Waist Deep Ski Company
Waist Deep Ski Company
Where: Fernie, BC and Toronto, ON
Year Established: 2018
Website: wdskis.com
Owners: Doug Fisher and Liz Hollyer
Waist Deep is a boutique ski and ski-pole manufacturer focused on bringing some fun, fashionable, eco-friendlier skis and poles to the market.
Give us a brief description of your manufacturing processes and philosophy.
Our skis are built entirely by hand, in very limited quantity, and are made with eco-friendly bamboo wood and other fine composite materials to enhance the riding experience. We make a purposeful effort to avoid protruded plastic bases, plastic sidewalls, plastic top sheets, colour dyes, mined aluminum/carbon, and other harmful materials as best we can. Our skis include:
- Bamboo core: provides both longitudinal flex and horizontal rigidity
- Bamboo sidewalls: provide strength over edges increasing snow contact and control
- Veneer top sheet: with branded logo, handwritten specs, numbered and signed by us
- Isosport IS NHS Race 7816 base or similar: super-hard sintered base with graphite mix making sliding faster, easier and more fun
- Fibreglass and carbon composites
- Flame-hardened carbide steel edges for super effective hold
- Eco-friendlier resin
Our ski-poles feature bamboo shafts coupled with recycled polymer grips and baskets and are very lightweight (approximately 9 oz for a 125cm pole, which is the same as most carbon poles). They have exceptional strength and flex, perfect swing, and are great conversation starters. Bamboo ski poles are the only eco-friendly ski pole alternative in the market and are an effective way to reduce your snowprint. Here are more characteristics:
- Handcrafted in Fernie, BC
- Bamboo Shaft
- Ergonomic polymer grips (7 bright colours)
- Matching colour 4-inch powder basket
- Carbide Steel circular ice tip
- Adjustable nylon straps
- Well-balanced with smooth swing
- Approximately 9 oz/125cm pole (similar to carbon)
How many employees and/or contractors do you work with?
We are in the very early stages of bringing our product to market after four years of development and testing. We are happily a two-person show.
What brought you to the Kootenays and how long have you been here?
Our family has been skiing Western Canada for much of our lives; we find the people to be easy-going, friendly and welcoming while the region offers some of the greatest snow on earth. Being able to live in the Kootenays for 6-7 months a year is an amazing experience.
Tell us about the history and relative work experience of your founder(s).
Doug is a proud father, husband, author, retired management consultant and a passionate skier and outdoor enthusiast. He’s eager to share his crafts and wares with other passionate skiers.
Describe the mission, vision, goals, and aspirations of your company.
Our mission is to create high-quality handcrafted skis and poles, each with the unique embedded characteristics of bamboo within a fun, eco-friendlier environment that supports creativity.
Our vision is to enrich the skier’s experience by creating high-performance, eco-friendlier skis and poles that are responsive, fashionable, sustainable and which our customers will enjoy for years to come.
Our goal is to give everyone the opportunity to ski bamboo and lower their snowprint (winter carbon footprint).