In Italy there are over 30 craftsmen specialized in tailor-made skis and snowboards…

The idea of starting up a small production of skis dates back to the 50’s, in the alpine region of course, due to the local growing demand and the availability on site of a vast variety of timber.
Some former craftsmen, such as Trabucchi for example (now SkiTrab), developed their business and the old carpentry became an industry, but many manufacturers did not reach a sufficient production volume to sustain the business in an increasingly competitive market. A few of them continued to produce for third parties (major brands), but most sold their machinery and terminated the activity,  take Roy Ski for example.

From the ‘90s, a new wave of craftsmen started to build hand-made wooden skis and snowboards, somehow  following the trend seen in the US west coast with the home made surfs. These small entrepreneurs purchased second hand production equipment, such as presses and cutters and started to build their skis.
These craftsmen do not aim at large volumes, instead they decided from the beginning to focus on the design and manufacturing of few pieces a year of high quality (and highly priced)  for a niche of passionates.
Ski and snowboard construction is by the classic sandwich (see image), with most research efforts dedicated to the wood core and top sheet materials.

A key factor was and still is the possibility to customize the choice of the size cut, materials, graphics, and other parameters, as to get a product really suited to one’s own style of skiing.
This trend became even stronger after the years 2000, somehow an unstoppable fashion phenomenon where the utilization of rare woods,  carbon fiber, and  high tech materials play  a key role.

What follows is a non-exhaustive list of  handcrafted skis and snowboards producers currently active in Italy,   according to our knowledge. A deciding factor for being included in the list is the volume of production: we considered a maximum of  250 units per year (some craftsmen produce  less than 50  !)
With these limitation, producers like Blossom for example, are considered industry and not craftsmen, and therefore are not shown in the list, even if they offer tailor-made skis.
Another factor is that the manufacturer  must have a continuous production.  Hence, for example, some laboratories that mostly do repair and maintenance, and occasionally build one pair of skis or snowboard for themselves or a friend, have not been included in the list.

We have tested some of these products, and even owned a few.

 Are handicrafted skis and snowboards worth buying ?
…here are the pros and cons.

PROS
– You get a fully tailor made product. You can choose the size cut, materials, mechanical features, external graphics…
– You enjoy the satisfaction of owning and using a rather exclusive object. How much one values this, is very personal.
– You get a product with unique personal perfromances and feeling, sometimes very different from the standard production.
– It might be an intersting choice for a company or organization in the ski business  to utilize  skis or snowboards with customized graphics, for branding and marketing purposes.

CONS
– Handicrafted skis are more expensive, sometimes costing 2 twice as much or more; for luxury products we speak about 2000 euro minimum.
– Consistency in quality is the weakest point:  lacking a strict production control as in an industrial facility, you do not get the exact same quality for the same product.
– Durability of product is generally lower, mostly due to less engineered design and lower testing capability.
– Small manufactures may have a less efficient warranty management or, at worst, may terminate their activity, leaving customers without after sale support.

What do we suggest ?

– If you are a skier using only one pair of skis, which should last for a long time, go for a standard ski produced by a large manufacturer. You are guaranteed of what you buy.
– If you are an avid skier, utilizing several pairs of skis in a season, and appreciating the peculiar advantages of handcrafted skis or snowboard, go for it !  As to limit the risk of an uncertain quality level and durability, focus on the most realiable producers who have gained a solid reputation over the years.

How to test and possibily purchase handcrafted skis or snowboards made in Italy ?
You may consult the producer’s webiste and get to know how to buy, OR consider the proposal below !

–> Special offer by Lynx Trails to all customers joining one of our ski-touring programmes in Italy and the Alps:

should you  decide to purchase  a pair of handicrafted skis or snowboard made in Italy,  we will

– help you to select the handicraft  producer and skis or snowboard model  most suitable to your needs;
– arrange for you a possible test of one or more ski or snowboards for one full day;
– help you to get the desired product at the lowest possible price;
– arrange for you a  visit to the selected producer’s facilities and collect the skis or snowboard you purchased (upon request, skis and snowboard can be delivered complete with bindings).

Interested ?
Call us now +39.348.3908459
or
email  info@lynxtrails.com with subject “Handicrafted skis and snowboad”
or
send the contact form below clearly quoting “Handicrafted skis and snowboad”.

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A LIST OF HANDCRAFTED SKIS  and SNOWBOARD
PRODUCERS  IN ITALY

(souorce of all following images: the manufacturer)

1. ASKI
Location: Mondovì (Cuneo)
Started: 2015
Products: skis for ski-touring, freeride and piste
Aski specializes in high tech skis with extended use of carbon fibers. Most models are specific for ski touring, of which one extremely light for racing, and one model is for freeride.

2. BACIASKI
Location: Prali (Torino)
Started:  2015
Products: skis for piste, freeride, ski-touring, snowboards
Baciaski  buils its products using a few selected woods, with a specialization in bamboo. The wood core is combined with glass or carbon fiber as to provide the requested  customized characteristics.

3. BLACK THUNDER
Location: Ultimo (Bolzano)
Started:  1996
Products: skis: skis for piste and freeride.
The inventors of the famous Vist plates (used in racing skis) produce basically two hand crafted models, one for piste with traditional size cut and one for freeride, using a beech wood core and nano-carbon sheets.

4. BOMBER
Location: Cossato (Biella)
Started:  2011
Products:  skis for piste, freeride, freestyle, ski-touring
Bomber has quite a wide range of hand crafted skis. They developed a system, based on NFC technology, to allow the skier to download and process a number of data all long the ski’s life.

