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May, 2025

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How many pro skiers use the same skis as us?

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gaper-raper
Posts: 598 - Karma: 2,602
So ive heard a couple different times that some companies make special skis for there pros but with the same top sheet as the ones that are sold in store. From what ive heard bobby brown does not use the same nfx as ones sold in store. I personally know that all the volkl skiers use the skis off the shelf as russ once broke a pair of his skis and the volkl rep had to go and personally buy him a pair from the local ski shop that the rep distributes to.

so do you guys know of any other companies that the pros use a different ski then what the public can buy?
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11 years ago
211 50
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dun.Can
Posts: 503 - Karma: 1,500
I have also heard something very similar that pros may put a different top sheet on another ski. For example bobby brown riding the nfx graphic on the suspect ski. Don't know if this is tru but pretty similar.
11 years ago
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lurking
Posts: 2227 - Karma: 6,876
How would most of NS know? Gonna have to get a pro to comment.
11 years ago
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Gr0mo
Posts: 707 - Karma: 3,663
inb4 itsaconspiracy.jpg
11 years ago
1 1
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CaptainSlow
Posts: 717 - Karma: 930
Threads, have heard about this well. Something about the infamous ski being adjusted completely for each rider.
11 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7293 - Karma: 18,716
Some of te big brands will make slightly differnt skis for their riders but they are not vastly differnt. Generally they just want stiffer versions of the production models. Brands know that the skis most pros want would not sell well so it is better off for them to make slight changes to a few pairs a season then change the production version.
11 years ago
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skier58284
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 5,366
Sage said in an interview that he uses stock Automatics. I assume it is the same for most.
11 years ago
2 1
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kylemclean
Posts: 413 - Karma: 1,311
I think this happens alot in racing not as much in freestyle. Some racers would even go to the extent of riding a different manufacturers ski with their sponsors topsheet
11 years ago
9 2
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M.M
Posts: 1696 - Karma: 4,494
some pros definitely get slightly altered skis, think about how some skis are a medium ish flex yet they dont wash out on some landings for pros... gotta be stiffer.

long story short my local shop has a pair of mike riddles comp skis and compared to my stock punx his punx are zoo much stiffer and have at least 1.5 x if not more camber but thats what you need for pipe
11 years ago
4 1
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E-fry
Posts: 601 - Karma: 2,171
The ski that guys like Nicky Keefer and Jossi Wells is the 2013 punx ski with the infamous graphic on it.
11 years ago
1 7
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7293 - Karma: 18,716
daveyjonessome pros definitely get slightly altered skis, think about how some skis are a medium ish flex yet they dont wash out on some landings for pros... gotta be stiffer.

long story short my local shop has a pair of mike riddles comp skis and compared to my stock punx his punx are zoo much stiffer and have at least 1.5 x if not more camber but thats what you need for pipe


Which shop is that? Is it in whistler? Yeah some mikes punx are insanely stiff. If it's the shop I'm thinking of did you take a look at woodsys custom skis?
11 years ago
4 0
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VANULAR
Posts: 1930 - Karma: 5,131
they use same stuff as you except for the pipe guys.. ive seen some guys get some pretty specific ski's with race bases on them to make them go faster, and ya a little stiffer. for park , pow guys they ride all the same stuff thats on the shelves. pipe is a pretty niche market so if they would sell a pipe specific only ski, Barely any kids would buy it. Reason being, well it's pipe and not many people have access to a pipe or can afford to dedicate one pair of ski's to pipe.
11 years ago
37 1
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22738 - Karma: 77,008
VANULARthey use same stuff as you except for the pipe guys.. ive seen some guys get some pretty specific ski's with race bases on them to make them go faster, and ya a little stiffer. for park , pow guys they ride all the same stuff thats on the shelves. pipe is a pretty niche market so if they would sell a pipe specific only ski, Barely any kids would buy it. Reason being, well it's pipe and not many people have access to a pipe or can afford to dedicate one pair of ski's to pipe.


