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By Joel Gratz, Founding Meteorologist Posted 12 years ago February 16, 2012

Why I love my Wagner Custom Skis

I went to grad school with Pete Wagner in Boulder from 2004-2006. While most of our class mates were trying to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives, Pete had a simple and focused plan: Build custom skis. After we graduated, he started Wagner Custom Skis, and the rest of the story involves a ton of hard work and some amazing products.

Since OpenSnow is now rivaling The Weather Channel in terms of popularity:-), I thought that nothing would be better than a custom pair of OpenSnow skis. So I called Pete.

The process was simple: I filled out a short online questionnaire and then talked to Pete on the phone about what I liked (and didn't like) in previous skis, how I skied, and what I wanted in a new ski. In short, I wanted a one-ski quiver: Light enough for a backcountry AT setup, wide enough for powder, and quick enough to rip turns on groomers. And after working with Pete's graphic designer, this is what we came up with (including a shout to out my alma matter, Penn State):



After skiing these skis for two months, I can say that they're nothing short of spectacular. They do everything beautifully, and I don't need to think about "Which ski do I need to take out for today's conditions?". Having one ski that does it all is simply incredible.



In another post, I'll show some short videos of Pete explaining the ski design and what goes into making a beautiful ski that seems to "just work" in all conditions.
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About The Author

Joel Gratz

Founding Meteorologist

Joel Gratz is the Founding Meteorologist of OpenSnow and has lived in Boulder, Colorado since 2003. Before moving to Colorado, he spent his childhood as a (not very fast) ski racer in eastern Pennsylvania.

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