Making Meier Skis

Curious about how we make our custom wood skis from Colorado trees? We love sharing just what goes into our high performance, eco-friendly skis (hint: it's a lot!). Our feature by Popular Mechanics is a great place to start!

Using Colorado Forest Products

A bunch of blank skis hang on a wall at Meier Skis waiting to become a custom ski order

First, it's important to know that we use 100% natural wood products including american maple, poplar and beetle-kill pine right from Colorado. The two stringers of beetle kill pine stand out with a signature blue hue, and harvesting this dead timber right here in Colorado helps mitigate wildfire risk by removing a potential fuel source. Plus, the tree that grew up on the mountain gets to return in the form of skis!

The Value of Colorado Trees

In fact, if you want to manage a forest through scientific and correct silvicultural practices (pertaining to managing the growth and maintenance of forest), cutting some trees actually makes the remaining forest healthier.

We're experiencing historic bark beetle epidemics across the West and continued, record-breaking wildfire seasons. Fortunately, good forest management is something people are starting to understand and support again. By using Colorado forest products, Meier is not only providing jobs and helping the local economy, but we're also making the forest a better place and helping it be more sustainable for the future. Not to mention, we're also building a pretty amazing ski!

A man builds custom skis at Meier Skis in Denver, CO

 

Wood Fun Facts

Wood is solid, and it brings that quality over to every pair of Meier Skis. Many big box ski companies use man-made materials such as foam, plywood, or metal at the core of their ski, which results in a whole lot of chatter (the continuous engaging and disengaging of ski edges). We hand-select the best quality wood for our cores to bring you the most stable, fun ride of your life.

We also use clear top sheets. Are they innovative or just honest? Here at Meier, we think it's both! You also aren't likely to see clear top sheets with other ski companies. This is often because it takes precision, care, and a passion for fine craftsmanship to grow a ski that is free of the manufacturing defects that you won’t see under a solid top sheet. Here at Meier Skis, we ripped apart countless pairs of skis⁠—from big box ski companies to the smaller brands⁠—in order to see what was hidden between the sheets. And believe us, it wasn’t pretty.

A man wears a respirator mask and gloves as he builds custom skis at Meier Skis in Denver, CO

Renewable Materials

Here at Meier Skis, we are proud to be a member of the Colorado Forest Products (CFP) Program, encouraging the development of businesses dedicated to the use of Colorado wood. We use Colorado wood to build some of the best performance cores out there. Visit the Colorado Forest Products website to find out more and to find other local Colorado businesses that utilize this remarkable resource.

Curious to learn even more or see it in action? Check out this episode of How It's Made featuring Meier Skis!