At first I did not think I found the magical utility of any product or service. Then I thought about Evi Ski – there is something magical to it.
Endre Hals is an industrial designer. From his barn in mid-Norway he is making skis from scratch, with his main focus being on the materials, particularly the core of wood. The only thing which cannot be replaced by anything else.
Evi Ski is the name of the company and he is producing around 300 skis annually, only upon request from customers.
So, the skis that are hand-made are made to serve your type of skiing down to the very detail. What is your height and weight? You prefer powder or packed snow, freeride or freestyle, playful or fast, lift or touring – or maybe something in-between? It is a ski for the skier that knows what he/she wants – a ski tailored to the skier’s exact requirements.
Protecting the local environment is strictly embedded in the products, production process, use of materials, repairs and alterations to older skis, disposal of materials and that he only takes request from the local market – trying to reduce the eco-footprint.
The users are people with a similar mind set, mostly from his local community. Users interested in consistency. Buying and owning a ski that can last for decades, forever in some cases. A ski where damages can be repaired, alterations can be made. A ski with a certain personality, design and function.
…and a ski where a certain formula of how the core of wood should be shaped (spoiler alert):
So when is it a fit? When you live in Evi Ski’s local area. If you are a skier. If you like sticking to limited amount of skis. If you are passionate about reducing your eco-footprint. And, when is it a mismatch? A mismatch occur when orders are >300 skis per year or when an international skier would like to order a pair of skis.
All in all, the skis at Evi Ski is really doing exactly what it is intended to do – giving you a hand-made ski, tailored for YOU – that are lucky enough to live in his local area – with focus on minimizing the eco-footprint.
I think I find the magical utility in a product personally shaped by the company, only available for a limited amount of people – the niche customers.
Once a company cannot longer identify itself with its original users, they may want to revisit their why and if they are still in line with their original vision. This is something that I think can be useful particularly for companies increasing in size. Or companies being subject for changing worldviews because of e.g. a new generation. When things are more streamlined and the focus shifts to the masses/mainstream customers and perhaps not its original/niche customers – there might be a possibility that they want to re-evaluate their why.
There is something profoundly beautiful when someone is deliberately limiting himself to his niche customers only because of what he believes in.