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Dahu Shaper
Switzerland

http://www.dahushaper.ch/

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Manufacturer Comments:		"DahuShaper is a commission of AGEPOLY (General Association of Students of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne). Created in April 2007, the association was founded in order to enable all students of EPFL UNIL and mountain enthusiasts to come make his own skis Thus, he learns to use his ten fingers to make a project a reality. It makes A to Z its skiing. He has the choice of design, dimensions, shape of his skis and its flex. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the creation of new models, making his next pair of skis or her to make a pair by a member. The association consists of many young people from different and varied field but with the common passion for sliding on snow. These students very skilled in their fields metent contribute their knowledge, scientific knowledge and experience in mountain development DahuShaper."   BECAUSE YOUR ARE Dahus single force! !

Ski Types:		All Mountain, Big Mountain, Freeride, Powder
		Make your own skis in a workshop! If you are a student of the AGEPOLY (Association Generale des Etudiants de l'Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne),  the General Association of Students (they take donations and yu can get stickers!) can get you into a shop to build your own skis. You can make a backcountry ski (reverse or progressive camber in wood core with carbon fiber and graphite base and aluminum mounting pads [separate mounting pad for toe and heel..not a continuous mounting plate) or a pure-powder fat board (140mm waist at 191cm). The cores are CNC machined for geometry and flex patterns. Apparently these guys are technical-types since they advertise they used the Laboratory of Polymer and Composites in Lausanne to choose and finalize their component choices from Composite Solutions in Switzerland and used the mechanical analyses from the Institute for the Study of Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in Davos to measure the deformation and vibration characteristics of their ski designs. Good photos of the workshop on the website. Nidecker is listed as a partner...so there is some serious interest from a serious board and ski company in this operation....keep your eye on these guys... Priced at about 599 Swiss Francs (CHF) to 800 CHF per pair. One of the best little stop-action homemade sii movies we've seen in a while: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DynMmdG9Cs8

Decosse Custom Skis
Canada

http://www.decossecustoms.com/

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Ski Types:		All Mountain, Big Mountain, Custom Construction, Freestyle
		A new company for 2008. Sheldon DeCosse makes kiteboards, skis and snowboards. Sheldon makes a big mountain model, park & pipe and and an all-mountain model. Each can be ordered in 3 different flexes, or custom-made to your specs. Passionate, limited-production shop. Great pictures of speed-flying freestyle! Contact: DeCosse Customs 624 McDonald Road, Cranbrook, B.C. V1C-6V9 CANADA 250-426-5787 voice

Defi Skis
USA

http://www.defiskis.com/

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Ski Types:		All Mountain
		They once had a "Didn't think we were real... huh? COMING SOON!" webpage...anyone have info on these guys? We thinks they were vapor from the start...

Differences Skis
Liechtenstein

http://www.differences.li

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Manufacturer Comments:		From their website: "Differences was founded in 2001 in Liechtenstein by Rainer Nachbaur and two other partners. At the beginning the company was active as consultants for Nordica, and established an independent racing department for Head and also developed composite components for various companies in a small lab. There was scarcity of space in Liechtenstein due to rapid expansion. The founding partners also ended their relationship with Differences. Due to this reason Differences Kunststoffproduktions GmbH was founded in 2005 in Fraxern with a factory in Hohenems. Since 2005 Differences produces its own skis in Vorarlberg. Furthermore Differences also manages a Bilzzard Profit Center completely from 2005 and exerts influence in alpine racing. To this day heavy investments have been made primarily in the development of production capacities and quality assurance to offer our clients variety of production possibilities with continuous quality." "The long experience of managing director Rainer Nachbaur, prompted us to build their own skis. The skis are available in three different hardnesses and three different colors (red, blue and orange) and these can be combined as desired. Delivered, including the ski plate and high-quality, fit discontinued bond. The skiing is characterized by excellent driving characteristics. The model could serve as a mix of slalom Rennski and Freerideski respectively. Beat Kammerlander (one of the world's best sport climbing) is convinced of the quality and runs since January 2005 Differences skis. The design is deliberately kept simple and gives us the possibility of individual customer wishes. Thus, the additional charge against his own signature or your company logo appear. To no one the proverbial "pig in a poke" may need to buy the ski free the previously tested. Would you also for skis are not any man, or they need a gift for their clients or friends? Send us an e-mail at office@differences.li we will inform you and advise you to change."

