by Leah Fielding

Heidi Blum, of heidiskis, not only knows how to turn a ski—she raced for the University of Colorado, was a ski instructor at Sun Valley, is certified by the Canadian Mountain Ski Guide Association as a heli tail guide, and has lived in the Alps for the past 20 years—but she also knows how to make a ski. To our knowledge and hers, she is the only woman in the world who can make a ski from start to finish.

Blum does all the developmental design and graphics for heidiskis—since starting the company in 2007 in Switzerland—as well as the heidiskis retail line of all-mountain and freeride skis. She also works closely with private clients to develop custom executive graphics within their range of ski shapes and sizes. This woman can do it all, including being a mom! Keep on JUMPING Heidi!

As a women in the traditionally male-dominated industry of ski-making, especially in the Swiss Alps, have you experienced any criticism?
I always wondered what the older hierarchy of ski makers think, "This American woman probably can't even ski." I enjoy the process of discussion with the traditional manufacturers and buyers when they finally realize I not only understand the process, but  also have a lot of industry experience.

What motivated you to start your own custom handmade ski company?
Having worked in the industry for many years in and testing for a variety of ski manufacturers, I have always been very passionate about skiing and all mountain sports. I was presented with the opportunity and had the idea of developing my own line.  I felt I could create a really high performance ski that was fun for many levels of skiers- offering a skiing experience that would make you fall in love with skiing again. My biggest satisfaction is to have a client get down the mountain with a huge smile , look at me and tell me "that was SO MUCH FUN!"

What is the process like, while working with a client to develop a custom ski?
I enjoy the creative process working with individuals to achieve a result they feel will represent their company and executive needs in a personalized exclusive way.

What is the process to develop the retail line?
You have to find what kind of ski you want, we wanted an all-mountain and a freeride model We also are developing a powder line. All-mountain fits a very broad spectrum of skiers. After my own many years of ski experience and feedback of our 50 ambassadors, we made the necessary production evolution to achieve a ski we felt was truly performant.  A good example was our first 171- now a 172. I loved the 171 but many of us felt it would benefit from a  shorter turning radius, so we created and tested several new prototypes of this one skis to find a better evolution of our favorite model.. I've been in this (industry) long enough, but until you actually ski on it, you don't know.After many sessions of testing and subsequent modifications, we finally achieved what we wanted. After finding the desired dimensions, we tested 6-8 different construction combinations with our wood core, fiber and titanal until we achieved the result we wanted.

What was your favorite custom graphic you've worked on?
I had someone that wanted Jabba the Hut, the Matterhorn and a Pilates. It was really cool and fun. Working on custom designs for executive orders can be very time consuming but it is really rewarding. Clients are really excited to have an individualized exclusive and quality ski they helped create. It's a great ski. I wouldn't do it if wasn't a fantastic product! 

How many skis did you design this year?
We produced 500 limited edition stamped skis this year and a number of custom orders for executive needs.

Where can someone demo the retail skis?
Please check our website www.heidiskis.com for our retailers..We are currently in Verbier, Gstaad, Zermatt, Corcheval, Chamonix, Aspen, Beaver Creek, Vail, Sun Valley, and Whistler.

Favorite quote?
"The grass is greenest when you water it." That applies to most things in life.