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November, 2024

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RAMP Sports Gear Talk — We'll answer what you toss at us

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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Hey NSers, here is a chance to ask us anything you want. We'll do our best to check this daily and get back to you. If you don't know about RAMP, we are about 4 years old and making high-tech skis out of our 10,000-square-foot factory in Park City. We are making really fun twin tip skis—Cork (85mm waist) and Big Bambooski (105mm)—made of a full vertical FSC certified bamboo core, Kevlar, glass, and the best bases and tops you can buy, and pressed with aerospace tech (vacuum molding). Our athletes include Charles Gagnier, Dania Assaly, Nick Rosenberger, Nadia Gonzales, and many more. Let us know what you're thinking. As a startup, we've gone through our bumps, but at this point in our U.S. manufacturing process, we are making the top skis using the best material and hope you can give them a spin.
Mar 3 2014 12:51PM
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butteredpretzel
Posts: 1485 - Karma: 866
approximately how many things has intern Toni Aguiar broken so far?
Mar 3 2014 3:24PM
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Park.
Posts: 2480 - Karma: 4,582
what are the dimensions of the edges you use as well as the manufacturer?
Mar 3 2014 4:44PM
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yangumane
Posts: 1816 - Karma: 3,347
is the Cork rockered? and if so, what's the rocker profile?
Mar 3 2014 5:09PM
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jca
Posts: 4172 - Karma: 6,310
why did you choose to vacuum mold your skis rather than the traditional press? any pros or cons that you've noticed so far?
Mar 3 2014 5:12PM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Hmm, I know there have been some close calls! Will try to get you an itemized list.
Mar 3 2014 5:56PM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Vacuum molding is derived from aerospace technology (how composite helicopter blades are made). It's a phenomenal process since it allows the materials in the ski or board to cure naturally instead of being forced into a position like a commercial press does. For example, the bamboo core goes where it wants to (giving the ski a slight natural camber—you don't need a huge camber with bamboo, it already has that pop and energy), and therefore over time the structure doesn't break down like a commercially pressed ski where the materials are forced into a shape. In theory, there is a bigger sweet spot as well, but you can test our skis for yourself and make your own judgment. No cons so far. We do admit to have had some issues with our top sheets last year when we chose to use a bamboo veneer instead of plastic. There were some delam issues (and in those cases, we upheld our warrantee), but that was caused by the inconsistency of the bamboo veneer and from what we know would have happened if we pressed the skis as well. We are now using a Isosport 8210 nylon for the tops, and no delam issues have occurred. The vacuum molding creates an incredible seal and along with the Kevlar veil in all our skis, the edges and bases are tightly pulled together to create a solid foundation.
Mar 3 2014 6:24PM
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Substitute
Posts: 1376 - Karma: 2,275
You guys kick ass. Demoed the corks and loved them. They will be the next park skis I buy.

Also what shops do you supply in the east?
Mar 3 2014 6:29PM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Yes, it's rockered but with traditional camber underfoot. It has a medium-plus early rise and reverse sidecut in the tip and tail (will have to get back to you on contact point info). It's not quite symmetrical but close. Our athletes say it's a fun buttery ski that gets better with age once the bamboo has broken in a bit. But at the same time, the bamboo doesn't break down, as it's meant to bend and offer lots of energy—why it's an awesome product for a ski core.
Mar 3 2014 6:30PM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
We use 2mm steal edges from CDW in Austria. We try to mostly source when we can in the US, but if it's a better material we will use that even if foreign.
Mar 3 2014 6:45PM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Thanks for the props. Most of our shops are in the East. Take a look here: http://www.rampsports.com/retail-demo-shops
Mar 3 2014 6:48PM
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SpazProductions
Posts: 206 - Karma: 74
HEY tell Chris D Derek said Hi on NS and also did you guys fix your top sheet problem yet/
Mar 3 2014 6:56PM
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max...
Posts: 1379 - Karma: 802
This seems worth the share:


