JOURNAL

Pete Wagner wasn’t stuck. The mechanical engineer and programmer, now in his early 40s, had a successful career writing software that optimized the performance of golf clubs. He did miss the mountains, though, and wondered if he could apply his skill at interpreting the physics and kinesiology of golf to skiing.

The weight, agility, stability and durability of any ski depend largely on the quality of the materials selected for ski construction.

There is always more to learn about skiing different terrain, but here are some tips from us at Wagner on how to ski our favorite conditions.

For those of us who love the winter, arcing down powder-covered mountains like angels in the clouds, these kinds of dreams are an annual rite.

Buying a ski off the shelf is hit or miss. There are racks of options, and it’s a confusing process. Unless you can test a quiver of models on the slopes in a variety of conditions, it’s practically impossible to know which is best for you. Getting a ski built for you can make a huge difference.

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.

Peter Wagner migrated to Telluride, Colo. in 1998, a classic ski bum--apart from his impressive ambitions, his mechanical engineering degree and a job as a sought-after designer of custom golf clubs that he could handle once the sun went down.