The Skimakers

The skis, which we strap under our boots, we buy mostly in sports shops. A salesperson advises us which model is in and what makes this and that model quality. But the skis also have to look good. Sometimes the design is even the only factor that makes us choose a particular model. So where do they come from, our skis? Who makes them and how is the production done?

We visited the people at First Track Lab in Le Châble in Lower Valais near Verbier to find out. A representative survey (see pages 82-83) showed that skis are the most important thing we need for skiing.

Today, the normal process of ski production takes around two years for the big brands - from the development of the idea to the sale in the retail trade. As a developer and producer, you therefore have to be very sure what will be sold two years later. With today's crises, it is unfortunately no longer so certain whether such a planning horizon still makes sense. With their start-up First Track Lab, Yoann Chapel and Selim Abdi want to completely revolu- tionize the current model of ski development. "Today, production is mainly based on stock. At the beginning there is the factory, which takes an order from a brand and executes it. After that, quantity X comes to the brand, from there it goes to the retailer. The retailer has to plan in advance how many of which product he will need. From the retailer, the skis get into the hands of the customers. Our idea is to deliver directly from the factory to the customer. Of course, for each brand we will have a mini stock of 10-20 pairs of skis, which will serve as a buffer. Our production then serves this mini-stock depending on demand and does not work long in advance on stock ", explains Selim Abdi, co-founder of First Track Lab and ski engineer. "Initially, there will be delays in the delivery of orders, because we are in the process of building and each ski is delivered directly. But in the future, thanks to the small buffer of stock, you can take your skis right away. ", Yoann Chapel, co-founder of First Track Lab.

There are two important points that led to this decision of Selim and Yoann. First, you never know in advance exactly how a season will go and what trends the winter sports scene will follow. This was also the case in the season with the Covid measures 2020/2021. Everyone wanted touring skis in the short term because the ski resorts were closed or crowds were avoided and the dealers were stuck with their piste models. That's why you can find large stocks of discontinued models at knock-down prices in spring sales. The dealers have to get rid of their stock because the next models have already been ordered. This wearing out of material not only makes no economic sense, but is also ecologically questionable because it consumes a lot of material and energy.

Secondly, it is almost impossible for independent brands to enter the market unless large financial resources are available. The entire collection and ordering of retailers must be pre-financed. This requires enormous liquidity of the brand. But if you make only small series and cover the demand continuously, you halve the investment capital of a brand.

"We represent this concept of producing locally. We are local here, in Switzerland in Europe. The most important thing is to produce as close as possible to demand. It would be easy to produce a lot and then use marketing and price reductions to get people to consume. But we only want to produce what people really demand, and that also makes us more ecological, wasting fewer resources. For us, Patagonia had established an inspiring standard in this respect," Yoann explains.

„I think you can make people understand that if you order a ski, we will make it for them. They will overlook the of not coming home with a ski directly from the dealer, at best, they’ll overlook it.“

— Yoann Chapel, co-founder of First Track Lab.

The aim is to provide the products from the First Track Lab with a maximum warranty. Such a warranty greatly extends the life of a ski. That is, the skis should be repaired whenever possible. First Track Lab ga- rant that the quality is so good that it is unlikely to become a problem. Therefore, how can it be that a small production, like that of First Track Lab, produces skis that are better in quality than big brands with long experience in ski development? "The few big ski factories that exist at the moment are not focused on development. We have been making prototypes for years and we have also developed the construction and our own machines for years. We have not had our skis produced externally since 2021, but have always made them ourselves. The problem with the big factories is the training of craftsmen. If you have a hundred or more employees, they all have to be at the same level. Even today, the production of a ski is still a lot of manual labor, even in the big factories," Selim

"The advantage is that we have very short internal paths. If we have to adapt something in production, it happens in a few days. But if you have a big factory, it's not easy to change a process and it may take until the next series where you can change something ", Yoann

From this point of view, First Track Lab produces only mini-series. Each ski is unique and handmade from start to finish. The team of four people each knows all the steps in the process, so each can replace the other and knows why and what is important in each step, so that the next step can be done correctly. And it is also important for Selim and Yoann that you have already tested the products yourself, but of course let the professionals decide how a ski should work. The problem here is that you can't ska- lize the process. Selim and Yoann will not be able to make all the skis if they want to provide their service or production to a brand. "In industrialization, you have to fix problems in the process at their source. The goal must be not to make a mistake. With a continuous feedback in the production process, the process should be constantly improved. Even in monotonous work, the person performing the work must be aware of what comes before and after. This means that the human being is in the center of the process, without saying that everything has to be done by hand - just the opposite! But in the consciousness of each step and the responsibility of all. In this way, step by step, it is possible to eliminate errors ", Selim

Being in the heart of the Alps, where all the skis are tested, they get quick feedback after the first pair of skis. When a prototype comes out of the workshop today, they can already make changes the next day and two days later, if necessary, have the corrected version in their hands.

