GilsonSnow

Making fun-haver tools - By: Jeff Shapiro

By KAVU

October 12^th, 2021

Over the summer, I got a call from a friend who was working with an artisan company, GlisonSnow in Pennsylvania, handcrafting snowboards and skis. He explained that they were an American manufacturing facility who had the goals of making innovative products from locally sourced, sustainable materials and manufacturing in a environmentally responsible way.

Apparently, they wanted to get a small group of snow-riders together to come to their factory for an "adult summer camp" where each would have the opportunity to make their own snowboard or skis over the course of a few days. One of the companies many capabilities is to create custom graphics and then sublimate the images onto the top sheet and base of the snowboard or ski. On top of choosing a model, the group could pick or create a graphic and by going through the process, not only end up with a rad new craft for snow sliding, but also learn more about the company and it's unique history. Also included was my good and long time friend, Jesse Hall. A legend in skiing and BASE, with him on this trip, it would also be a good opportunity to share some time with Jesse, and to meet a bunch of other cool people.

From their website, I learned that GilsonSnow was started by middle school science teachers Nicholas Gilson and Austin Royer. Borrowing concepts from surfing and sailing (which is cool in itself), they led a class project exploring fluid dynamics in snow. The year-long effort twisted through countless failures, including a board Austin described as like “trying to ride a canoe down the mountain.” Each failure offered a new insight, ultimately leading to 3 significant innovations and the early Gilson design.

In 2013, Nick and Austin launched the company out of the classroom with their students.

Read full story here. Nick and Austin..... and their entire crew, are not just craftsman and women who make gear which steps outside the mold of "snowboards and skis like the rest", but are passionate people who cohesively put those passions into each and every board they make. It was obvious from the start that they care immensely about what riders and skiers end up with, and that they care about the process, the environment, and most of all.... try to keep their craft a job that brings happiness to their lives. IMO, it shows through each end product.

Plus, living on the coast has me surfing daily and to see some real innovations in the base of the boards and skis, as well as in the shape, deriving from the same curiosity I see from surfboard shapers is super cool! I like that these are not cookie cutter shapes and that the folks at Gilson are brave enough to try new things!

Honestly, I couldn't say "no" to such an amazing offer so, in the early Fall, I made the journey to Pennsylvania, and waiting for me was a bunch of rad people to meet, and a freshie core of locally sourced poplar, ready to shape into a rad new snowboard!

The Poplar has super good flex characteristics and would normally be used for making pallets so, to turn this beautiful wood into a snowboard I'll enjoy for seasons to come was pretty inspiring!

Stoked beyond belief.

The group of people that I got to be a part of at Gilson came from all over the world.... both figuratively and literally. From an alpine ice skater to the creative director at GoPro....... surfers, skiers, riders, and life-lovers..... each could easily be categorized as a professional fun-haver.

It was soooo cool watching and participating in the process. Learning about the history of this unique company while also getting to meet the craftspeople behind the boards made the idea of riding the finished product super personal.

After the cores were cut and prepared, they used sublimation to transfer the graphics onto the bases and top sheets of the boards and skis. It's a cool process because the images are transferred, literally, into the material so if the base or top sheet is scratched, the images being all the way through will never scratch off. It's a cool process to see and even cooler to see how important it was to the guys doing it that the images were exactly right for each customer.

Next, bending edges and preparing the boards to get pressed in a "final assembly" of sorts.

With a custom and unique press, each board or ski is molded and cured with super even pressures to insure a perfect lamination and to make sure moisture remains locked out. Longevity and quality of construction is every bit as important as good looks and function.

While the goods were "cooking" in the shop, we had to take advantage of the beautiful location of the factory. We all had set up camp right on the river and it seemed fitting to jump in kayaks for a short float, do a little fishing and of course, make a cracking fire.

One of our gracious hosts, Gage, showed up some serious game and made epic meals over the fire each night that could have easily been served in the fanciest of restaurants. We were stoked, well fed and inspired for the unavailing the following day.

The next morning did NOT disappoint! The skis and snowboards (with beautiful wood grain showing through the custom graphics) came out absolutely EPIC!

After a last base grind and a fresh hot-wax, they were snow and shred-ready. Needless to say, the crew was smiling.

Zadia and Jesse were beyond stoked on how their shapes and graphics turned out, and their stoke was definitely contagious.

Abe and I weren't too bummed either;-) KAVU days ahead, indeed! As I type this, I'm seeing posts from friends in Montana that the snow is already falling in the high country. Won't be long now.

If you're at all interested in checking out a new ride for this year, I'd highly recommend giving Nick, Austin and Gage a call. Hope to see you in the mountains!!