How much R&D will an athlete be involved in? I would think/hope that athletes get brought into the experimental phase.... though maybe that is only for more niche brands?

I'm surprisingly uneducated about this I'm realizing. :)
11 years ago
3 0
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Titus69
Posts: 9332 - Karma: 17,963
I wouldn't be surprised I remember when Killington hosted the dew tour Gus had the ar7 top sheet but the pipe cleaner base. Id guess I'd anything its competition only
11 years ago
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,410
VANULARpow guys they ride all the same stuff thats on the shelves.


Not necessarily true.

Mr.BishopHow much R&D will an athlete be involved in? I would think/hope that athletes get brought into the experimental phase.... though maybe that is only for more niche brands?

I'm surprisingly uneducated about this I'm realizing. :)


Depends on their relationship with the company honestly. I can definitely confirm that Eric Pollard is often riding a future variant of his own pro model with the current or next seasons topsheet graphic. I think the skis he rides are even being developed for as far as three seasons away.

I'd imagine the scnario is similar for Chris Benchetler. He's also been spotted riding on Warden bindings up to two years ago, and that's a binding just hitting the market now. Hoji, I doubt much of his kit is all that stock for obvious reasons. Salomon guys like Cody Townsend and Brody Leven are likely quite involved with touring R&D as well.

And I definitely think there are more athletes out there like this but again I think it would depend on the athlete's relationship with a brand. You have to remember, these guys are paid athletes and if a brand has confidence in their tech savvy side then it would only make complete sense to have them testing out future product.

With all that being said I have no doubts that there are pros riding stock gear either. Sometimes, some stuff just performs really good as a result of R&D, and it might be crazy to be riding anything else.
11 years ago
6 1
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JLev
Posts: 872 - Karma: 4,806
If a company respects what athletes are asking for in a ski's performance, then involves them in the product's development & then has the balls to also sell that exact same product to you, you will be buying the same ski as the athlete in the stores and the ski will be likely further ahead of it's time due to the athlete likely being ahead of where most consumers are in their abilities and vision. That's the way it always was with Line. That was the simple yet ballsey formula the lead to often being too ahead of our time and selling fewer skis until the customers finally saw what the pros were doing and then wanted to be able to do the same, thus needed the same product.

There are other companies just make a ski with no athlete influence and tell the athlete ride this and deal with it or find another sponsor.

If a company feels that athletes are requesting things that the public does not need or want or believe they just can't sell like a super long, super stiff, or super soft or super wide ski then they'll just build a few custom skis for only the athlete with the same graphic you see in the store and you and the athlete are riding 2 totally different skis.

The only other time athletes ride different ski with the graphic in stores is when developing a new product for the future. While Wallisch is developing his new Booner pro model skis, the ski will be totally new yet the graphic will be the same as an existing model so in photos and vids he's promoting a ski that's actually available in stores. No point promoting a product that doesn't exist is how companies see it.
11 years ago
25 1
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6747 - Karma: 11,771
JLevIf a company respects what athletes are asking for in a ski's performance, then involves them in the product's development & then has the balls to also sell that exact same product to you, you will be buying the same ski as the athlete in the stores and the ski will be likely further ahead of it's time due to the athlete likely being ahead of where most consumers are in their abilities and vision.


This is what I have come to really like about Atomic. Our athletes are involved from day one with new projects and it shows. I mean how else can a brand go from being a race-only powerhouse to making skis like the Bentchetler, Automatic, and Infamous? Chris, Sage, and Keefer all ride stock gear- no special one-offs because they simply don't need it. They've have literally helped shaped the ski from its inception. Sometimes you might see them on something a little different since they are testing future protos too, but should be expected given how influential their opinions are.
11 years ago
8 0
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toastyteenagers
Posts: 1834 - Karma: 6,793
JLevIf a company respects what athletes are asking for in a ski's performance, then involves them in the product's development & then has the balls to also sell that exact same product to you, you will be buying the same ski as the athlete in the stores and the ski will be likely further ahead of it's time due to the athlete likely being ahead of where most consumers are in their abilities and vision. That's the way it always was with Line. That was the simple yet ballsey formula the lead to often being too ahead of our time and selling fewer skis until the customers finally saw what the pros were doing and then wanted to be able to do the same, thus needed the same product.

