In the vast and multi-billion-dollar snowsports industry,there exist dozens of boutique ski brands that are small, privately-ownedoperations catering to connoisseurs willing to drop large cash for boardscustomized to their particular snow-sliding niche. The outfits, including thelikes of Aluflex, BumTribe and Grown Skis, might manufacture a few hundredpairs a season, selling to a demographic of likeminded freeskiers, powderseekers or Concord replica watches heli enthusiasts. I compare the boutique brands to independentsurfboard shapers, said Kelly Davis, director of research at SnowSportsIndustries America in McLean, Va. A lot of people are living their dream,trying to make the best ski possible.
Into this fray enters Heidiskis, a Montreux, Switzerland,brand created by Heidi Blum, a former college racer and American expatriatefrom Marin County, Calif.The company () made its debut lastseason with a built-to-spec luxury custom ski concept that sold for 3,800Euros. Its slogan: Your ultimate personalized hand-made wood coreskis.Indeed, that IWC replica watches price tag made Heidiskis -- which were builtin an Austrian factory to the exact anatomy of each customer -- among thepriciest planks on the planet. For the 08 - 09 season, Heidiskis will sell threeretail offerings in powder, freeride and all-mountain profiles with pricesstarting at 1,200 Euros, or upwards of $1,500 per pair.What makes Heidiskis so special?
We caught up with Boeve on the eve of the big day to discuss how to turn talk into action. Abe StreepHow does one go from college meetings to organizing global demonstrations?We launched Step It Up in the campus dining hall. The day after graduation we moved to an office in Burlington, Vermont, to run the campaign, which took ten Replica A Lange&Sohne watches weeks. When the day of action ended we wrote a book, Fight Global Warming Now, and then Bill asked if we thought the Step It Up model could work on a global level. We moved to San Francisco and began fundraising. Now we’re based out of Berkeley. We don’t pay ourselves much, but we eat, and we all have roofs over our heads.Any tips for people who want to drum up support for a cause?First, collaborate with other people.
