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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
Ted started with Meier Skis in 2010 when he met founder Matt Cudmore. Together, they moved Meier Skis out of Matt's garage and setup a factory in Glenwood Springs. Ted moved the company to Denver in 2016 and, like most small business owners, does way too many things to list here.
Ted is originally from the Boston area and grew up shredding the mighty slopes of Franconia, New Hampshire.
Michelle joined Meier Skis in 2018 after Ted’s "friendly encouragement" (AKA months of "please work at Meier") finally won her over. It was a twist she never saw coming when she was living her best ski bum life in Beaver Creek and Jackson Hole. With an advertising degree in hand, Michelle started out marketing small businesses in ski towns, which somehow evolved into marketing skis from a big city. These days, she balances Meier duties while managing life with Ted, two adventurous boys, and a dog with zero chill.
Michelle is originally from Michigan and fell in love with Colorado after a 30-hour train ride (each way!) from Holland, Michigan to Winter Park, Colorado.
Brad is originally from Minnesota and has been on skis since he was four years old - which means skiing has outlasted everything in his life except walking. With a background in opening breweries, Brad has an uncanny ability to fix (or build) just about anything
As General Manager, he keeps the front of Meier running like a well-tuned ski, making sure the shop stays on track and guests feel right at home. Whether it’s handling logistics, managing the team, or jumping into a construction project, Brad wears a lot of hats - and usually builds the shelves to store them, too.
Parker grew up in Connecticut and made the move to Colorado in 2016 to attend CU Boulder, where he studied Mechanical Engineering. He joined Meier in 2021 as a ski tuner but didn’t stay behind the scenes for long. He’s now our Director of Production and Engineering, making sure every ski that leaves the shop is dialed.
When he’s not managing production, you’ll find Parker out in the wild doing very important R&D on our skis… and shot skis. It’s all about product testing, after all.
Will is one of Meier’s versatile ski builders, seamlessly moving from the tune room to the press room and tackling the massive task of printing our ever-growing collection of ski graphics. Originally from Connecticut, Will keeps it simple: “I like skiing powder.” Same, Will. Same.
Whether he’s at the resort or exploring the backcountry, he’s always on the hunt for the steepest and deepest lines. When he’s not out chasing fresh snow, he’s making sure your skis are built to handle it.
James grew up in costal Maine, then spent his next decade in Colorado living in mountain towns. He started skiing at three years old and it’s been a big part of his life ever since.
James can usually be found in the press room with a big smile on his face.
Jackis from North Andover, MA. He grew up ski racing on the icy slopes of New England, and moved to Colorado on the search for powder. He has worked in the ski industry for over a decade.
