The Edelwiser ski company is interesting in that they essentially provide a customized graphic line of skis via the Internet.  You can download graphic templates for each model, create any design you can think of, then upload the files to Edelwiser where they will produce you skis with your design and color scheme in as little as two hours shop time.  Rumor has it they can deliver a pair of customized skis from Austria to the US in 5 days.

They have won several awards for mass customization and marketing.  You can get points for each pair of skis you get your freinds to buy, while they get  a discount when they use you for a reference (the old "turn your freind in for your own discount" routine).  They get money off, you get credits toward your next pair...you get the idea.

Check out their corporate branding examples and work by many artists.

http://www.edelwiser.com/de/skis/business_editions/kunden/

http://www.edelwiser.com/de/skis/design/predesign/

Very cool company with great ideas and impressive skis!

Edelwiser:
Swing 2007-2008

125-80-114 12.1m radius @ 162cm

[click here for large pic]

Manufacturer Info:

Edelwiser Sporthandel GmbH
Julius Tandler Platz 6/4
1090 Vienna/Austria
http://www.Edelwiser.com

Edelwiser USA
P.O. Box 4261
Aspen, CO. 81611
Contact: Max Werdenigg  
Email:  max@edelwiser.com 
(970) 987-8555
http://www.Edelwiser.com

Suggested Retail Price (MSRP):

$750 usd (Greenhorn)
$700 usd (Newbie)
$650 usd (Member)

Custom grahics services @ $110 /hour
OR
Upload your own graphics  !
(Illustrator or EPS template downloads you can modify)

See custom graphics examples (corporate branding)

Usage Class:

Intermediate to advanced predominantly on-piste

Your Rating (with comments): (1="get me off these things"->10="I have to own a pair")

9 - A really, really easy-to-carve, versatile fronside ski that hooks up nicely along its extremely large sweet-spot and can give any level skier great feedback underfoot. Surprising grip on hard surfaces for such an easy-skiing ski. Highly recommended for its intended audience.  Not a race ski or suitable for muscle-skiers who will overpower it. 

Summary:

This model is consistently a top-ranked carving ski by the folks over at http://www.carving-ski.de , and I now I can see why.  I would hesitate to put a 250 lb person on this ski since their sheer weight may overpower the ski. They may be better suited to the "Speed" model (to be tested soon!).  The large shovel may be a hindrence in tight bumps, but then again, this is not a bump ski.  Excellent all-mountain ski.  I got feedback from two people (one Instructor and one twin-tip teenager) who both said "Hey...these skis are FUN." They both felt immediately at home on the ski.  That says something about the design.  This ski is not an "extreme carver", but more of a recreational carver capable of great turns with very little effort in many kinds of snow.  Probably an excellent "everyone" ski due to its very low footpressure requirement, and very responsive nature.  It reminded me a little of the Palmer P02 carving ski, but more forgiving in deeper or more variable snow conditions, and less "race turn" oriented...more "happy cruising" than "crank-it over" (if that makes any sense to you).  Despite what I just said, this ski can lay down serious trenches in the groomed surfaces if you want. Far more agile and capable of extreme angles than you would imagine.  Very interesting. I can't wait to try the "Speed" model.

Special note about Edelwiser and Custom Graphics Services:

Edelwiser is one of the more innovative marketing companies in the ski industry.  They have developed an "on-demand" ski manufacturing process where you can submit your graphic files via Internet to create your own "brand" of ski.  You can get your own single pair customized with your own design or several pairs with your corporate, shop or group branding (special pricing for 3+ pairs) to look like no other skis out there.  The Edelwiser brand name is nearly hidden in a tiny little logo box no one will really see. Your ski school, company, association, hotel, ski shop, ski club or poker buddies could get their own fleet of custom-topsheet Edelwiser skis.  Edelwiser pushes Business-To-Business marketing via branding of skis and offers a reward program for people who get their friends to buy skis...

Ski Designer:

Original design: Reinhard Fischer (SnowRiders), refined by Nicola Werdenigg (former worldcup and olympic downhill racer) and Erwin Werdenigg at Edelwiser (company started in 2004)
Core ski design is licensed and manufactured by Edelwiser using its "on-demand" customization factory technology and material specifications.

Technical Ski Data:

Ash wood core (riverbank species stored for 1 year, then vacuum dried to 6-8% moisture content), fiberglass & titanal sandwich with "racing base".

