RAMP Sports is a boutique ski manufacturer that is based in Park City, Utah and it is looking to change the way the skis are made. The company recently opened its 10,000square foot facility and bringing their ski production back to the United States from Taiwan. To do so they have looked to utilize new technology that includes the vacuum form molding process that is commonly used in the aeronautics industry to develop composite helicopter rotor blades.
This will reportedly replace the need for expensive traditional presses that are currently the industry standard. This is a big shift in the industry, which hasn’t really seen much in the way of forward thinking innovation in nearly 40 years. More importantly it will allow the company to bring its operations close to where the skis can easily be used.
The other benefit is that it could allow for very rapid prototyping, meaning that skis can go from the design stage to the testing stage in short order. The result could be new ski shapes along with new materials, and at a rate that was previously impossible in the ski industry.
We think as RAMP Sports ramps up its operations it will certainly be one to watch.