​Whats Up With The Bunch’s New Ski Brand 1000 Skis?

The boys that are the Bunch - known for doing things a little differently - are dipping their hands into the game of making skis. | 1000 Skis photo.

For those of you who have been paying attention to the weird corner of skiing that is the Bunch, you might have noticed some murmurs about Alex Hackel, Pär ‘Peyben’ Hägglund, Magnus Granér and Lucas Stål Madison switching up their ski sponsors this year. Well, the news is true, but there’s a whole lot more. The youthful skiing visionaries, known for their aesthetically pleasing short films and disdain for skiing with poles, decided to go all in and start their own ski brand. Enter 1000 Skis, a brand-new outfit from Sweden that’s dedicated to changing the way the ski industry works. In the words of Hägglund, 1000 Skis is “a brand for contemporary skiers.” So, they’re making their own skis? Cool. But what’s really cool is how it’s being done. The brand wants to find a solution to the problem of sustainability in skiing, and share what they learn with the world.

The punk-rock skateboard vibes that permeate Hackel, Hägglund, Granér and Madison’s skiing on camera carries over into their vision for building a new company. With experience across the industry, working with some of the largest ski brands on the planet, filming feature-length films, and learning directly behind the scenes of how the ski world works, they wanted to do something new. Hackel recalls that when his contract with ON3P ran out last year, he was on the phone with the rest of the crew and they said, “don’t sign another one, we’re starting a ski company.” From there, the ball was rolling and the skiers poured their heart and soul into creating a ski brand that would allow athletes to take ownership of the industry and create products they could really stand behind. "I mean how cool is it that our next athlete team member is going to get DM from @skimanguy asking to be part of the team?" says Hackel, indicating just one of the many ways they want to go against the traditional ski industry grain.

1000skis is starting off with a heavy focus on sustainability. | 1000 Skis photo.

From the day 1000 Skis was born, the athletes wanted to focus on sustainability – an issue they all agree is one of the single biggest struggles the industry faces today. Skis simply aren’t made in a way that’s great for the Earth, whether it's harmful materials, emissions from manufacturing and shipping, or relentless waste creation. With lessons learned from their combined past experiences, very open minds, and a lucky connection as part of an ongoing research study with RISE (a Swedish national research institute that looks at biomaterials and sustainable manufacturing methods), they set out to do things right from the beginning, knowing well that there is much they will learn along the way.

So what kind of skis are we even talking about? The skis are all manufactured in Sweden’s Åre Ski Factory, chosen because it’s one of the world’s most advanced ski building facilities (the factory already builds skis for RMU and a handful of other indy ski brands). The location also allows them the easiest access to tweak designs. In fact, Granér lives just a few minutes away from the factory doors and will often go peek his head in to see what’s going on. The award-winning facility uses 100 percent hydroelectric energy, and all waste gets recycled or reused sustainably. Currently the skis are made using conventional ski-making materials, but Granér says they and the factory are already experimenting with new products that show promise as being a good balance of feeling good on snow and making the Earth feel a little better.

The crew looking stoked to kick things off: CEO Anton Pohjolainen, Alex Hackel, Pär Hägglund, Lucas Stål Madison, Media mastermind Alric Ljunghager and Magnus Granér. | 1000 Skis photo.

This winter, 1000 Skis is offering three ski models: a park ski, an all-mountain ski, and a powder ski. All three models come with the exact same plain red topsheet – an intentional move meant to encourage timelessness in the skis and a gesture that the skis aren’t meant to be thrown away after a season of use and replaced when the next model year comes out. Granér says, “We have a vision to become something for everyone, not just a niche ski brand. We want to get there by being better than the other options.”

The skis are all relatively soft and meant to inspire a playful style of skiing. I mean, come on, have you watched any of these guys ski? Hackel says, “we’re not trying to be a brand for just freeskiers, we want to create a ski for the everyday skier, for outdoor lovers, really for anyone who wants to be on snow.” Look inside any of the three models, and you won’t find anything crazy in terms of design and materials. Instead, the athlete’s gathered experience led them to choose simple materials that are known to simply work: wood, glass fibers, and metal, all in a freestyle-friendly shape. However, while at first glance they might seem very ordinary, Hägglund assures that the flex and pop is something else. The skis will be available direct to consumer at 1000skis.com, and range from €700 to €850 including shipping.

The brand will launch with three models this winter, all three of which are more than capable of this. | 1000 Skis photo.

Looking into the next 12 months, the crew has a lot of learning to do. Hägglund says: “We’re all excited. Happy. Confident. We’re going full throttle. We can’t wait to see what happens when our customers will ski them for the first time. When we rode them for the first time we were convinced, but the customers are the ultimate test.”

Hackel chimes in: “The next 12 months are about learning. About customers. About the brand. About our product. We will learn and adapt. We want to learn about the sustainability of production and will adjust accordingly. Finally, we want to share that knowledge.”

It's refreshing to see this type of energy and dedication to doing things differently in the industry, and we're excited to see some red topsheets in the lineup this year! 

About The Author

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stash member Max Ritter

I manage digital content here at TGR, run our gear testing program, and am stoked to be living the dream in the Tetons.