There are other companies just make a ski with no athlete influence and tell the athlete ride this and deal with it or find another sponsor.

If a company feels that athletes are requesting things that the public does not need or want or believe they just can't sell like a super long, super stiff, or super soft or super wide ski then they'll just build a few custom skis for only the athlete with the same graphic you see in the store and you and the athlete are riding 2 totally different skis.

The only other time athletes ride different ski with the graphic in stores is when developing a new product for the future. While Wallisch is developing his new Booner pro model skis, the ski will be totally new yet the graphic will be the same as an existing model so in photos and vids he's promoting a ski that's actually available in stores. No point promoting a product that doesn't exist is how companies see it.


K+ for Boone skis
11 years ago
2 0
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cydwhit
Posts: 5079 - Karma: 43,074
Not sure about skiing but I asked a buddy who used to snowboard for K2 about this. He said he had one board the "believer" that was kind of like his pro-model. Often K2 would throw together different boards with "believer" graphics for him to ride. So he would be using different boards for park and pow with the same graphic. He also said he was often riding prototype boards to help refine them. These would be pressed at the K2 factory in seattle rather than at their aisan manufacturing plant. He said that this often meant that he was riding a worse board than the public because his boards were always in a testing stage and by the time they had been refined for sale to the public he was already testing next year's boards. Really interesting stuff. I have always loved that Pollard video where he talks about just grinding his skis to try different shapes.
11 years ago
0 0
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Nordica
Posts: 97 - Karma: 9,744
Our guys ride on stock skis. Same as you get.

When you see people on "next years" skis, they are riding on a small sample production of the following seasons skis. Sometimes we test out different constructions/shapes on black "proto" skis, but any ski you see on our riders with actual top sheets are exactly what you get that following fall.

Though with the amount of questions/messages I get about Kieran's Soul Riders, I could see why one would think our sponsored athletes get "special" skis...
11 years ago
18 1
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Line_Skis
Posts: 1999 - Karma: 37,876
Yep, 99% stock skis with some exceptions as development is always ongoing with our riders (white skis, clear skis, ect you've seen some people on) plus always testing different materials and flexes so the guts might be different. We value our athletes and they're the best destroyers / lab rats we have! Pollard is basically only in powder so to get Bacon shots (plus he likes all his graphics) we make some Opus' with bacon graphics (Freeskier Mag Buyer Guide cover a few years back) .. plus we have been developing the Magnum for many years so most Russia & Japan shots and anything in pow from the last few years are on Magnum protos.

Other big one which has been called out before is Will having skis with no edge underfoot and some with no edge at all to slide just about anything. We looked into producing this type of ski but weren't satisfied with durability and it's easily don't to any pair of old skis with the right hacksaw and pliers if you're looking for something that would be good on picket fences, tennis nets, ect but terrifying on any sort of real snow.

hope that helps! -jm
11 years ago
19 0
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saskskier
Posts: 4774 - Karma: 10,005
Seth said his ski is a bit stiffer and has a bit more tail rocker than the production ski during his Q&A on TGR the other day.
11 years ago
0 0
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jpastor
Posts: 431 - Karma: 848
NordicaOur guys ride on stock skis. Same as you get.

When you see people on "next years" skis, they are riding on a small sample production of the following seasons skis. Sometimes we test out different constructions/shapes on black "proto" skis, but any ski you see on our riders with actual top sheets are exactly what you get that following fall.

Though with the amount of questions/messages I get about Kieran's Soul Riders, I could see why one would think our sponsored athletes get "special" skis...


