SIA 2016 Highlights – Powder Skis

After 12 years as an independent, skier owned brand, 4FRNT is really coming into their own, creating incredible skis for every part of the mountain. Based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, 4FRNT has quickly been pushing style and innovation becoming one of the major players of the Ski Industry.

Years of R&D has led to 4FRNT’s “Vibe-Veil” technology, introduced last year. The VibeVeil elastic membrane situated in the tips of their rockered skis dramatically reduces chatter and weak edge hold, commonly the result of extended negative radius profiles in ski tips when used in varied to firm snow conditions. Having wanted to try them for years, I finally got the opportunity to test out some 4FRNT’s at the SIA on-snow demo.

Started in Evergreen, Colo. out of founder Ben Anderson’s parents’ garage, Icelantic has progressively become a staple in the ski scene through their various community programs and an alternative perspective on what skiing is supposed to be. From their beautifully original artwork to the hand crafted skis made right here in Colorado, Icelantic continues to spread the good word of appreciating the outdoors and evolving the human existence through an appreciation of the arts.

Another up and coming Colorado skis, Rocky Mountain Underground (RMU) is an employee owned brand based out of Carbondale, Colo. Starting with just a few pairs of skis back in 2008, RMU has quickly become the brand to watch. Founded on the idea of fulfilling a greater purpose, RMU has raised over $150,000 for various non-profits for their sales over the past 7 years.