Ski Selection Trip to Ogden

This week I took a quick trip to Ogden, UT, to pick skis at Atomic & Rossignol.  Ultratune has a lot of beautiful new skis on the way.   The first stop was Atomic, on the 27th, and things went really smoothly.  

This year’s Atomic skis look particularly good.    The introduction of the new hard track skate ski the Atomic World Cup HT gave added reason to take a careful look at the ski picks, and discuss the new skis, at their facility.

Checkin’ it out.   (All Photos: Kristina Owen)

As always, Rick Halling was very accommodating and helpful.    The Atomic warehouse is quite tidy and well organized – for a warehouse – but the lighting is still a little dim.   Next year I think I’ll bring a headlamp.

Examining flex data for a pair of Atomic skate skis.

I start with a pick list, then make preliminary selections from a huge rack of skis that are sorted by model and size.     Each of these pairs is then unwrapped, tested for a few key parameters, and repacked.   The pair is either saved or returned to the rack.     This process makes sure that I get the spectrum of flexes that I need, and also screens out a few pairs that I don’t find satisfactory.  

Re-packing some skis.

It’s not particularly exciting work, at least not after getting through the first dozen pairs or so, but Rick Halling is a very amicable guy with a lot to add to the conversation, and the day was very enjoyable.    Careful measurements for sure, but also enjoying a relaxed, conversational, atmosphere.

After picking all the skis, they get checked by warehouse staff, then packed for immediate FedEx shipment to Ultratune.      With a little luck, they’ll arrive at the shop before Oct 1st.