In 2004, Peter Bauer, a 20-year snow sports industry veteran, teamed up with good friend and freeskier Anian Thrainer to form Amplid. Headquartered in Fischbachau, Germany, the brand’s mission revolves around continual experimentation, forward-thinking design and a commitment to responsible manufacturing processes. Having all their facilities within close proximity to one another, as well as to the Bavarian Alps, enables them to achieve these goals.
All of Amplid’s materials suppliers and production facilities are less than 200 miles from Fischbachau, and when it comes time to hit the snow, the office is a mere ten minutes from the skiing on their home mountain, Spitzingsee, and one hour from Hintertux Glacier. This allows the team to go from producing designs to testing them very quickly, a point of pride for the brand.
“We simply try a lot of different experiments,” Bauer says. “We are experimenting a lot with different weavings, glasses, carbon fiber, and we also have some very interesting wood core architectures.”
Kevin Salonius peeps the shot with Borja Azurmendi. Photo by Stephan Sutton
Their extensive research and development has lead to numerous innovations over the years, many relating to the durability of the products. One of these is Abuse Base Technology: a coating of metal particles underneath the ski base that conducts heat away from spots that are vulnerable to heat damage caused by sliding boxes and rails.
There’s also Stomp Guard, a laminated titanium strip between the sidewall and edge anchors. The titanium strengthens the ski so that twice the normal force is needed to blow out an edge, meaning more durability for park and backcountry skiers alike.
Coming up with innovative shapes is another priority high on Amplid’s list. Jekyll and Hyde geometry, featured in Amplid’s Rockwell ski, is a five-dimensional sidecut design that aims to combine a smaller waist width and tight turn radius, in this case 95 mm and 14 meters, respectively, with a high surface area for added float. This results in what Bauer calls a “Swiss Army knife ski that excels on all types of snow and terrain.”
All this technological research would be for naught if it weren’t for Amplid’s team of killer athletes who are as skilled at providing product feedback as they are at tackling the slopes. “Some riders get on a ski that’s twice as stiff [as a previous model] and won’t feel the difference,” says Bauer. “Then you have guys who can feel the most minute differences in ski construction. Those are the guys we want on the team.”
Teddy Berr sends one. Photo by Pally Learmond
One rider they have been counting on for years is McRae Williams. Long before he won his X Games gold in Tignes, Williams was contributing to product design at Amplid. In addition, skiers such as Kevin Salonius, Luka Melloni, Alex Neurohr and Noah Albaladejo continue to test drive new skis in both early and late development stages, providing feedback needed to fine tune the planks before they get to market.
Ten years after Amplid was founded, the company continues to innovate. Next year, they will be releasing a number of new skis, ranging from 108 mm to 126 mm underfoot, and further proving that from X Games courses to backcountry booters, they’ve got you covered.
Amplid Rockwell Skis
“This multi-award winning, multi-dimensional ski’s prowess in varying terrain and snow conditions is legendary. The Amplid Rockwell skis have…” Click for full review and scores.
Amplid Lexington Skis
“We’ve been saying that ‘size matters’ for years, but until you’ve experienced the Lexington’s 130 mm waist under your feet, you haven’t skied fat…” Click for full review and scores.
Amplid Syntax Skis
“The Amplid Syntax skis are the team’s secret park and pipe weapon. Built with Hexo2 construction…” Click for full review and scores.
