To you downhill skiers out there! Now you can purchase a downhill ski in the wood ski tradition made with modern techniques and that performs with the best of skis made today.
This article caught my eye because I still hold onto a pair of skis my dad had in his younger years. Hickory and some ash were the go-to wood back then in the USA. And as you can see, they were made with one piece of wood.
Finland has traditionally been a country that made cross country skis, of which I have a pair from the 1970’s. It was back then that my Finnish high school math teacher asked if I would teach cross country skiing at his ski area. He was all about Finnish made things, including saunas which originated there.
The two men that started Pusu skis, which is short for Puuppolan Suksi, enjoyed skiing and were drawn to making their own skis. They took a local class on ski making and with that knowledge plus online information started making their own skis. People started asking about their skis as they waited in lift lines and so they started making skis for other folks and eventually through demand and their desire to make as ecologically friendly a ski as possible they started their own business in 2009.
Innovation is built on people taking existing information and having a “light bulb moment” and realizing, with some experimentation, this information can be used in new ways. This can create new or improved products.
As Pusu cofounder Jani Ahvenainen worked on creating skis that met the demands of the slopes and skiers, while being ecologically friendly, he met other people who could give him input.
- Ilkka Helenius came on board the Pusu team as a designer.
- Ossi Valkonen gave input on surface treatment to create a durable and very attractive top to the skis.
- Juha Salmela, who helped develop Spinnova, a natural spun fiber that could replace carbon fiber and glass fiber in the skis with these benefits:
- More environmentally friendly than carbon or glass fibers.
- Significantly increase the dampening affect over the conventional carbon and glass fibers.
- Greater resistance to fatigue, so the skis last longer.
All this has led to Pusu being awarded the prestigious ISPO Award in 2022 for a ski with:
- A solid wood core.
- Spinnova fibers replacing glass and carbon fibers.
- A top made of very unique and attractive wood veneer.
- Moomin artwork to attract customers.
Do you want a unique all-wood ski that performs with the best of today’s downhill skis? Check out the Pusu line of skis.
Here is a link to the article about the ISPO Award that Pusu skis received in 2022.
Here is a link to an article about Pusu skis that was used to write this blog.
