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Wagner Custom Is Turning Avalanche Debris Into Skis

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Learn how one ski manufacturer is turning avalanches into something beautiful.

Wagner Custom Skis, based in Telluride, Colo., had one pretty damn unique source of wood for its skis in 2021: avalanches.

How? During the winter of 2019, a series of avalanches caused mass destruction to the forests of the San Juan wilderness and mountains. Wagner Custom’s founder, Pete Wagner, partnered with a local mill to source its wood for ski core from trees downed by avalanche slides.

These skis are not only a locally sourced, more sustainable product but an epic one at that.

a man with a chainsaw harvesting aspen trees in the San Juans

This video follows the story of how thousands of acres of downed trees went from debris to skis. Learn more about Wagner Custom here.

Runtime: 8 minutes

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