„Here we want to be able to produce locally everywhere. In this workshop we are doing a pilot test in which we could produce up to 5000 pairs of skis a year. Production is modular, scalable and adaptable to different markets.“

— Selim

At home all over the world

Selim and Yoann are trying to set up a pilot production line with a capacity of up to 5000 pairs of skis per year with their current atelier. The goal is to also set up the machines in another place in the world where it makes sense, thus offering a brand local production at several locations with consistent quality and stand- arts. In this way, it can be guaranteed that the distance from production to the consumer is always kept as short as possible, which will also benefit the service. The consumer can make use of his warranty services on site and the production has a direct feedback if something should be improved. It could therefore also be that a brand launches different products for different markets. "One could very well imagine a brand having production in Europe and Japan, for example, and adapting the shapes and specifications of its skis in Japan for local conditions. For example, with a wood that is found locally ", Selim

There is currently a problem of centralization of raw materials. For ski bases, there are only two manufacturers. Because only these two know how ski bases are made, there is a long waiting list. First Track Lab had to wait 6 months for their delivery and this was their entire basic supply. They received a refusal from the other manufacturer.

So if you want to produce in different places in the world, it is better to store these raw materials centrally and ship them for the specific needs. But to do the work, which can be done locally, also locally. " We believe very little in centralized production. The huge factories that produce skis for the whole world. Our production process can be used locally all over the world. The stock should be centralized regionally. That is, currently we produce for Europe and have 95% of our raw materials from Europe ", Yoann

This also results in the possibility for passionate winter sports enthusiasts* to participate in the production of their sports equipment through job opportunities. And not only consume products that are produced far away. The training of these people will be a great challenge, but will also bring a craft back to the regions with markets for skis.

Traceability

Today, consumers want to know where their products come from. The skis from First Track Lab are made in Switzerland, but where the raw materials come from must also be clearly documented. "Here at First Track Lab we are working towards 100% traceability and therefore absolute transparency. Furthermore, we will have an NFC chip in every ski. This chip will already be integrated in the manufacturing process. So the customer can read it and knows where the product comes from.

product comes from. It is even conceivable that we can read the chip at the various steps in the production process and the operator can select the corresponding work step or program on the machine. It can function like a small checklist, which always accompanies the product digitally and is completed at each step. Or you can even add notes in case something is wrong," Selim

This way, when skis come back from consumers, perhaps because of a warranty issue, they know from the studio exactly when and how they were produced. This also makes it possible to continuously correct a process that may have caused errors, thanks to this exact feedback. All the work is also completely digitalized, so it can be automated and, above all, documented.

The production of a ski

In a process of a large factory, the development to production runs as follows: A ski is drawn, then a three-dimensional press mold must be made, which costs around CHF 5000 - 8000.

costs. After that the first ski can be produced. Only after this big investment can the ski be tested on snow at all. The problem is, if you want to change the shape, you have to make a new mold.

First Track Lab works for prototypes without a mold. This means they can vary the complete shape of the ski in each pressing. The specially designed press does not require a mold, and the adjusted shape does not wear out during serial production.

The core of the process in ski production is therefore the press. In the case of skis, the core piece is a wooden core. This is cut on a CNC milling machine, which Selim also constructed himself. The wood is held on a table with negative pressure while the milling machine works on the shape and thickness of the ski core. The next step is to glue the sidewalls to this core if it is a sandwich construction. In the case of cap construction, this step is omitted, but in the case of the First Track Lab, they then also need a mold for the press. All the other components are prepared in parallel. This includes: Ski base, edges, fiberglass mesh in various orientations, and the top sheet.

„Our production process can be set up locally all over the world. The stock is to be centralized regionally. This means that at present we produce for Europe and have 95% of our of our raw materials from Europe.“

— Yoann

When everything is ready, it's off to the work table, where the ski maker begins building the ski on an aluminum base or in the mold. base, edge, rubber edge protector, fiberglass mesh, wood core, fiberglass mesh again, NFC chip and finally the top sheet. In between always comes a good layer of epoxy, a 2-component glue that cures with heat. The whole process is very greasy and requires a lot of practice to apply. There is also a dry process in which the components are already pre-treated with adhesive. At the moment, they can't do that at First Track Lab, but they want to offer it in the future.

The ski now goes into the press, which presses the components together into the finished ski at around 5 bars of pressure and 90° Celsius for about an hour. The cooling process is important after the glue has hardened. If the pressure were released before cooling, the ski could deform again. As soon as the ski comes out of the press, it is cut out because the components often come out over the edges. Grind the edges and wax the base and the ski is ready for bin- ding assembly. Once you've seen the whole process and the many steps that are necessary even in completely industrialized processes, you understand the relatively high price point of a ski.

Selim and Yoann have already trained 2 people who have acquired all the knowledge and craft from them so that they can build skis. At the moment they are in the process of producing the limited series of " Recreation " skis. Laurent De Martin's club or brand is exactly the clientele that First Track Lab envisions. Small, passionate ski brands that are flexible and do not want to give in to the pressure of mass production in the ski industry.

Text by Ruedi Flück

Ruedi Flück1. Januar 2023