The New York Times: The Bespoke Ski, Shaped by Science
This article was written for The New York Times by Nicole LaPorte
Originally Published Nov. 24, 2012
"Can a computer algorithm create the perfect pair of skis?
Pete Wagner, a 37-year-old Ohio native, likes to think so. Since 2006, he has been applying his background in mechanical engineering and computer coding to make skis — and a few snowboards, too — that are individually designed to fit each owner.
How does he do it?
“Our computers crunch the numbers,” said Mr. Wagner, a self-professed “nerdy engineer” whose shop-factory, Wagner Custom Skis, is in Placerville, Colo., not far from the alpine paradise of Telluride. “We’ve created a scientific method of fitting people,” based on collecting data about other skis they have used, as well as personal information like height and weight, he said."...