Are your skis pressed and made in NH, were they ever?, or is that just your corporate offices
11 years ago
0 1
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GrumpisPringle
Posts: 630 - Karma: 728
I realized that the infamous is a little bit different after I ordered them.

The ones in the promotional video have a full sidewall. some had different bases. etc. Like said in the above post I think they are 2013 punx with infamous graphic. I think thats fine and dandy but honestly I would rather have 2013 punx than the cap-barely any sidewall 2015 infamous. We will see how it goes but i am a little mad about the lying.

I guess thats what you get for paying only 350 bucks for a pair of brand new skis.

ps. Not a rant just stuff ive noticed. I am content with my skis just sad that the quality will not be the same as nicky and josiah or getting.
11 years ago
0 2
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6747 - Karma: 11,771
GrumpisPringleI realized that the infamous is a little bit different after I ordered them.

The ones in the promotional video have a full sidewall. some had different bases. etc. Like said in the above post I think they are 2013 punx with infamous graphic. I think thats fine and dandy but honestly I would rather have 2013 punx than the cap-barely any sidewall 2015 infamous. We will see how it goes but i am a little mad about the lying.

I guess thats what you get for paying only 350 bucks for a pair of brand new skis.

ps. Not a rant just stuff ive noticed. I am content with my skis just sad that the quality will not be the same as nicky and josiah or getting.


One of the things you guys might not know about is that videos like that need to be filmed WAY before anything actually goes to market and when it was shot, there were multiple versions of the Infamous in the works. In a perfect world, they would have been on the final version but that video was needed months and months before anything was finalized. If you were to go to Keefer's apartment right now, you would see/feel/sniff the same exact Infamous that you get in the store. That's a promise.
11 years ago
6 0
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GrumpisPringle
Posts: 630 - Karma: 728
onenerdykidOne of the things you guys might not know about is that videos like that need to be filmed WAY before anything actually goes to market and when it was shot, there were multiple versions of the Infamous in the works. In a perfect world, they would have been on the final version but that video was needed months and months before anything was finalized. If you were to go to Keefer's apartment right now, you would see/feel/sniff the same exact Infamous that you get in the store. That's a promise.


Well that is very reassuring. Thank you. I am very happy with the choice I made to get the infamous in the first place. Atomic has been my favorite planks (that I have ridden up to this point) Which is why in my edits this year you will see not only infamous but also the bentchetler.

Thanks again to put my mind at ease
11 years ago
1 1
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,410
Reading some of the posts and taking them into consideration I'm going to have to take my word back that I said to CVan. Really, all of the guys I named are riding the same skis that are available to consumers. The difference is they're riding those skis long before the consumers will receive them.

Here's some R&D porn now:

Cydwhit, I think this is where Line would press all their prototype stuff. I'd imagine the stuff coming out of there isn't that hastily built. Malczyk or JLev could probably attest to that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd2HcAyaG54

More from the Line R&D Lair.
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/853326/Line-Skis-R--amp--D-Secret-Lair-Tour---Ski-Development--amp--Testing---YouTube

One of my all time favourite videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCzP-NG657E

Chris likes his angle grinder to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s37cVaW2tV0
11 years ago
2 0
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Jeroen13
Posts: 67 - Karma: 231
Line_SkisYep, 99% stock skis with some exceptions as development is always ongoing with our riders (white skis, clear skis, ect you've seen some people on) plus always testing different materials and flexes so the guts might be different. We value our athletes and they're the best destroyers / lab rats we have! Pollard is basically only in powder so to get Bacon shots (plus he likes all his graphics) we make some Opus' with bacon graphics (Freeskier Mag Buyer Guide cover a few years back) .. plus we have been developing the Magnum for many years so most Russia & Japan shots and anything in pow from the last few years are on Magnum protos.