Pre-Skiing Impression:

A soft-flexing ski with "extended shovel" sidecut geometry having a broad and gradual forebody, narrow waist and wide heel. Nicely damp, not much snap to it but definitely responsive.  More "civilized control" than "rowdy rebound." Nice finish work on the base, edges and laminations. Topsheet graphic layer is matte (non glossy) and appears durable and easy to keep in good condition.  Good base grind pattern and tuning (this pair was virgin out of the box).  Definitely different geometry than most mid-level carvers out there.  Not your typical "Austrian" race-bred design or flex pattern.

Note:  This demo pair had "Skiquita" graphics (see pics) designed by the Edelwiser people for their introduction into North America.  Let's just say they are "playful" and a color you normally don't see on skis (anymore) !  Cool thing is....it gets you thinking about what you would do for your own graphics.

Test Conditions:

First test day:  Re-groomered, reprocessed old ice storm junk ground into a few centimeters of "Frozen Granular" (loose and packed) on top of yellow hardpan with sections of some death cookies and death cookie crumbs mixed in. Some really nice dense corn in the sun, deadly pock-marked rotten snow ice fields off piste (you could bounce a bowling ball across it).  Not bad, but not packed-powder either....good test for a ski's "friendly behavior" tendencies and carving prowess across different materials.

Analogies: (this ski is like...)

This ski is like an old freind you are always comfortable to be with who makes instant new friends on first impression. Easy to handle no matter what the situation, reliable and requires no effort to coax into having lots of fun...sometimes more extremely than you had planned. Playful and always smiling, but not willing to go into bar fights with race-pace muscle heads.  Despite giving the impression as a "softie", this ski can lay down some serious angular gymnastics on the groomed slopes that will surprise you....kind of like seeing your old friend do a back flip, or drive a sports car really, really well through some tight corners....("I didn't know you could do THAT!...let's do it again...")

After Skiing These, I Want To...

Get some intermediates skiers off their older-model skis and watch them ride these and quickly discover smooth carving with half the effort.  Then tell them they can have their dog's photos on the topsheets if they want.

Self-Description of Skiing Style, Ability, Experience, Preferences (be honest):
 
5' 11", 190 lbs. Expert groomed-surface carver, "old-style" race inspired, "foot steerer" with fairly sensitive edging feel. Loves to hold long arcs with lots of pressure on the downhill ski (you know the type),  but also loves the feel of both skis on-edge leaving tiny railroad track edge tracks. Not an instructor, but 10 year coach for youth race team in New England (bulletproof is the norm).

More reviews from some more days on snow to come in later posts...stay tuned...

More pics:

[click here for large pic]

[click here for large pic]

Edelwiser:
Swing 2007-2008

125-80-114 12.1m radius @ 162cm

I skied with these Swing skis... what a joy to ride.  They carve easily into both long and short radius turns.  I did not have to muscle these skis.  On the contrary, they followed my every command with grace and ease.  The slightest initiation of a turn, and they responded. I found the sweet spot during my first run, reaching a fine balanced stance that enabled me to edge the icy spots, without hesitation.  The conquered the crud conditions easily as well.  A truly enjoyable experience.  I highly recommend these skis.

2/28/2008  The conditions couldn't have been better to test ride these skis today.  I enjoy the way they turn on a dime, quick and adgel to my every command.  The large sloop enhances the ease of turning.  I skied cruising slopes and moguls alike... with ease.  I especially like the quick response of these skis... but if you like speed, thess skis will please you also.  This a great all mountain ski, versitile in icy conditions, crud, and packed powder conditions.... delightful in a variety of terrain and conditions.  This ski is definitely a crowd pleaser.  Sure to be my next pair of skis.  I loved them, so will you.

This ski is a very fun and easy-to-engage cordouroy carver. It really shines with just a bit of packed powder to dig into and makes serious arcs that are simple to link with a nice flow.  The Swing is definitely a "forebody" ski with its elongated shovel toward the waist and has a huge sweet spot where performance is always available, no matter if you're forward or centered.  I found stretches of 3-4 iinch powder and this ski was just silky. 

Found some bumps and realized the Edelwiser Swing is perfectly happy bumping along.  Very well behaved.  It will inspire confidence in the novice or intermediate carver and keep an expert happy too (as long as you don't try to push it really hard).

I did find this ski has a speed limit (like any intermediate ski) and it began to wash away on the hardest surfaces if you tried to run them at "race pace."  This is OK since it behaved very smoothly and did not "let go" at high speeds...merely wanted to smear its turns controllably and drift off-line at warp 9.  It has very secure grip on firm surfaces until you exceed its designed speed envelope. I really liked the way the Swing links its turns and required very little effort.   Very forgiving and just plain fun.  I would consider this ski not only for novice to intermediate carvers looking to improve their ride, but advanced to expert skiers might like it after coming off an injury when they're not quite ready for their hard-core carving skis or not quite ready to wrestle their big-mountain skis yet.>

Nice work and a fun design.  Now I want to design my own graphics for a pair!

