COMMENCAL NEWS How-to-Develop-a-Ski-and-Snowboard

How We Developed Our Own Skis & Snowboards

In 2017 COMMENCAL launched into the world of skis.

Madness? Or just logical progression?

It’s impossible to say without knowing the reasons which motivated our decisions and especially how the project has been integrated within the brand.

To start, a little history/geography lesson. In the 90s when the Sunn brand was booming, Max Commencal decided he wanted to make a limited series of skis. It was for fun and especially because he was living at the foot of the Pyrenees and for him it was natural. The establishment of COMMENCAL in Andorra, in the middle of the mountain resort of Vallnord, would also justify his choice to eventually make skis.

But our global HQ is not the only one of our offices to be perfectly placed. COMMENCAL USA is on Route 70 in the US, this route crosses almost all the most beautiful American resorts. COMMENCAL CANADA is in Squamish, BC with the Sea to Sky Highway of happiness for any skier. And it’s the same for all our offices, they're never very far from a mountain and some snow.

Back to 2017 and we launched our first skis in collaboration with FACTION. We had 2 models available in 3 sizes, the project had begun!

But it's not in the brand's DNA to rely on others. We like to make our own products. With our choices, desires and passions within.

This is how we started developing our own skis in winter 2018. In our own moulds, our presses, our shapes, our technical choices and our raw material. The choice of the factory fell to Meditec - 25 years of experience in the construction of skis and snowboards.

Deciding to make skis is very easy but knowing how to do everything and especially making the right choices is much more complicated.

Let's talk about the first choice. If you had to define the COMMENCAL DNA in a single ski model, what would it be?
For us it was obvious, we created a backcountry ski. A ski with excellent lift and float in powder with good behaviour on-piste and lively qualities.
However, more than all of these choices, the materials matter.

We wanted to offer a ski in the same sense as our bikes, efficient and reliable. The choice of a full wood core was obvious, no reason to integrate carbon in a core when our bikes don't need it. Another essential element in the make up of a good pair of skis, the base. Not having a strong base and a good finish is a bit like driving a Porsche with the plastic tyres, it ruins everything.

These choices result in a soft and fluid feel on the snow that provides the skier with comfort, building confidence from the first turns.

Ultimately, the choice of materials is important but the soul of a ski lies in its shape and flex.

The combination of shape and flex is not an absolute science. In theory, we know how to a make good shape combination but we also know that more or less, 5mm of rocker can ruin everything.

After a lot of testing the CLASH was born!

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CLASH Skis 2021

For this new season we have refined the CLASH and proudly expanded the range with a CLASH Kids model and a CLASH Snowboard.

First of all, the developments. The CLASH 2021 skis benefit from a new rocker profile which improves snow contact in hard snow conditions.

The result is a real step forward in handling on-piste with more support and an ability to better carve up your turns, all the while keeping its easiness in powder.

This new CLASH is a versatile and fun beast!
Available in 170/176/182/188

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	170	176	182	188
Tip Width	130 mm	137 mm	139 mm	141 mm
Waist Width	99 mm	104 mm	106 mm	108 mm
Tail Width	116 mm	122 mm	125 mm	127 mm
Radius	19 m	20 m	20 m	20 m
Rocker Tip	355x9 mm	370x10 mm	380x10 mm	380x10 mm
Rocker Tail	280x8 mm	290x8 mm	300x8 mm	300x8 mm
Tip Height	65 mm	70 mm	70 mm	70 mm
Tail Height	33 mm	35 mm	35 mm	35 mm
Camber	5 mm	5 mm	5 mm	5 mm

CLASH Kids

Available in 137/147/157 and with the same spirit of quality skiing. No skimping on construction.

We wanted a more versatile ski in terms of positioning because kids clearly don't have the same intentions as most adults. You will rarely hear a kid say, "With the snow today I need 3mm more underfoot..."

We therefore thought a more centred position was appropriate, more twin-tip but still bringing performance in all snow conditions. It's the same in mountain biking, the kids ride without a the fuss.

We are lucky to have the chance to live in the middle of mountains with ski lifts and some with very varied terrain. We have the slopes of the FWT in Ordino but we’re also close to the gates of the Snowpark in Arinsal. Forest runs in Pal, Henrik Harlaut's mini nocturne park and many other spots!

The other chance is for the kids who do everything - mountain biking, slalom, park. It was ultimately by spending time with them that we designed a ski for their daily life.

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	137	147	157
Tip Width	113 mm	117 mm	122 mm
Waist Width	85 mm	87 mm	88 mm
Tail Width	109 mm	115 mm	119 mm
Radius	11 m	11 m	12 m
Rocker Tip	270 mm	290 mm	310 mm
Rocker Tail	220 mm	236 mm	252 mm
Tip Height	65 mm	70 mm	70 mm
Tail Height	33 mm	35 mm	35 mm
Camber	2 mm	2 mm	2 mm

CLASH Snowboard

The other big news of this season!
Why snowboards?

We are established in Colorado in the US, BC in Canada, Santiago in Chile, Christchurch in New Zealand… In the heart of the most beautiful mountains in the world.

Almost all COMMENCAL employees participate in winter sports, including Max. Some ski, others snowboard and some also ski-tour.

We have this mountain culture, one of fun in the mountains, how you get involved doesn’t really matter.

Many of our riders also do well on snow...

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

All of the snowboard clips that none of you asked for 🥶

Une publication partagée par DJ Brandt (@djshreda) le 12 Déc. 2019 à 2 :26 PST

The CLASH is a FS Backcountry model. A real all-purpose tool with width underfoot for carving, a pintail and a long progressive nose for floating in deeper snow, as well as a dual radius to provide liveliness and lots of grip.

Faithful to our original ideas, we've paid particular attention to the materials. We have a Poplar/Beech core for lightness and resistance and above all, the perfect glide thanks to a high density stone finish base.

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