Zingerman’s Artwork on Special Skis and Snowboards

A cool artisan collab to add a bit of Zing to the slopes

Here’s a mind-blowing gift that will bring years of pleasure to whichever lucky powder lover is lucky enough to get them! For someone who loves both skiing and Zingerman’s—and I know from conversation there are a fair number of you—these custom-done-with-Zingerman’s-art-by-the-amazing-Ian-Nagy skis and snowboards from Gilson Snow will make a gift that will be remembered forever! As many of you know, I do love a good Zingerman’s t-shirt, but that’s nothing compared to showing up on the slopes with a pair of supercool Zingerman’s skis, or maybe better still, a snowboard!

How did all this come to be? A couple years ago, we got an email, out of the blue, from a company I’d never heard of. They said they were interested in collaborating with us. Not shockingly, we get lots of inquiries like this these days. Most go nowhere. This one was about doing a Zingerman’s snowboard. I was skeptical. Seriously? Over six months of study and conversation, my inner eye rolls turned into enthusiasm. And some pretty darned cool Zingerman’s snowboards and skis you can buy online right now.

The poet Delmore Schwartz once said, “I am a book I neither wrote nor read.” In a fun way, that seems to apply here: I know nothing about either skis or snowboards, I’ve never made one nor gotten onto one. In fact, it’s far more likely that I’ll put together a catering order displayed on a snowboard than fly down a slope on one. Still, one of the sections of our 2032 Vision begins with the line “Start with yes!” In the spirit of living out that vision as we wrote it, we engaged in conversation about the collaboration idea. What began with skepticism is now a really cool set of custom-made Zingerman’s skis and a beautiful snowboard. ‘Thanks to everyone at Gilson for handcrafting high-quality skis and boards, and to Ian Nagy for his always amazing illustrations!

This is not, to be clear, just sticking the Zingerman’s name onto a standard-issue, mass-market snowboard. Like pretty much all of the brands we work with, Gilson Snow is all about creative, caring, artisan application of craft skill and passion. They are not some sort of high-finance startup. Quite the contrary—it’s a project they got going out of passion for the product, not by believing that they had some sort of secret way to make big bucks. Nick Gilson was a high school science teacher who assigned the idea of making these to one of his classes for a semester-long team project. No one knew at the time that it would end up becoming a real-world business. It’s pretty darned down to earth—during their first year in business, the Gilson Snow crew lived in a cabin with no running water!

The crew at Gilson brings high-tech and handmade traditions together to make the boards and skis. Most snowboards and skis start as American lumber sent all the way to Asia. They are produced en masse there and then shipped back to the U.S. to be sold in giant stores. Gilson is the opposite—small, local, and handmade. Their workshop is located in the Central Pennsylvania town of Selinsgrove (population a bit shy of 6,000 people) on the Susquehanna River, in the foothills of the Appalachians. There, they work with Pennsylvania poplar, which, as they describe it, is “the lightest and lowest density hardwood out there; it grows fast and can be sustainably harvested. It couldn’t be more local.”

They also have a series of design innovations that are over my head, but apparently make for some very special snowboarding and skiing! You can watch the inspiring Gilson origin story, told by founder Nick Gilson, here, and you can see and feel Nick’s passion regularly on Gilson’s Instagram. The website Old Guys Rip Too also raved about both Nick Gilson and the Gilson boards:

[Nick] is in this for the right reasons: he’s passionate and loves what he does—something we respect. … He truly stands behind his product because it is his life, and you can feel that when he talks about Gilson. … The boards are beautifully made, with tasteful topsheets, and the 3D base, soft edge, and pow channel technology delivered in person. It truly was a sight to see.

In their 12th year in business, Gilson has become the premier source for custom-made skis and snowboards. If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for someone who loves snowboarding or skiing, or if you ski or snowboard yourself and want an artisan product that will set you apart in the best possible way, check these out! And, I’ll add, the people I know who’ve bought them are really happy with their purchase. They all say that no matter where they go skiing, they seem to get tons of great comments on the slopes. The artwork by Ian Nagy is, as always, beautiful and immediately recognizable!

Slalom with skis

Shred with a snowboard