 I finally got out on these today on beautiful packed powder conditions after a week of devasting warmth and rain. Amazing how the Swing skis! It appears to have a lot of tip or a high taper angle. This design makes it very easy to get it in to the turn. I found it very predictable and comfortable on all types of steepness today but it definitely has a top end. If you were really gunning it on steeper slopes..(OK, it was OL at Killington in just about the best shape its been in in a while) it wanted to over turn and wash out at the end of the turn. This the nature of any ski with a high taper angle, so don't hold it against it!  However if your skiing it at moderate speeds it was a true carver that just cruised along and made the most effortless turns, so smooth  my quads were not firing and I was grinning ear to ear. Words to describe are quiet, smooth, predictable, effortless...and Oh yea, ..really FUN! On more moderate slopes, it did everything,smoothly and comfortably, no matter the speed. This is truly a ski for the accomplished skier who may not want to push it all the time and make wonderful linked turns top to bottom on the groomers. truly enjoyable. Hero skis for groomers. You could go 8-4 on these and still have some strength at the end of the day!

These folks have done an awesome job of making a ski for the majority of skilled skiers.        

Good morning America!

I have been skiing my Swing (06/07) for appx 50 days now. My decision changing from my former Nordica SL´s was maily based on the wish to get a multi purpose tool for every day skiing for all possible conditions mainly on groomed slopes but also for some powder days and ski-routes off the slopes. Second issue was to improve my carving skills and trying to get rid off conservative Austrian skischool technique.

Aged 41 I have been skiing now for 37 years in average 20-30 days a year and I would describe my skiing skills as very much solid. Very good but still improvable carving technique influenced by "old-style" techique. Its quite hard for me to open up my legs while carving. I am skiing fast but not pushing to the speed limits which is anyhow most of the times impossible due to traffic on the slopes.

The decision going for a Edelwiser Swing was  perfect.  Its  an easy to handle  carver not comparable with a SL with similar radius. I needed to modify my technique a little to get full response by my Swing which is a certain question of timing. You need to let the ski turn by itself. You need to be a little more patient compared to other short turn skis before the Swing soaks into the turns. If you get the right feeling for the timings the Swings develops a great dynamic in short as well as wider turns. Do not get confused by the radius of 12m. Its also great in mid and wider carves. As described for real high speed carving the "Speed" might be the better choice but you will loose a little of light fun handling compared to the Swing. Best conditions for the Swing are clearly soft snow conditions which I love and "not-perfect" slope conditions where the ski pulls throught with ease.

Referring to the comment the Swing would be a ski for intermediates skiiers: I would recommend the Swing especially for "non-race-style" advanced and expert skiers who want to go for a serious all-mountain carver covering more or less all needs of every day skiing. Due to the easy handling and autocontrol of the ski you also will see that your competitiveness compared to race-style carvers on  semi-race equipment will be astonishing even at the end of the day. You will be able to stand at the bar the others will need to have a seat.

Best regards over the pond

Christoph-Wien

P.S: Looking forward to your "Speed" test

I totally agree with Christoph !  The Swing can produce superb carved turns in nearly any radius...it is not limited to its "engineered radius" and makes any turn shape very, very easily.  I also agree the Swing is a very fun choice for experts who want all-mountain terrain capabilities.  Christoph has a very good word "autocontrol"...it describes the Swing turn behavior perfectly!  As Tom F. said in his review...this ski is definitely an "8-4" ski you can ride all day while people on other skis with the same turning ability have to stop and rest!  I also agree with Christoph's comment that while this ski is a 12m radius, it is NOT an SL carver...completely different and WAY easier...Great ski design.  Thanks Christoph!

Good morning!

I also would like to point out that the ski works so smooth without a plate. I got a Rossignol Axial2 binding on my Swing and I do not miss any plate construction. My original thought and question to Edelwiser was if I should put plates on. By a misunderstanding (!) the Rossi was put on (in a shop/not Edelwiser) without a plate and the more I skied the more I understood that I would not need it on my skies. It seems that the flex is not influenced at all.

Interesting that you did not comment the question binding and plate. Is this sofisticated question a  special European (Austrian) problem driven by the high input of racingmaterial seen on TV?

Best regards Christoph

Some other reviews can be found at EpicSki.com:

http://forums.epicski.com/showthread.php?p=854274#post854274

Whats about the Edelwiser Speed review? Or should I start with it. Had the possibility last week to ride a Speed.........

Best regards Christoph