Ski Types:		All Mountain, Custom Construction, Custom Graphics, Freeride
		You've gotta love a high-tech ski company that includes G-string underwear for women in it's softgoods line! (see the PDF document! - 1.3mb) A small high-tech materials, CAD/CAM design, construction, manufacturing and testing laboratory company (think of composites, heating/cooling presses, flex-engineering, shear-force analysis, vibration, response testing equipment for sports equipment like skis, tennis rackets, baseball bats, etc.) has begun developing custom-construction skis with custom graphics, or simple monochrome blue, red, black or orange topsheets. All have high-molecular weight sintered bases. Some designers have outsourced to Mr. Nachbaur for production and cancelled services due to contract problems and disagreements about proprietary technology and techniques they provided. Introduced an on-line ski customization application in 2010. The lineup includes freeride skis: - 130/100/120 28m radius @ 196cm - 125/90/111 23m radius @ 186cm - 121/86/107 12m radius @ 176cm - 114/80/106 19m radius @ 166cm - 109/76/100 18m radius @ 156cm Carbon-fiber high-performance piste skis: -116/76/104 18m radius @ 180cm - 116/75/103 16m radius @ 173cm - 114/72/100 14m radius @ 166cm - 114/72/100 13m radius @ 159cm or all-mountain skis: - 117/76/104 18m radius @ 180cm - 116/75/103 16m radius @ 173cm - 114/72/100 14m radius @ 166cm - 114/72/100 13m radius @ 159cm Rainer Nachbaur, the head of the company, has experience with skis (1986 -1998 Kästle AG in Hohenems (AUT): mechanical, design engineering (construction), development, from 1994 on: head of the development department; 1998 - 2001 Benetton Group [Nordica skis] SpA in Venegazzu (Italy) Research & Development; Organize and structure the manufacturing of: racing skis, skis, snowboards, tennis). Their reference list includes Blizzard, Exel, Head, Hilti, Celes, Porche and Prince Tennis, so they must know what they are doing! DIFFERENCES AG Industriestrasse 416 Postfach 106 9491 Ruggell LIECHTENSTEIN

Donek Skis
USA

http://www.donek.com/

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Ski Types:		Custom Graphics, Freeride, Freestyle, Park-Pipe, Telemark
		Serious selection of any kind of snowboard and even a monoski. Serious selection of racing snowboards. (30 day money-back guarantee - ash core, full wrap edges. more than 130 snowboard models/lengths? Bagpipe-playing President/CEO). One ski model in 78mm waist. [The excellent research below (translation by Google) is provided with permission in 2008 courtesy of our friends at FreePresse.fr who produce http://www.WinterGuide.fr containing great articles and information. Thank You FreePresse.fr !] DONEK • Created: 1995, USA. • Positioning: The skis Donek have turned to the Alpine mountain and all. • History: Donek is a small company with a team of enthusiasts. They make their skis by hand in their small shop in Colorado. It all started in 1987, but the company was founded in 1995, and without external funding. Most skis Donek is their design, their technology, ... For the record, their name comes from a breed of pigeons very fond of acrobatics. • The ranges: A twin tip ski alpine terrain, which comes in three lengths. • Manufacturing: They're all their models (skis and snowboards) themselves. • Contact: www.donek.com. Selling directly to the workshop and on their website

