By Brennan Lagasse
Despite being backed by a handful of the top Freeride World Tour (FWT) competitors, Praxis operates far from the limelight. Based in Lake Tahoe, the microbrew ski company has slowly built a cult following around its products. And although you won’t find these skis in any gear guides, you will find them atop the podium at many FWT stops. We recently caught up with Praxis owner Keith O’Meara to learn more about the brand and what it has in store for the 2013-2014 season.
What's the Praxis story? Where did you come from?
Praxis was born in my garage and has evolved into a full-on ski factory of dedicated skiers designing and making skis. I feel like a lot of people have seen or heard how we started out, that is if they've ever heard of us! So I'm going to jump ahead and talk a little more on where we are going. The last couple years the story has really changed to a custom ski company. We have our standard line of skis that is always in stock and available, but something we are doing different is offering custom made-to-order skis during the summer months for a great price. The more this method of factory-direct sales on a custom level evolves, the more I like it. We can really make the ski personal to the skier by allowing custom options on our line of skis. We can offer a great price because the customer is buying the ski upfront and we are fitting it into our summer production schedule. It’s a win-win, both for the skier and for Praxis.
Last fall, Kevin O'Meara and Drew Tabke laid up the latter's prototypes. These skis eventually became the GPO, the skis on which Drew won the FWT.
How has little ole’ Praxis grown such a cult following with three top competitors on the FWT, including the first ever unified winner?
I assumed it was because we make the best skis, right? It's really been slow to evolve, but I can say it’s pretty much the highlight of my job seeing Praxis skis in action, on the hill. When I stand in the lift line and look around, I still see skis that we made eight years ago on people’s feet. Freeride is in our roots—it's who we are as skiers and it's what we do. So it makes sense for Praxis to be a presence on the FWT and it was great having the “team” presence on the tour last season.
Working with Drew Tabke has without a doubt been a huge factor in making all this happen. Not just because Tabke is one of the standout skiers of the day, but for how hard he works to make it all happen. Drew is not just an athlete for Praxis, he comes to us with ideas, he does not just expect for us to come up with his winning skis, he visits the factory and designs his winning ski with us. So, maybe we make the best skis because we work with the best skiers? I'd like to think so and I hope that trend continues to be the driving force behind Praxis Skis. If we can continue to provide quality and innovation to the skiers, I think I'll continue to ride chairs full of Praxis skiers.
What sets you apart from other ski manufacturers?
Right now you can go to Praxisskis.com and put a custom ski order together and you will have it on your doorstep in four to six weeks. I feel that's something that really separates Praxis from the other brands. Our custom made skis for sale prices is a great feature for the dedicated skier, ski bum, or really any skier. We are also not a company that has designs that are three years old, sitting on a shelf at a ski shop. Our method of production and sales allows our designs and skis to be fresh.
How do you feel about your place in the ski industry—surrounded by gear guides, trade shows, and all the other exposure given to bigger companies?
I really don’t think about it enough. Unfortunately, once again this fall you will not see Praxis in any gear guides. Trying to create a budget for a marketing campaign that would even be noticed in the midst of all the major brands’ spending is impossible at this time. So we grow slowly on a word of mouth and customer referral basis. Our repeat customers from year-to-year say a lot about how we do business. I enjoy where we’re at in the industry. I think we are making our mark. Not by spraying a bunch of marketing dollars and cutting the budget on the ski materials, but by creating something better. In time, that will be noticed. However, we were thinking about applying for one of those “ski of the year awards”, do you know how to apply for that? Tabke's GPO did win 3 of 6 FWT events!
What does the future look like for Praxis?
More options. More ski designs for more aspects of skiing. In the last year we've added kids skis, park skis and some great woman-specific skis. I see the lineup expanding, but I also see more custom options and I see the price/value of our skis remaining one of the best offerings in the industry. I think our innovation and quality will always stand out, and I look forward to seeing what those innovations come to be.
FWT competitor and Praxis team skier Kevin O'Meara being careful not to hit any rocks on his first day out of the year.
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About The Author
stash member Brennan Lagasse
Brennan Lagasse is a writer, educator, photographer, athlete and ski guide living on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, CA. He is a faculty member at Sierra Nevada College and co-guides a one of a kind helicopter assisted ski touring program in Alaska’s famed Chugach Mountains each winter. His writing and photos have appeared in academic, print and online media outlets, while as an athlete Brennan has skied across the world, from the Arctic to Antarctic, including ski descents on all seven of the world’s continents. Missions away from home are a major part of Brennan’s experience, but he’s just as content to be backcountry skiing and adventuring in his home range of the Sierra Nevada, whenever possible. You can check out some of Brennan’s work at: stateofthebackcountry.com and at facebook.com/stateofthebackcountry