Step 1: Customized skis and snowboards

performance designed by us, built by you

(120 minutes, performed by Snolab)

It all starts with you: we’re dedicated to helping you build amazing skis or a tricked out snowboard. To do this we put in a lot of prep work so that your workshop day goes smoothly.

So, how do you like to slide on the snow? Our proprietary custom ski / snowboard software allows us to build almost any shape. We’ll also customize the flex signature by using various weights of fiber-glass, carbon-fiber, or even aramid (kevlar).  Moguls, carving, freestyle: we can build any type of ski or snowboard.

After we have your profile built, we’ll send you a Ski Performance Design based upon your input.

Sidecut? Camber? Rocker? Turnability? Flex?!?  What does it all mean?  

Don’t worry, you don’t need to know all this stuff, that’s what we’re for.  You can simply tell us the type of terrain you enjoy and we’ll build you out several options to choose from.

Step 2: Customized graphics

Make your gear stand out

(180 minutes, performed by Snolab)

What will your customized skis or snowboard look like? Get excited, you’re about to own some sick stix! We include 2.5 hours of custom graphic work and we know you’ll be thrilled with the options.

Did you say several design options? 

Yes, we’ll build out 3 different designs based upon your theme submissions.  

What do you mean theme? 

Give us some ideas about what you like. Colors, images, etc and we’ll design several completely different variations based upon your input.

Step 4: Edge Assembly

(60 minutes)

Other custom ski builders typically just clamp the metal edges around the P-tex and superglue it down.  Not us, we’re perfectionists. We’ve built yet another jig to perfectly align your metal edges to the P-tex and core. You’ll align, measure and cut your metal edges to perfectly fit your P-tex. Once your edges are snuggly fit against the P-text, using the adjustable jig, you’ll super glue them down? Don’t worry this isn’t what holds your skis together.  It’s simply the method used to keep the edge in place before the final step.

Step 5: Tapering the Core

(30 minutes)

Ski cores come in one thickness, but you’ll need to thin the tips and tails to increase flexion.  We’ve built yet another customized jig to perfectly taper down your skis to match the flex pattern determined during the design phase. You’ll use a Dewalt DW735 with a helical carbide cutting head for absolute precision.

Step 6: Scribing the P-tex tip and tails

(60 minutes)

Handmade skis and snowboards mean…you use your hands to build them.  A bit redundant, yes, but this is where you’ll use several different circular templates to draw out your tip and tail radii. And…dare we say it…you may have to do a little math and geometry to tailor your ski shape to exactly what you like. We may even need to bring out the lasers for absolute precision.

Step 8: Vacuum Seal (press)

(20 minutes)

You’ve probably heard the term that skis are “pressed.” Commercial skis are pressed using a giant machine that takes up more room than our entire lab…and they cost anywhere from $20k-$200k. These presses typically use a mold that you insert your wet ski in and then they are pressed and heated into the shape of the mold.  If you’re making 500 pairs of the exact same ski, this is a great option.  If you’re customizing every single ski with a different shape, rocker/camber profile and flex pattern, this isn’t cost effective.

Instead you’ll place the skis onto a flexible ¼” aluminum cassette.  You’ll place the entire cassette and wet ski into a sealed bag and pull a vacuum with our custom built vacuum-oven. The vacuum acts as our “press” because we’ve removed all pressure from inside and we let mother nature’s atmospheric pressure do the pressing for us.  But, you’re not done yet.

Step 9: Heat Curing Your Custom Skis

(60 minutes)

It’s time to put your puppies in the oven. Traditional ski presses shape and heat up the fiberglass and epoxy until it dries and holds the shape of the mold.  Using our cassettes and rocker/camber racks we simulate the exact same process by pulling the vacuum and then baking your skis or snowboard for approximately 60 minutes.

Most customers describe this final process as opening a Christmas present when they were a kid.  After they have baked, you’ll remove them from the rack and vacuum bag and get to see the near final product.    

It’s the near final product b/c there are a couple more steps that we take care of for you. For now, you’re done for the day. Kick back and admire your brand new sick stix.

Finalizing Your Custom Skis & Snowboards

This part we typically do for all clients. Your skis are still in a rectangular shape (coupon) when they come out of the oven. They also are 90% cured but need about 12 hours to finish off the curing process. The next day we’ll cut out your skis or snowboard to match the tip and tail profile you designed.  

There is an extensive amount of sanding, grinding, and jigsawing involved in the process and we’re working with fiberglass dust, which is not the best thing to breathe and it’s quite annoying on your skin.  We have special ventilator masks and a lot of experience on this part, which is why we typically handle it for all clients.  If you wanted to cut out your own tips and tails we’ll gladly comply, but this is probably the most critical time when you could compromise your new gear as one single flub up results in you having to start all over from scratch.

Structuring (30 minutes performed by Snolab)

After your new custom skis have been sanded down to perfection, we’ll run them through the Reichmann Profi B Vario, tuning machine. This professional commercial grade machine will handle edge grinding, pre-grinding and structuring. Giving your new gear a professional finish.  Sorry, this one is NOT a step our clients can do as the Reichmann is a very expensive piece of equipment that requires a special training to use.

Clear Coating  (30 minutes performed by Snolab)

The final step is to give your new skis and snowboards some flash.  We use a commercial grade automotive clear coat and a professional Fuji Spray clear coat machine to give your gear a waterproof, transparent, hard-enamel finish.  Again, creating a perfect clear coat requires a lot of practice on the Fuji Spray, so we typically handle this part for the clients as well.  Also, it requires a special ventilator for safety.  But, as you can see, the results are spectacular.  

Optional: Binding mounting

Hoodoo’s professional ski tech staff can also mount your bindings if you so choose.  We typically offer a couple of different bindings, near cost, and it’s free to have them mounted. You won’t find that deal anywhere else.

Your time commitment to amazing customized skis or snowboards:

6 hours and 10 minutes

Our total time invested: 13 hours and 40 minutes