DPS Skis
USA corporation - Chinese Manufacture

http://www.dpsskis.com/

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Manufacturer Comments:		"At the heart of every DPS ski is the most powerful construction build on planet earth. Combining space age prepreg carbon fiber laminates with the durability of a burly sidewall build, it’s the only pure carbon sandwich ski in existence. The DPS carbon sandwich is the product of intense development and engineering. It’s a ski that is truly unique and that feels unlike anything else made; a ski that actually makes you rip harder because it produces more power, is more reactive, and weighs less than traditional skis. While 99.9% of the skis available on the market are built using fiberglass and/or metal (aluminum). The prepreg carbon used in all DPS skis has twice the strength of fiberglass (3 times the strength of aluminum) while weighing half as much. Carbon skis are the future. Once most people experience the power of a carbon ride, few go back to conventional builds."

Ski Types:		All Mountain, Big Mountain, Freeride, Powder
		(Drake Powderworks LLC) Pintail powder skis, big-mountain and all-mountain skis. Stephan Drake and former designer for Volant, Tabula Rasa and Spatula ski designs (Peter Turner) founded some of the first rockered, modified sidecut, pintail powder skis evolved into DP Skis. Aerospace carbon composite construction. Reservations for models. 1% for the planet. Good design specifications pages for each model. Their Lotus 138 is probably the first popular "waterski" geometry for deep powder with very long tips and tails. Very advanced carbon "pre-peg" high-tech composite materials, innovative core binding and lamination techniques. "Pure Carbon+wood core" and "Hybrid (bamboo, carbon-fiberglass)" core types. Reputation for very lively, torsionally rigid, high performance powder skis priced between $900 and $1,400 usd. DPS designed and built a custom manufacturing facility in China to do production...not outsourced to another builder. Cutaway of their "S.S." core technology binding top and bottom carbon composite layers with finely-tuned metal ribs running vertically through the core. (2010 image from DPS) 2010 release of the DP Wailer 112 "Resort Pow" geometry

Drakeboinay custom skis
USA (sort of)

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Ski Types:		Powder
		(demised domain used to be http//www.dbskis.com/) See http://www.dpskis.com/ for DP skis now... [The excellent research below (translation by Google) is provided with permission in 2008 courtesy of our friends at FreePresse.fr who produce http://www.WinterGuide.fr containing great articles and information. Thank You FreePresse.fr !] DB SKI • Created: 2003, Switzerland. • Positioning: Freeride. • History: The brand created by Stephen Drake, Cyrille Boinay and Roman Grossreider has made known a few seasons ago by his skis fats while carbon black (the Tabula Rasa for example). In 2005, DB (for DrakeBoinay skis) restarts with a new producer, it is a white season in 2005/2006. We have no information about the new range. Radio silence.

Duel Skis
Italy

http://www.dueltime.it/

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Manufacturer Comments:		"The Duel ski is born in 2001 in order to satisfy the advanced skiers and competitors The experience of athletes of highest level and the employment of materials and technologies of great quality have concurred the realization of a ski that is in a position to supplying a highest level of performances. Duel is not only a ski. Duel is a plan that has like objective an exclusive relationship with the customer. An exclusive world of great products, elevated professionality, sport spirit, technical initiatives and happiness"

Ski Types:		All Mountain, Carving, Freeride, Giant Slalom, Intermediate, Slalom
		Race skis, allaround skis, VIST Speedlock. Female-specific skis too. Junior race skis. Woodcore sandwich constructions.

