RAMP Sports has found a way to combine the two and as a result is having a hard time keeping up with requests for their handmade skis.
Mike Kilchenstein started RAMP three years ago to pursue a life-long dream after more than three decades of working with mega-ski producer Rossignol.
The first two production runs of RAMP skis and snowboards took place in Taiwan, but Kilchenstein wanted something closer to home.
RAMP secured a building near the Interstate 80 and Highway 40 junction in Summit County on April 20. By May 25, after a scramble to get all the required machinery in place, RAMP produced its first made-in-the-USA skiable prototypes.
After several testing trips to Mount Hood in Oregon, Kilchenstein, RAMP production manager Evan Howard and ski engineer Christian Alary felt they had a solid model and launched production from the Park City headquarters.
The crew at RAMP has been working non-stop since to keep up with demand.
"The only thing holding us back is our ability to produce more skis," Kilchenstein said. "They go right from our finish room to get shipped."
As a new company, Kilchenstein realized he could do things with his business model that other long-established ski enterprises could not.
He decided to focus on creating solid and good-looking skis and snowboards with an environmentally friendly production and providing a strong commitment to the consumer.
In addition to using materials and production methods to reduce the impact on the environment, RAMP does little things like shipping the equipment to buyers in travel bags rather than boxes and providing a buy back on skis when the consumer is done with them to find others uses.
RAMP also purchases 300 pounds of offsetting carbon emissions with each ski or snowboard sold.
RAMP (Riders Artists Musicians Project) is supported by a community of athletes, musicians, artists and actors who support the mantra of environmentally friendly production of skis and snowboards that get people on the mountains. Salt Lake Tribune
