Voile makes all their skis in Salt Lake City, Utah. They’ve got a quick, flexible and economical process resulting in excellent planks that honor current trends in ski touring. For example, their V6 model is all time super with what in our opinion is just the right amount of rocker and width for “Western North American” ski touring. Fun to visit their factory. Check it out.
Let’s lead off with an art shot of the famed V6 mold, magic. Reminds me of a Pharaoh’s sarcophagus.
Voile factory retail operation fronts their plant in Utah. A modest understatement.
They make quite a few skis in this well organized shop.
Cores are milled from various wood types, including aspen. They’re thinking of using some lighter weight cores to stay with current trends, but doing so ups cost significantly so they’re being careful not to upset their industry leading cost-performance ratio.
It’s said that a good skier might feel their skis as an extension of their feet. Another use for gloves, protect cores. Or, could this be a new tip and tail shape design?
Checking out fiber for the build.
Fiberglas with black carbon woven into the mix. Nice stuff.
Working with the steel edges is a major part of ski building. Hand bending the curves is one way, or build customized small-scale machinery.
Edge processor.
The bend.
Getting ready to assemble.
The layup in lower part of mold, with the edges and other components inserted, resin being troweled in.
Small scale industrial chemistry, resembles our kitchen when we’re making Christmas eggnog.
Prepping the edges.
Did we say that getting the edges right is a big deal? They’re carefully hand fitted into the mold.
Final part of layup.
Into the sarcophagus, heat and pressure. Takes much less than 2,000 years for the process to complete, thanks to modern technology.
Here is what comes out.
They have quite a bit of work to do, separating the skis and cleaning off the flash, then tuning so they’re retail ready.
Finishing is done on grinders and belt sanders of the type you’ll find in many ski shops.
Shovels are made here as well, stamped on this tyrannosaurus scale press.
Shovel blades save lives.
Shovel shafts.
And, remember those famous Voile straps? Buckles.
Telemark, which existed since the days of the Pharaohs, is still alive and well at Voile! These classic three-pin clasps are made right there in Salt Lake.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