Other big one which has been called out before is Will having skis with no edge underfoot and some with no edge at all to slide just about anything. We looked into producing this type of ski but weren't satisfied with durability and it's easily don't to any pair of old skis with the right hacksaw and pliers if you're looking for something that would be good on picket fences, tennis nets, ect but terrifying on any sort of real snow.

hope that helps! -jm





White ski's..
So you are sponsoring tommy wallnuts?
11 years ago
3 2
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Jeroen13
Posts: 67 - Karma: 231
Jeroen13

White ski's..
So you are sponsoring tommy wallnuts?


11 years ago
1 1
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Jeroen13
Posts: 67 - Karma: 231
Jeroen13


Fuck this shit...
11 years ago
3 0
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E-fry
Posts: 601 - Karma: 2,171
onenerdykidOne of the things you guys might not know about is that videos like that need to be filmed WAY before anything actually goes to market and when it was shot, there were multiple versions of the Infamous in the works. In a perfect world, they would have been on the final version but that video was needed months and months before anything was finalized. If you were to go to Keefer's apartment right now, you would see/feel/sniff the same exact Infamous that you get in the store. That's a promise.


Oh, it appears i was misinformed. I guess I just believed it because of how awesome the 2013 punx were (best skis I've ever ridden hands down). But atomic does make great skis and I will continue to support them in the future.
11 years ago
0 0
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GrumpisPringle
Posts: 630 - Karma: 728
E-fryOh, it appears i was misinformed. I guess I just believed it because of how awesome the 2013 punx were (best skis I've ever ridden hands down). But atomic does make great skis and I will continue to support them in the future.


This
Like I said before i support atomic greatly

But it would be cool to bring back the 2013punx somehow. I learned a lot about what skiing should be on those planks. Stoked to shred the 2015 infamous nonethe less

One Love!
11 years ago
0 0
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ZachRyan
Posts: 337 - Karma: 2,287
GrumpisPringleWell that is very reassuring. Thank you. I am very happy with the choice I made to get the infamous in the first place. Atomic has been my favorite planks (that I have ridden up to this point) Which is why in my edits this year you will see not only infamous but also the bentchetler.

Thanks again to put my mind at ease


Infamous is a good choice, rode this years model all last season and loved them, they dont have the full sidewall like you saw in some videos with keefer, and lsm but dont need them, it makes it a super light fun ski.
11 years ago
0 0
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grant.
Posts: 219 - Karma: 486
kylemcleanI think this happens alot in racing not as much in freestyle. Some racers would even go to the extent of riding a different manufacturers ski with their sponsors topsheet


That's not true, race skis are made with absolute precision to meet specifications for racing. If they have illegal measurements then the racer is disqualified and can be banned from the association. When I was racing I remember some kid's mom would try to get slightly larger risers to allow for greater turning angles and he got kicked off the team because he placed so many times before anyone found out. Any company willing to give their racers skis with illegal dimensions would have to be crazy.
11 years ago
2 1
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413Crew
Posts: 1636 - Karma: 5,612
i just bought armada t halls

look the same to me
11 years ago
2 12
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Filet-O-Fish
Posts: 866 - Karma: 4,038
I know I ride the same skis as mike hornbeck.
11 years ago
0 0
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kylemclean
Posts: 413 - Karma: 1,311
grant.That's not true, race skis are made with absolute precision to meet specifications for racing. If they have illegal measurements then the racer is disqualified and can be banned from the association. When I was racing I remember some kid's mom would try to get slightly larger risers to allow for greater turning angles and he got kicked off the team because he placed so many times before anyone found out. Any company willing to give their racers skis with illegal dimensions would have to be crazy.


I don't mean dimensions or risers I am just talking things like flex and other small stuff
11 years ago
1 0
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yannik_schulz
Posts: 4 - Karma: 54
Im pretty sure Logan Pehota was riding a tuned version of the rossi squad 7s with flater tip rocker and more tail rocker and he had them mounted alot more centered than any other Squad 7 ive ever seen. This is the only example ive seen so far in pow skis...
11 years ago
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