tight you're gunna get ripped apart in here. You've just baited the sharks jong.

[Buster Highmen]

LOL that has to be the best reply I have ever seen!

So between the "Holy Grail" suggestion and that, do I get a free pair of skis? I'm collecting spancerships.
Also, read the 'Avignon Quintet' by Lawrence Durrell for more prespective on the Templars.

Perhaps another model name might be 'The Sword of Longinus'? Supposedly, the Templars had that when they were overthrown and they hid it in the hills around Avignon which casue the Nazis to go crazy looking for it there because Hitler wanted it.

[littlebigwater]

The hybrid cap/sidewall looks like it's out of the Tunisia factory. Who is doing the manufacturing?

Final assembly is happening in China - (same factory as DPS) but with our process and cores. Cores are sourced separately and sent to the factory via our medical device manufacturer (as are bases / edges) . they were the only factory open to setting up our process so we are giving this a shot.

[Buster Highmen]

Polly Nomial Does Wood Hard Cores, huh?

[littlebigwater]

So between the "Holy Grail" suggestion and that, do I get a free pair of skis? I'm collecting spancerships.
Also, read the 'Avignon Quintet' by Lawrence Durrell for more prespective on the Templars.

Perhaps another model name might be 'The Sword of Longinus'? Supposedly, the Templars had that when they were overthrown and they hid it in the hills around Avignon which casue the Nazis to go crazy looking for it there because Hitler wanted it.

Haha I had no idea. how about a shirt? we should be getting some in the next few months. as for the skis - maybe one day when my bank account is not in the red!

Cheers!

[shirk]

Serious question before this turns into a shit storm.

Why use Kickstarter?

If you honestly feel you have a worthy product why not take on the debt and make it happen?

[Hugh Conway]

Serious question before this turns into a shit storm.

Why use Kickstarter?

If you honestly feel you have a worthy product why not take on the debt and make it happen?

Not OP: Because it's easier and lower risk to use kickstarter. Also seems to reach a different market (with more disposable money) than most any other venue.

I hate kickstarter for these very reasons.

[gramboh]

The design looks interesting, I'd like to ski on em sometime, but not gonna throw $500 out on Kickstarter at this point, sorry.

[littlebigwater]

Serious question before this turns into a shit storm.

Why use Kickstarter?

If you honestly feel you have a worthy product why not take on the debt and make it happen?

Just like Hugh mentioned - reaches a different market and we were asked by some local media as they wanted to do a piece on kickstarter (it was timed with the Canadian Kickstarter launch) Teh product is being tested and we did take on debt - I don't think you could develop these kinds of skis for $30000 let alone go through 2 seasons of prototype testing. The only plus so far from the campaign is that a couple places in Norway are really interested.

[littlebigwater]

The design looks interesting, I'd like to ski on em sometime, but not gonna throw $500 out on Kickstarter at this point, sorry.

I'm glad you like the design and I think its awesome you wanna give them shot. If you are in Alberta they will be available for you to try this season, they will also be available for demo during the FIS world cup in Lake Louise - (we got approached about having them out there for a couple of weeks).

[Rossymcg]

I'm not even gona bother looking at them,
give up now, youre skis wont sell like you think theyre gona, youre gona go bankrupt and when youre really down and out with no $ you'll think back and remember me telling you so.
lots have tried and failed.
where's the photos of your chick anyway? im more interested in her

[Slaag Master]

sounds great!!! send me a pair for the blissta seal of proval!!!!!!!

[littlebigwater]

I'm not even gona bother looking at them,
give up now, youre skis wont sell like you think theyre gona, youre gona go bankrupt and when youre really down and out with no $ you'll think back and remember me telling you so.
lots have tried and failed.
where's the photos of your chick anyway? im more interested in her

I don't think the expectations here are to make big bucks anyone doing a project like this would be fooling themselves - the idea was to see if a better ski could be made. Money wise you can clearly see I am aiming for the stars (factoring manufacture and shipping). LOL

[littlebigwater]

sounds great!!! send me a pair for the blissta seal of proval!!!!!!!

Awesome!