What's up with Skilogik???

[eok]

Web site had been down for months, Facebook page inactive for months (except for comments from folks like me wondering what's going on).

I heard/read that they switched to offshore manufacturing (China) last year & the results were a disaster (quality issues).

If they're gone, that will be a pity.

I demo'd a few of their skis in past years & liked them. Was seriously looking at some older models last year (Ice Pick & 'Charriot). Interesting skis. Gorgeous graphics.

 

[Monique]

That would be a bummer. I've heard mixed things about ski quality, but I was hoping to eventually get a pair of skis with a custom graphic involving our dogs to mount in our some-day ski condo.

 

[Mike Thomas]

I heard/read that they switched to offshore manufacturing (China) last year & the results were a disaster (quality issues).

They were never not made in China, so that's not the issue.

 

[Philpug]

I have Dave's number and just got a recording, "The user is temporarily unavailable, good-bye". I sent him an e-mail before SIA and did not get a reply. I also did not see a Ski Logik booth at the show.

 

[John Webb]

I heard/read that they switched to offshore manufacturing (China) last year & the results were a disaster (quality issues).
.

(note above -always China)

K2 did that decades ago. Basically shut their Vashon Island factory to all but a few top racing skiis.

 

[markojp]

They were fine so long as you had a full on base prep and tune before skiing them. They were awful out of the wrapper.

 

[Dave Petersen]

Aren't (or weren't) they based out of Breckenridge? Not manufacturing of course. I too thought they were produced somewhere in Asia.

 

[quant]

It is a domestic company (Breckenridge), but the skis were/are produced on Hainan Island, close to some wood that they use/used and with cheaper labor than found in the US. The skis were/are not cheaply made since the owner moved there with his wife to oversee the operation. I had one pair with bases badly needing a tune and another that were close to perfect out of the box.

A ski top they produced for me with a Native American design idea I had ended up being one of their best sellers (later called "Hunting Season"). They ended up giving me a free pair of custom top Rock Stars for using that design. The custom top on the Rock Star ("Kokopelli") become one of their better sellers.

I always thought charging only $100 for custom tops just cheapened the artistic work of Mariella, who happens to be the founder's wife. There is no reason not to charge 5x that amount. They could possibly have been better off financially going more "upscale boutique" by selling far fewer skis at 2.5x the price, similar to what some custom shops do. The skis are arguably the best looking ever made and ski well, so why not go for better margins instead of trying to compete with everyone else in what is a declining industry?

Hopefully, the company will survive.

 

[slowrider]

Gave most of mine away to friends and sponsored a skier. Keep the Chariots. Fun skis and always a conversation piece on the hill.

 

[slowrider]

So got off the phone with a ski logik rep. Sounds like it's over for them. Details left out.

 

[Philpug]

So got off the phone with a ski logik rep. Sounds like it's over for them. Details left out.

Thats a shame. I liked Dave.

 

[Tricia]

I have Dave's number and just got a recording, "The user is temporarily unavailable, good-bye". I sent him an e-mail before SIA and did not get a reply. I also did not see a Ski Logik booth at the show.

Actually Ski Logik didn't have a booth but we ran into someone from Ski Logik in the aisles who said that Dave (himself) moved overseas to set up offices over there and oversee everything in one location. (Do I remember this correctly?)

 

[Ron]

good guy, good brand' certainly was innovative.

 

[Tricia]

So got off the phone with a ski logik rep. Sounds like it's over for them. Details left out.

@4ster is going to be very sad.

 

[slowrider]

 

[quant]

So got off the phone with a ski logik rep. Sounds like it's over for them. Details left out.

That sucks. Their margins must have been too low, which is great for those of us who have some of their ski art to put on the wall (we should have paid more) and terrible for those who missed out on an innovative brand.

I guess it is really difficult to charge the same as the majors and survive unless you work out of a garage. As I mentioned above (in total hindsight), Mazz would have been better off selling the skis for $2000+ as a custom shop (custom tops, flex, etc.) operating like a one-story whorehouse (no f#$%ing overhead). I imagine selling only 300-400 custom pairs would pay a lot of bills and leave something leftover in profit.

BTW, REI is dumping the Front Burner for only $261.83. This could be a good deal for someone who wants a carver with the NYC skyline on their skis.

I am interested in knowing what laser or other cutter they used to cut the marquetry for the tops. You can't just program a computer to do this off a simple piece of artwork since some material is lost in the cutting process creating gaps, and I don't think SkiLogik cut through five or six layers of veneer at once since that would have created too much waste. Somehow Mazz had that gap thing all figured out and computerized. I imagine that process could be used to create custom table tops, wall art, etc.

 

[Dave Petersen]

From the Colorado Ski Museum in Vail

 

[crgildart]

The downside to companies run by skiers for skiers is the fact that they are run by skiers. Most skiers would rather work less and ski more... so, when a provider decides to do just that those that depended on their products are left out in the cold with fewer of them..

 

[Suzski]

Damn. Beautiful skis.

 

[Monique]

I always thought they missed their mark in advertising as a ski manufacturer, rather than an art company.