Who wants a ski company?

[Bluehouse]

Anybody want a ski company?! It's official. Bluehouse has closed shop and we're ready to pass it along. As a thanks to the community that helped us get started we are offering up our ski company, free of charge, to the next generation. We have benefited huge from the experience of running Bluehouse and we want to see the brand live on. We are offering up the brand, equipment, website, facebook page w/ 10,000+ friends, other social media accounts, relationships, and our know how to help get you started. We are doing this all for free. We are asking anyone that is interested to submit a video to adam@bluehouseskis.com explaining why you want to take over Bluehouse and why you think you would be successful running it.

So what's the catch? Well, not much. Jared, Adam and Dan each want 1 pair of skis per year as long as your new company is operating. Also, we still feel bad that we didn't make whole on the ski design contest (sorry, tough times). So... we'd like the winners of that contest to receive a pair of skis - Soylent Green & camplemur.

Who can submit? Anyone, even if you already own a ski company. However, we are hoping the company will stay in Utah. Deadline for video submissions is March 15th.


What equipment do we still have? Heated adjustable ski press and molds/casettes for 6 models in 2-4 sizes per model (2 molds per model), a homemade 3 axis CNC router, flatbed sublimation graphics press, a few thousand dollars worth of misc. raw materials- base, tipfill, edges and topsheet, a few dozen left over skis, a box full of demo bindings, vertical band saw and some miscellaneous hand tools. Note- we've gotten rid of a lot of stuff so the factory is not turnkey.

Background:
We launched Bluehouse in 2007 with the goal of selling great skis directly to end users and cutting out the retail relationship. Along the way we have created strong bonds with many loyal customers and fans. We have produced skis both overseas and in our own factory here in Utah. For the 2015/16 season we decided not produce another ski run and to sell through the small existing batch. As owners, our focus has been pulled in other directions and we have not had the time to give Bluehouse the attention it deserves. After long consideration of selling what is left of the company, we decided that this would be more fun to pass the baton to new ownership.

Post your questions here and we'll try to respond asap.

[shroom]

Hillary Clinton, Rosie O'Donnell, and Cher

fuck one / marry one / kill one

go

[mikdes26]

Cher / Hillary / Rosie.

[mcski]

Paging splat to the white courtesy phone...

[mall walker]

Woah, cool

[snoqpass]

Cher / Hillary / Rosie.

That was too easy

[Benny Profane]

That was too easy

Not really. Have you seen Cher lately?

[mcski]

That was too easy

That would set you up for a life of hill. Fuck her or Rosie once and be done with it and marry Cher

[Wickedbrew4u]

That's a pretty cool way to pass something onto those that have always had a dream of either owning their own company or making skis and you guys did both.

I applaud you guys for doing what you love and trying to make it work. Starting something is truly hard as hell and a lot of people don't know what it's like - whether it's a ski company, being a consultant and working for yourself or some other type of start up company. Plus dealing with eCommerce sucks. Good luck to you guys in your future endeavors.

[JAREDS]

This is a cool idea

[pipedream]

I'm only interested if I can press single planks instead of doubles and we can send you guys splits each year

As an owner, my first move would be to install the PHP Data Object extension on the web hosts.

[soylent green]

"So what's the catch? Well, not much. Jared, Adam and Dan each want 1 pair of skis per year as long as your new company is operating. Also, we still feel bad that we didn't make whole on the ski design contest (sorry, tough times). So... we'd like the winners of that contest to receive a pair of skis - Soylent Green & camplemur. " I appreciate the nod. The is the first acknowledgement of how that contest went down that I have seen. Beyond that I am at a loss for words.

[skifishbum]

the bluehouse bakers got my vote.
ya all must be crushin it in the fake nail market
vanity sells
props for givin someone the op to give er a whirl instead of just pocket paddin

[Skidog]

So who's in? Local here and familiar with the guys who started bluehouse. Could be fun.

[Timberridge]

So who's in? Local here and familiar with the guys who started bluehouse. Could be fun.

Sign the papers and sell it to K2 for $37.

[skifishbum]

i'm in to the point of helpin finish and what little i gleaned from pm gear whirld tourz trips for some sticks
i'll be in the video but only bag on head unknown bum style

[alfajores]

I would definitely be down to volunteer time in the shop. Maybe coop it and find someone to run it out of a bike fix shop? People could come and build their own skis for the cost of materials and time. Bluehouse could be the first make at home skis mass marketed (use Maker Faire and Make as a platform). They published one of the first articles on the guys in Bellevue Washington to make skis and that is one way @iggyskiier and I were exposed to the concept early in College. I would fly down yearly to help out for a week if ski breaks were included.

Mike at Surface isn't showing any interest? I know they have the capacity but they are maybe a tier up on production line and tools. I havent aeen their modern rig.

Maybe keep it MST and hand it off to RMU or a like neighbor if no one here is serious.

[Skidog]

everything $333? Oh wait......

[Skidog]

Question to Bluehouse...

Does the business model need to remain the same as it is currently? Direct to market? Or is that up to the discretion of the new owner?

This is a cool thing...someone local should give this a whirl. Im willing to help any way i can (likely marketing/sales/demos/etc), but i can't live off my wifes salary with the kids so I can't take the real jump/risk.

keep it local folks.

[snapt]

Any sales data you can share, along with average warranty rates per year, and what exactly the warranty policy is so a perspective 'buyer' knows what they might be liable for in that department walking in?

The D2C model has kinda been run with by Surface the last few years, not sure how that's working out.

I always saw Bluehouse as an affordable way for folks to get into a fun shape (Maestro, Maven) who might not be so sure about it them.

[skiing-in-jackson]

Can the collective just buy/invest?

Doing boots, I've met some extremely wealthy lurker maggots.

[Benny Profane]

They're wealthy because they didn't start a small ski company, among other things.

[Skidog]

They're wealthy because they didn't start a small ski company, among other things.

This was probably said to every guy who decided to take a risk and build skis. You think K2 just started a line? Salomon? Volkl? They all started somewhere and then someone else invested to bring them where they are today. Sure, its not likely anyones buying up bluehouse to keep them out of the market, but I could see a decent living being made if its done right. Looks like Moment's doing ok, Surface? Well they seem solid... DPS? I dont know that those guys are exactly poor... just saying

[geo039]

Euro customer list available on the cheap? Keep it local!

[ACH]

This was probably said to every guy who decided to take a risk and build skis. You think K2 just started a line? Salomon? Volkl? They all started somewhere and then someone else invested to bring them where they are today. Sure, its not likely anyones buying up bluehouse to keep them out of the market, but I could see a decent living being made if its done right. Looks like Moment's doing ok, Surface? Well they seem solid... DPS? I dont know that those guys are exactly poor... just saying

Not at all the same, the market is a completely different place now from when many of these other brands started K2, Salomon, Volkl, Rossi, Head, etc).
Most of those brands are very well established and cater to the full breadth of the market (globally) and have supporting aspects that help to make their business models work.

How do you know that Moment and Surface are doing OK?
DPS? They were in hot demand, and a brand on the rise, is that still the case?