Folsom Skis

[bennettc14]

Anyone know anything more about Folsom custom skis from Boulder? Anything about their shapes for next year? Their website isn't all the way up yet but they have a blog with some promising info. Saw a sticker featuring their company about a month ago in Utah, thought I'd check em out.

http://folsomcustomskis.blogspot.com/

[leroy jenkins]

They're not from Folsom?

[splat]

Prison skis.

...so hot right now.

[critical-motion]

They're not from Folsom?

Folsom is a popular street in Boulder which runs through a fair bit of town and ends at CU's Folsom Stadium.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

ha...I live in Folsom. Folsom, CA. And I know there's a guy at the local REI here who just built a ski press in his garage so for a second I thought "holy shit, this can't be REI-dude already"

[PNW Skier]

EDIT: I have no relation with folsom customs besides I happen to know one of his testers.


My friend here in whistler is testing and creating shapes, sizes and flexes for Folsom this season. I've skied a pair of them and he's skied a bunch of them this year. He's super stoked on them (and I am as well) and has been killin' it on them. I'm sure some of you have seen us running around on whistler on these boards.

I don't know all the details on them other than they have bamboo cores and ridicuously light swing weight (sooo easy to get a big 192cm superfat waisted ski around in the trees!). The one pair I skied are super playful in the pow and would make a killer pow day quiver ski. Oh and I smoked a couple rocks on those skis super hard. Like, I'm sure I blew an edge out and got a gnarly coreshot hard. Each time I checked them, nothing but a scratch in the base. The skis are bomber.

These skis have all been really light so far (well until I put the px18 boat anchors on them...) so they'd make a great touring ski option.

The topsheets IMO on those skis are some of the best I've ever seen. The graphics guy that folsom is using is doing a great job for him!

I'm pretty sure he's going into production for next season so keep your eyes peeled. You're gonna want a pair of these!

[bennettc14]

They updated their blog and added their shapes for next year. Look pretty good, anyone have any idea on their prices?

[PNW Skier]

Not sure on the prices but I can tell you one thing. That 191 in a super soft flex is a ridiculously fun powder tool and will actually hook up on hard snow as well with a little effort.

[folsomskis]

I have been lucky enough to be one of the testers for Folsom Custom Skis during the prototyping and development stages. At Folsom Skis we offer a new approach to a custom ski. We have fixed lengths and dimensions; however we completely customize a flex pattern around your height, weight, ability and preference. These skis completely speak for themselves. I’ve tested and skied a lot of skis over the years and non have stacked up to these skis. They are unbelievably durable and perform in all situations. Our website will be completed very soon and will explain in depth what we are all about. Check us out @ http://folsomcustomskis.com/

[bennettc14]

What are your prices looking like?

[ExoticSkis]

What are your prices looking like?

June 6 2008 on their blog said:

We are still working out the exact price of each model but the skis will be in the $900-$1500 range. A $600 ski that only lasts one season before you need to buy a new $600 ski is really just a wasteful, poorly built ski. However, a $1200 ski that is custom built, has a two year warranty, and will last beyond that is an investment in true value.

[PowTron]

ANOTHER ski company?

Attention: Please see "Snowboarding 1996" to see what is going to happen to skiing soon...

PMGear, Moment, DPS...fine, but no more

[dookeyXXX]

there's more coming, baby!

back in May when I was riding the end of the season at Squaw on a Saturday with Splat and company, i ran into a cadre of guys on some new skis with a name that started with a "B" (Boone? edit: my memory is better than I thought: http://www.booneskis.com/store/). they were all decked out in the companies shirts, jackets, and several models of skis.

when i asked where the skis were made they snarkily said, check out the website and then quickly rattled off what it was.

i don't remember what it was now, but one of the topsheets looked suspiciously like those J. Olsson Head models (i.e. scantily clad hottie on the topsheet, which seems to be the "hip" topsheet of the day these days).

i think we've only begun to see the tip of the iceberg in terms of small ski companies.

what i have to wonder is how many of these are being started up with the hopes of being acquired by a major ski company in the future?

all of this merely reminds me of the whole "indie rock" movement of the '80s. there were tons of indie labels and bands and by the '90s if the label hadn't gone belly up it most likely had been sucked up by a major label.

[skier666]

Those boones are F U G L Y!

[bennettc14]

How does a ski company in the first year of production sell their skis right off the bat for $900-$1500. Especially when thats a hell of a lot more than Bros, Praxis, DPS, Moment...maybe I'm just crazy. But sure dashes my hopes of getting a pair.

[ExoticSkis]

there's more coming, baby!
...i think we've only begun to see the tip of the iceberg in terms of small ski companies....

The " list of relatively small or lesser-known ski builders " has just broken the 200 brands mark this week...and counting...!

It's getting hard to keep up....sheesh.