5. BORDE
Location: Imer (Trento)
Started: 2015
Products: skis for piste, freeride, ski-touring
Borde has a strong carpentry background and is proud of using quality woods from the forests of the Dolomites. They specialize in precision engraving patterns on the top sheet.

6. CARPANI SCI
Location: Vidiciatico (Bologna)
Started:  2006
Products: skis for piste, freeride, ski-touring
Carpani mainly specializes in small series of piste skis, but they  also produce skis on order with customized graphics and unique editions upon customer request.

7.DUEL
Location: Rovereto (Trento)
Started: 2001
Products: ski for piste, racing skis
Duel was established by former athlet Gianluca Grigoletto and focuses on high performance skis for piste and racing, slalom and carving. Most skis utilize fiber composites.

8. EPICSKI
Location:  Vercana (Como)
Started:  2016?
Products: skis for piste, freeride, ski-touring, snowboards
Epic belongs to the Venini group, a surfs manufacturer; now it also produces tailor-made skis with karuba wood core, fiber glass, and a carbon cap which constitutes a torsion box providing optimum perfomance.

9. GAF SKI
Location:  Lecco
Started: 2007
Products: skis for piste
Gaf has recently renovated its machinery and it seems that they produce for other brands as well. Its products are build  with fiber composites mostly manually, yet prices are not much higher than for standard skis

10. GROOVES
Location:  Calliano (Trento)
Started:  1998
Products: skis for piste, freeride, telemark, and snowboards
A  hand crafted  product by Peter Huta may takes more than one week to be manufactured, using  extreme care and well tested materials, with a special focus on durability.

11. KASTELAAR
Location:  Vicenza
Started: 2010
Products: skis for piste, freeride, telemark, cross-country, and snowboards
Kastelaar is focused on the utilization of the best  woods, such as ashtree, with a long tested cold pressing technique that assures  high  durability.  Prices are very reasonable for an handicrafted product.

12. McTREE
Location:  Struppa (Genova)
Started:  2019
Products:  skis for ski-touring and freeride
McTree is a very small factory producing a few dozens of skis per year. Buyers are invited since the beginning to be involved in the design and production of their extremely customized skis.

 13. OPERA
Location:  Monza (Monza Brianza)
Started:  2012
Products: skis for piste, freeride, freestyle, ski-touring,  and a monoski
Opera utilizes selected woods and the special WoodEvolution™ layer for the top sheet. They provide customers with a special wood treatment to maintain the perfect aesthetics of the skis for many years.

14. OWO SKI
Location:  Aosta
Started:  2013
Products:  skis for piste, freeride, ski-touring
Owo aims at utilizing top quality wood as much as possible in the ski’s structure and offers a range of customized top sheet made of zebrawood, olive tree, and rosewood among others.

15. SNOWOOD
Location:  Monza (Monza Brianza)
Started:  2018
Products: skis for piste, freeride
Snowood  obviously focus on the utilization of the best wood varieties. They offer a large number of possible top sheet finishing and customized desing or logo.

16. STRADIVARIUS
Location:  Venice
Started: 2007
Products: skis for ski-touring, freeride and piste, snowboards
Stradivarius has a quite complete range of skis for piste (including one model for racing),  freeride, and ski-touring, all build by hand using special wood. Every model is produced exclusively upon customer’s order and sold by private deal.

17. TUA
Location:  Milano
Started:  2017
Products: skis for piste, freeride, ski-touring
The current entrepreneurs acquired the old and historical Tua brand and established a new production of three basic models which can be tailor made upon customer’s order.

18. WHITELAND
Location:  Pernate (Novara)
Started:  2014
Products: skis for piste, freeride.
Whiteland has a small production of wooden core sandwich skis, which they may sell with customized graphics for private customers or clubs, associations, shops, and practitioners.

19. WHITING
Location:  Badia (Bolzano)
Started: 2013?
Products: skis for piste
Whiting is dedicated to a small production of highly customized skis, to the point that the client may be nvolved in the design of his/her skis and then invited at the factory for testing.

20. ZERO-SKI
Location:  Como
Started: 2011
Products: skis for piste and freeride
Zero focuses on the research of innovative woods for the core and special materials for the top sheet, such as slate, nacre,  glass crystals, zebrawood, rosewood, and even gold for a luxury  model.

Finally, something out of any possible scheme, the producer of the most expensive skis in the word, with models exceeding 50,000 $ a pair; they shall be considered as collection items rather than sport equipment.

21. FIRST TRACK
Location:  Melzo (Milano)
Started: 2018
Products: skis for freeride and ski-touring
First Track was founded by two enthusiasts of ski mountaineeting and telemark. Their skis are built with a ash tree core and finished wit a top sheet as per customer’s request. All products are delivered after a complete edge and base tuning.

Finally, something out of any possible scheme, the producer of the most expensive skis in the word, with models exceeding 50,000 $ a pair; they shall be considered as collection items rather than sport equipment.

22. FOIL SKIS
Location:  Aurisina (Trieste)
Started: 2010
Products: skis for piste
Foil represents the extreme luxury in ski manufacturing. The core is made of premier pawlonia wood and the top sheet of vintage bog oak. Skis are built on demand and delivered with gold or nickel plated bindings (made by Look)  and  optional fine leather bag.

wish to know more ?

Call us now +39.348.3908459
or
email  info@lynxtrails.com with subject “Handicrafted skis and snowboad”
or
send the contact form below clearly quoting “Handicrafted skis and snowboad”.