Company
When we started making skis six years ago, a pair per day was a large task. Equipment was scarce and the knowledge of knowing exactly what to do was not quite there yet. Today, techniques and skills have been improved and refined, enabling us to manufacture large quantities while maintaining high quality standards. More equipment and a larger facility have also helped. Our ski designs and materials have evolved into the best yet. The process has been many 7-day work weeks, with 12-hour days. It’s a good thing we like making skis, and it is even better that our employees, friends, family, reps, and customers have been there supporting us since that first ski.
The Moment collection now consists of 16 unique and specific handmade ski models. With a wide range of all-mountain, park, freeride, women’s and many powder skis, there is sure to be something in the mix that fits your needs.
Our factory located in Reno, NV USA, is where we design and make all of our skis. The core lamination, edge heat treating, sublimation, CNC work, and grinding are done on site. This allows us to have complete control of the product we give to you. It also allows for rapid prototyping and development. We can take an idea and turn it into a ski that’s on the snow in just a couple of days. This ensures that the newest ski designs using progressive technology will always come from Moment.
Call, email, or even stop by our Reno factory. We will show you how we make skis by hand, have a beer or a chat about skiing and help you with anything we can. You might even convince one of us to go ski and get away for the day.Core – The core is the heart of every ski. That is why we have selected the best lumber mills we could find in the USA. These mills understand the high standards of top grade clear wood that needs to go into our ski cores. In a core of one of our skis, you will find a blend of Aspen, Pine or Ash. Each Moment core built uses full-length vertical laminates allowing for a more consistent flex. Comparably, the competition is using scrap wood that they have to finger-joint together. Cores are then CNC planned and cut out to achieve the highest possible tolerances.
Base – Our extra thick, made in the USA, Durasurf Sintered 4001 bases can take a beating while still staying fast. They are harder and have a better wax absorption than extruded bases. All of our bases are sublimated meaning you won’t get cracks from the seams like on die-cut bases.
Edge – Our edges are one of the materials we get from overseas, Austria to be exact. Like most of the industry, they come hardened at 48 Rockwell. We take additional steps in-house to give the edges further heat treating, adjusting the hardness and ductility of the edges to make sure you get the most life out of your skis.
Laminates – We use our laminates to fine tune the flex profile of our skis. Fiberglass is the main laminate, coming in different weaves of Triaxial, Biaxial, and Uni-directional glass. Triaxial fiberglass, woven in a 0°, 45°, -45° fashion which provides maximum strength and resists against twisting. Biaxial glass comes in a 0 °, 90 ° or 45 °, -45 °; weaves which are more specific to either longitudinal or torsional strength. Uni-directional fiberglass helps tune in longitudinal flex. The fiberglass weaves come in different weights that further help perfect how the ski feels.
Although fiberglass is always a major factor, it is not the only element helping us give the ski life. Carbon fiber is used on several models where more pop and snap is desired. Carbon fiber is an expensive material but its value is compensated with extremely strong and lightweight properties.
Another laminate we like to use in many of our skis is Basalt fiber. Not only is the production of Basalt very clean, it is also much safer for employees to work with. Basalt has higher strength properties than fiberglass and it's dampening properties are unmatched.
Sidewall – Extruded UHMW (Ultra-High Molecular Weigh Polyethylene) is the sidewall material we use for every pair of skis. It is extremely light and durable. Meaning, it will not crack unlike the ABS or wood sidewalls.
Topsheet – We use four different types of topsheet materials, enhanced with graphics through sublimation, a non-toxic and eco-friendly alternative to silk screening. Topsheet choice is dependent on what level of durability and impact resistance is needed while maintaining crisp and bright graphics.
Resin – The epoxy resin system used in every pair of our skis was developed with the manufacturer to provide the best properties possible for skis. With added flexural properties, durability, and unmatched bonding strength our resin is what keeps everything together.
Our concerns, like any manufacturer, are the byproducts of what our factory produces that can create less than desirable effects on the environment. While a complete green solution for ski manufacturing is currently not feasible, we have been taking steps towards that direction.
The core has the highest volume of all the components that make up a ski. We only use fast growing, renewable wood from lumber mills in the USA that we have a personal relationship with. This insures the highest quality cut of wood and a promise of a forest for tomorrow. The sawdust that is produced in our factory is on a network of dust collectors away from the fiberglass and plastics. We bag this sawdust and donate it to a local group of ranchers, which allows their horses to have nice, clean beds to lie in.
One of the first things you will notice about a pair of our skis is the graphics. Our graphics are created from a sublimation process that uses water-based inks. These inks contain zero VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compound) making their footprint on the environment extremely light. Other companies in the industry tend to use high toxic silk screening solvents, which are hazardous for employees to work with and hard on the earth.
Another major composite layer of a ski is fiberglass. Here at Moment we have been working with alternative materials that are less toxic and healthier for our employees to work with. Basalt fiber is one of these materials we have tested and is currently replacing fiberglass layers in many of our skis.
Our factory and employees have to deal with the epoxy lay up every ski, by hand, here in Reno, NV. We use only low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) epoxy resin systems, which allows for a factory that is easier to work in and for our employees, to breathe in. Almost 100% of our epoxy is reactive, making sure its byproducts have minimal impact on our atmosphere.
Here at Moment we believe in products made in the USA. We also try to support businesses that share these same values. Over 75% of the materials in our skis were grown or manufactured in the USA. Beyond supporting our own country’s economy this means that, the products did not have to be shipped on large container vessels using massive amounts of petroleum to cross oceans. We know our product is not saving the world or completely harmless to the environment, but we want you to know we are doing our best and always looking for new options.