Mar 3 2014 8:17PM
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MontanaMuggin
Posts: 444 - Karma: 1,642
Demoed a pair of corks and loved them. Besides those heavy ass rental bindings!
Mar 3 2014 8:25PM
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JustStartingPark
Posts: 76 - Karma: 124
Do you guys make any youth skis? Also if you do how can i demo?
Mar 3 2014 8:36PM
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Substitute
Posts: 1376 - Karma: 2,275
Cork kids and teen. And go to one of the demo places.
Mar 3 2014 8:55PM
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.cam.
Posts: 1852 - Karma: 48
What type of pressure are you running in the autoclave? And how many pairs can you press at once in there? Anyway glad to see an autoclave used
Mar 3 2014 9:36PM
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,965
why do you guys use exposed wood sidewalls?
Mar 3 2014 9:53PM
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JWeinstock
Posts: 3439 - Karma: 1,352
never heard of you guys before this. The corks sound like an awesome ski and are even cheaper than some other options ive looked at. When my chronics can take no more ill be 100% interested
Mar 3 2014 10:03PM
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JustStartingPark
Posts: 76 - Karma: 124
Ill look at them. Thanks
Mar 3 2014 10:47PM
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Dr.Jibb
Posts: 8 - Karma: 10
I really feel you should have the dimensions of your skis on your website. It tells very little of the shape, profile and flex of your skis. The bit about being able to change dimensions without getting new molds is pretty cool.
Mar 3 2014 10:51PM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Will do...he's probably tuning some skis in the factory right now. We did fix our topsheet problem. Instead of using an inconsistent bamboo veneer (looked cool but didn't last long), we changed to one of the industry's finest tops from ISOSPORT—and 8210 nylon. It's what many of the biggest manufacturers use. Hope you can take a look and see for yourself.
Mar 4 2014 10:56AM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Oh great to hear! We'd love to get more awesome skiers on that ride, it's a surprisingly fun twin tip with a lot of pop due to the full FSC bamboo core.
Mar 4 2014 10:58AM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
At RAMP we have an invention that allows us to change the sidecut of a ski without buying new tooling, which means we are ALWAYS prototyping as we don't have to invest in new molds to try the newest in design. Our testing on sidewalls has shown that they are burlier than ABS. Our core runs the width and length of the ski so the core is our sidewall and bamboo is tougher than any plastic. That along with the Kevlar veil that also runs the width and length of the ski really seals the edges, base, and core together so it's a very strong construction.
Mar 4 2014 11:08AM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Hope you can try it out, it's a pretty sweet ski with full FSC vertical bamboo core and Kevlar. The pop and energy is game changing (well don't take our word for it). We mostly sell direct and have a demo schedule on our website so maybe we'll be at your ski hill soon!
Mar 4 2014 11:10AM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Hi, when we revamped our website we added a stat product box instead. But very good point, we'll take that into consideration for sure. Glad you like our tech!
Mar 4 2014 11:15AM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
A new edit from RAMP athlete Dania Assaly on the Cork!

Dania Assaly early season edit :) from Dania Assaly on Vimeo.

Mar 4 2014 1:56PM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Hi, we don't use an autoclave but rather vacuum molding to press skis. We pressurize a vacuum mag. It cooks our skis at 1 atmospheric bar of pressure tip to tail making for a very uniform press. One ski per bag, but can fit up to 10 skis in our oven at once.
Mar 4 2014 1:58PM
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Substitute
Posts: 1376 - Karma: 2,275
Smoothest female skier I have seen
Mar 4 2014 2:28PM
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.cam.
Posts: 1852 - Karma: 48
Oh I mistook the oven for an autoclave.
Mar 5 2014 5:34PM
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Park.
Posts: 2480 - Karma: 4,582
that didnt fully answer my question. What are the dimensions of the edges? 2mm is I am guessing the sidewall side width but what about the base side width?
Mar 5 2014 6:46PM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
Got cha. It's a 2mm cube that is 1 cm wide (with the elet width) on base. We use a 707 steal edge, one of the toughest you can buy. Does that answer your question?
Mar 12 2014 1:54PM
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Park.
Posts: 2480 - Karma: 4,582
thank you
Mar 12 2014 3:47PM
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Pudge
Posts: 3718 - Karma: 3,117
Where do you source your bamboo cores, or are they made in house?
Mar 12 2014 8:25PM
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rampsports
Posts: 14 - Karma: 167
We try our best to source most materials in the U.S. In this case, we use a U.S. based company Smith & Fong Plyboo in CA but bamboo still comes from overseas. It is FSC meaning Forestry Stewardship Certified (or the best certification a company can have for best green practices in forestry). Our bamboo comes to us vertically laminated, and then we use our CNC machines to cut the cores. There is no formaldehyde used in the bamboo processing, nor poor labor practices. These cores are 3 x more expensive than a typical poplar core due to them being all bamboo (tip to tail) and FSC. Yet we can still keep the price of our skis competitive because of our factory production processes.
Mar 14 2014 2:59PM
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