STRAUBING, Germany – Founded in 1923, Völkl is one of few alpine ski companies, and one of the largest, that continues to make their skis in Germany. The company’s plant is based in Straubing, Bavaria, where they produce World Cup level skis for top athletes around the world. If you happen to find yourself in Bavaria between March and September, you can head to Straubing for a factory tour, so you can see the ski-building process with your own eyes. If you can’t make it, though, Völkl’s provided a step-by-step ski building video series for you to enjoy. Obviously this is just how they make their skis, and the process might differ depending on what company you’re looking at.
“In this video, we’ll show you how we use the screen printing process with heat to print on foil from both the top and bottom. You’ll see how the film is dried, then cut, checked, and partially embossed in a process called edge banding. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at how we make our products!“
“In the prefabrication process, we prepare surfaces by gluing, perforating, punching, and sealing. Outsoles are processed by cutting to length, milling, and gluing. Wood cores are individually milled, slotted, wound, and pre-assembled. Steel edges are blasted, sidewalls are glued, and plastic parts are treated with plasma equipment. This improves the adhesion of all parts in the ski.“
“Let’s take a look behind the scenes in the factory. In the gluing station, skis are manually assembled. From the base to the surface, they are resined and pressed under a special heating-cooling profile for 23 minutes at 8 bar air pressure, 110 degrees Celsius for heating, and 10 degrees Celsius for cooling. We have 16 epoxy presses with 4 compartments each, allowing us to glue 64 skis at once, with the capability to expand to 84 skis using 20 additional PU mold carriers.“
“In the grinding station, raw skis are processed by removing material protrusions. We mill the tips and ends, and trim the sides using a circular saw, milling, and belt grinding. Automated outsole machining spans 86 meters and includes belt grinding, edge resetting, and stone grinding with high-pressure flushing and optional structures. Side machining features milling of side cheeks, deburring of edges, tips, and ends. On the finishing line, we treat the lateral edges, set the correct edge angle, apply a fine structure, smooth the outsole, and defuse and polish the steel edges. Laser edge angle measurement ensures precision, edges are oiled, and protective films are removed.“
Völkl released two new all mountain freeride skis earlier this month, the M7 Mantra and the Secret 96. Both skis expand on their existing Mantra and Secret lines, with both costing $849.99. Of course, the company makes skis for all types of skiers. You can check out their full lineup here.