Dupraz Snowboards
France

http://www.dupraz-snowboards.com

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Manufacturer Comments:		"We started by taking a look at what really happens in the field. Our observations: 1- For a number of years now, traditional snowboards have been known to “over-steer” on groomed snow. Riders must compensate for this by constantly transferring weight from the front to the back of the board. This requires learning a special technique in order to avoid falls and poor control, but it also results in significant front-leg muscle fatigue. 2- In deep snow (the best conditions, in fact!), the traditional nose shape acts as a snowplough, slowing the board down. In order to avoid getting bogged down in deep snow, riders have to exert lots of force on the back leg, which, again, results in muscle fatigue. The excess weight on the back leg also slows the board down, as the nose of the board has a tendency to lift, laboriously ploughing through the snow. 3- You can’t use the same snowboard on ice and in deep snow or in soft and hard boots without sacrificing performance. Our analysis: Our aim was to correct the unstable and excessively technical weight distribution demands of traditional snowboards in order to provide improved stability and comfort. We did it by getting back to a much simpler, more natural way of distributing weight: on both feet! This improvement in weight distribution has made designing a high-performance board appropriate for use in all types of snow, by all types of riders, and with all types of bindings a reality. Our unique “Dupraz Shape” geometry 1- In order to eliminate the problem of “over-steering,” the length of the effective edge behind the back foot has been increased. The sidecut radius of this special edge design is very short on the back of the board. This results in increased grip as far back as possible on the board. At the same time, the stiffness of the tail is proportionately very firm, preventing tail skid. Changing these basic characteristics has brought snowboards back into balance. 2- The upward curve of the nose is very gentle and gradual, limiting the “snowplough” effect and guaranteeing a smoother ride.The increased width of the front of the board gets it up on top of the snow quickly and provides a large sliding surface in deep snow. The width of the entire back of the board serves as a weight-bearing area that is sufficiently large to keep the board flat and on the surface in deep snow, making it extremely fast. 3 – For maximum edge pressure per centimetre and for increased manoeuvrability, the edge length is proportionately very short in relation to the total board length. The rider’s stance is relatively far up on the board in relation to the portion of the edge that is in contact with the snow. Therefore, energy is transferred with increased power under the front foot, eliminating torsion-related problems. The combination of powerful edge grip and a unique stance results in exceptional performance on hard snow. In addition, the power provided by plate bindings can be efficiently transferred to the board. Conclusion Truly riding on both legs gives a different, much simpler and more natural sensation. It also improves stability and boosts power for solid riders while improving safety for riders of all levels, especially beginners.The board’s unique, marked curves and centred, stable riding position opens the door to new levels of performance and sensations for all riders. In short, it is a whole new way of snowboarding."

Ski Types:		Snowboards
		Handcrafted, uniquely shaped snowboards reminding us of the nib of a fountain pen, or scalpel with a pointy shovel, curvaceous waist and rounded tail. Claimed to be an all-terrain board with excellent performance on-piste or in powder. One of the distinctive shapes in snowboards. Photo and video galleries of the boards in action are on the site. Example of the boards: [click here for LARGER picture]

Duret Skis
France

http://www.duretskis.com/

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Ski Types:		All Mountain, Backcountry, Big Mountain, Freeride, Freestyle, Park-Pipe, Powder
		(Since 1925) Skis, snowboards and monoskis. Durable, woodcore designs. Direct sales website. DURET Monstre Fat (177mm) powder board..(the biggest?)! [The excellent research below (translation by Google) is provided with permission in 2008 courtesy of our friends at FreePresse.fr who produce http://www.WinterGuide.fr containing great articles and information. Thank You FreePresse.fr !] DURET Created: 1925, France. Positioning: Duret offers a nice range of freeride skis, backcountry and freestyle. History: The house Duret manufactures skis since the late twenties. Technical innovation leads to another, the mark will soon develop. 1935, square steel screwed; 1946, Hichory, the first ski history laminated, 1950, appearance of polyurethane soles; 1969, the first injection of PU in a ski 80s, the arrival and Monoski snowboards. Then in 1991, the radio silence. Ten years of hibernation later, Duret and is now back to its riders. Developed in Green Valley and tested in Chamonix, in Les Arcs, La Grave and the USA. The ranges: Two models freeride, the Mountain Series and the Fat Monster Series (which bears his name, with his spatula 200 mm and 170 mm pad!), A backcountry on skis and two Airpopow freestyle, the Tricks Series and its women, Pussy Tricks Series. Annual production: 1 500 pairs in 2005-2006. www.duretskis.com - Sales www.duretproshop.com on their site.

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