[FJ62]

We promise to abstain from brand dilution and vow never to produce more than 500 pairs of any given ski and graphic design. When riding on Boone skis, we guarantee you will be riding on a unique, small-batch ski.

Interesting that they're going the limited edition sneaker route and promising planned obsolescence. Not sure if it really makes sense for skis (think of how much free PR has PM Gear received from us constantly seeing that same logo / topsheet in TR after TR (a lot)...

Since most of the "exotic" skis seem to be built at the same four or five factories, I wonder how long it'll be before the factories wise up and offer a direct to consumer ordering option. Upload your topsheet, pick your dimensions, tip style and core materials and get a pair of one-of-a-kind skis. Can't be that far off, right?

[dookeyXXX]

I wonder how long it'll be before the factories wise up and offer a direct to consumer ordering option. Upload your topsheet, pick your dimensions, tip style and core materials and get a pair of one-of-a-kind skis. Can't be that far off, right?

They already have:

http://480484dccbea1c3a.edelwiser.com/de/

[spindrift]

IIRC -- Edelwiser only lets you customize topsheets on their standard ski models.No custom shapes or flexes.

[ExoticSkis]

Yep...we're seeing "Just In Time" manufacturing coming over the horizon like sneakers, jeans...etc. Edelwiser has its custom topsheet process down to two hours...start to finish...and the system can fit in a 40 foot container/trailer with a satellite internet system you could take to events to satisfy the "can't wait for my own graphics" or corporate promotion crowd...etc. (eek..."Red Bull" skis available with the podium finisher's pictures at the X-Games right after they post results...oh no...)

Many of the high-priced custom ski builders have a fleet of options available so you can get any geometry, any sandwich layup, any graphics...all hand-made. The big factories are gradually getting new equipment to reduce retooling costs for rapid-product introduction and "first-to-market" capabilities. Custom "on-demand" services are a distinct probability in the very near future. I have friends in the machine tool business, and they see CNC milling of cores, layer trimming and layup in the ski business as a normal way of doing business. Many mfrs are already using CNC tools (a few independent ski builders are too) for rapid production and waste minimization. It's coming...

[FCS]

First off thanks for your interest in Folsom Custom Skis. Just to respond to some of the questions. Yes Folsoms will be more than some ski companies but this is a different approach to ski building. These skis are 100% custom fitted to each rider. No more looking for a ski to meet your needs, instead you tell us your needs and we design the ski around you. The idea for this company came from mountain biking and the handful of small independent frame builders who met the customer's criteria and built them a product. We are going to offer introductory specials and discount programs as well. Our future plans are never a buy-out, but rather the opposite. We want to stay small and right here in the US.

Folsom's are about customization and durability. I wanted to create an outlet for skiers to have a say in how their ski is built. We treat each customer as if they are one of our pro riders. Everyone is asked to fill out a questionnaire and we incorporate that information into each design. When we build a ski it is one of a kind right down to the core and composite layup and it is based off your experiences with the skis and terrain you ride. This takes time and skill to accomplish.

The price of Folsoms will be $900-1200 which is very reasonable considering before you order our shop is only filled with materials. When you order is when we start to pull the materials and fashion your ski. Furthermore, each layer is hand inspected before layup for precise resin content and quality and this takes time. The payoff is owning a ski that you could compete in the IFSA tour with that lasts the comp season and beyond.

Honestly, I was a rider who would only buy the best ski I could get inexpensively because I was going to destroy it. Four years ago, I began to wonder if skis could be built tougher. So I started prototyping three years ago and I am now ready to provide skis that I think are the most durable on the planet and customized to each person.

Thanks again for your interest and keep talking.....and keep supporting all the small brands.

-Jordan, Founder and Principal Designer

[doctorsteezy]

BOONE Skis are out of NCAL/Tahoe. I've ridden them. They're great, all bamboo core. They're really trying to appeal to the park/freeride skiers. Check 'em out. WWW.BOONESKIS.COM

Personally, I like the graphics and the way they ride.

[skier666]

I wonder how long until skiing on the corporate ski companies becomes cool.....

[bennettc14]

BOONE Skis are out of NCAL/Tahoe. I've ridden them. They're great, all bamboo core. They're really trying to appeal to the park/freeride skiers. Check 'em out. WWW.BOONESKIS.COM

Personally, I like the graphics and the way they ride.

Not to be a douche but 180cm skis max length are for children. Park scene was never and never will be my style. I wish boone skis the best but you clearly could do better and cater to a broader audience.

[splat]

I have friends in the machine tool business, and they see CNC milling of cores, layer trimming and layup in the ski business as a normal way of doing business. Many mfrs are already using CNC tools (a few independent ski builders are too) for rapid production and waste minimization. It's coming...

You telling me there are manufacturers not using cnc's?
They hand carving-their cores and bases?