Pete Wagner was building proprietary software to customize golf clubs when he bought a pair of skis in the early 2000s. The mechanical engineer and computer scientist wrestled those skis for a season before realizing he had purchased the wrong skis for his style. Why wasn’t anyone designing skis like he was designing golf clubs or like boot fitters adjusted ski boots? In 2006, the expert skier launched Wagner Custom Skis with an exploratory questionnaire that helps skier identify their dream skis and software that guides a warehouse full of machines in building those skis. 

Nearly 20 years later, Wagner’s team of 15 ski builders in Telluride are crafting skis built precisely for individuals taking their skiing to the next level. Tune in to hear Pete's riff on ski design and the manufacturing process, trends in ski designs, and how a customized ski - like a custom-fit ski boot — can improve your every minute on snow.  

Topics: 

1:00 - A background in material science and design software for golf 

6:00 - Buying the wrong skis. How come no one is focusing on fit like in golf and cycling? 

7:10 - 2006 launch of Wagner Skis with “rapid prototyping” software 

8:00 - How custom ski boot fitters inspired the Wagner business plan 

13::40 - Building a database of ski designs 

16:00 - Customization for beginner and intermediate skiers 

18:00 - Optimizing ski design with 2,500 different material combinations 

19:00 - Versatility for beginners 

23:00 - Ski design trends in the mid-2000s to now 

25:00 - Adding rocker to the tip and tail with camber underfoot 

27:10 - Matching individuals to skis 

28:20 - Manufacturing without molds 

36:00 - Repeat customers and changing designs as skiers refine their demands 

Quotes: 

“A ski that has the right flex pattern and stiffness, the benefit of that is that it will be stiff enough to give you good stability if you’re going fast.” - Pete Wagner  

“The business model of the big companies is not about customization or agility. Their business model is that they go out in the late winter and spring, get people to try their next year’s models, collect orders, mass produce stuff throughout the spring and summer, and then deliver them to the shop in the fall.” - Pete Wagner  

“What we realized is that you can keep things simple.” - Pete Wagner  

“Skiing has a lot to offer people. There are different things you can focus on and that’s what makes it such a great activity and way to spend your time. And that’s our goal.” - Pete Wagner  

Resources: Wagner Custom Skis