Well I feel it is time to share this Journey:
Throughout this past year I have been developing a new ski, the EHP Renegade. I have spent hundreds of hours polishing my design, learning how to draft on the computer and most importantly how to build skis.
Experimenting with home made rocker in Ruben's basement in Revelstoke . early December 2007
elementary hand drawing at the beginning....
Last December Matt Sterbenz, engineer Bob Boice, Steve Ellison and yours truely built the first round of Prototypes in Steve's Core factory on Vasion Island WA, beside the old K2 factory. The first round of prototypes was definitely a learning process. The skis we built were a little rough and ended up being far too soft. Despite the soft flex I skied these prototypes extensively (notice the old BW EHP 193 graphic) and focused on the benefits of there shape and their fully rockered design. I was amazed at how much faster these skis felt in the powder and was immediately hooked on full rocker. I am happy to say that these skies survived a full season of my abuse, not bad for my first attempt at building skis. Ha, ha...
Vasion Island...
Round 1.
Then last spring, Matt and I built the second round of prototypes with the 4FRNT ski press rightfully relocated at the 4FRNT HQ in Salt Lake City Utah. Our second round of skis was a success, we even skied them a few days after pressing them on the remnants of the shrinking snow up at Snowbird.
Sterbenz at 4FRNT HQ round 2.
Check out for a short video:
http://vimeo.com/5131562
Then in September I was fortunate enough to be invited on The Rocky Mountain Sherpas trip in Chile. After a successful film session on Volcan Peyuhue we headed to Bariloche. I was able to do some solid testing of the Renegade Prototypes in variable spring conditions that ranged from boiler plate refrozen mashed potato's beautiful corn snow, wind buffed cream cheese and even a bit of cold powder. I was happy with the second generations performance, they were much more solid than our first round but I still wasn't satisfied with their over all flex pattern. This seemed to be the final missing link to dialing in this new design and I must admit figuring the flex pattern out was probably my weakest area involved in ski design....
Testing our wooden side-walls in Bariloche.
When I learned that I would be attending the Fri Flyt film tour in Norway this fall, I immediately sent an email to my Norwegian friend/ski builder/engineer/genius Endre Hals asking to drop by his ski factory and build a pair of skis.
Endre Hals owner of Prog Custom Skis has been studying/messuring skis , ski design and ski flex patterns for over 5 years. He's been head of the tecnical testing for Fri Flyt magazine for as manny years. During this time he has accumulated probably the greatest data base of ski known to man. If anyone could help me figure out my new flex pattern it was Endre.
For the past 2 years Endre and his girlfriend Elisabeth have been renovating and transforming their 200 year old barn in the tiny village of Overlonset located about 20 km outside of Oppdal ski resort into the Prog Custom Ski Factory, a formidable undertaking to say the least.
The Prog Ski Factory.
inside.
Endre's goal for Prog is to produces one pair of fully custom skis at a time, from the dimension to flex pattern all the way to the graphics which Endre makes using a high pressure sublimation machine he engineered and built himself.
Endre immediately replied and invited me to stay with him and Elisabeth for as long as was needed to produce a pair of skis.
I arrived at their farm after 10 days of film tour and was very excited for the change in pass to say the least.
We got straight to work on the computers, Endre applied his knowledge and data base to my design and created a core profile that best suited my needs. This new flex pattern was based the Current EHP with with some adjustments and improvements suited for the new fully rockered design.
Endre's craftsmanship and attention to detail is at an extreme level. Everything about his unique methods of construction is well thought out and is in a constant evolution of perfection. After a few days of construction Endre had built the most beautiful pairs of skis I have seen.
Endre and his creation.
Endre placed the skis in the headed drying closet he had built and we patiently waited to examine them for a day and a half.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to ski on the skis before I left Norway two days after the skis were finished. Endre likes to let his skis cure for at least a week before testing them.
I would like to thank Endre and Elisabeth for inviting me to their farm
I would also like to thank Espen Kristensen and Mattias Fredriksson for documenting the construction process.
Check out cinema photographer Espen Kristensens blog on ski building with Endre:
http://blog.fieldproductions.com/Travel-blog/Building-skis-with-Eric-Hjorleifson
Skaal!
Eric
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