SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. — Summit County High School teacher Tom Lutke is heading up a first year class where students learn how to make skis in the Colorado mountains.
"We are manufacturing our own fully custom skis and snowboards right here at the high school," Lutke said.
In the ski tech classroom, students like Lily D’Onofrio learn about the ski industry and about making skis.
"This is ski industry and business, also known as the coolest class that Summit High has to offer. We make skis," D’Onofrio said.
Students start with the design and then build the ski from there, coming up with everything from the shape to the way it looks and performs.
"The design of the ski, the shape of the ski, the size of the ski, the profile of the camber and rocker the graphics, everything is fully custom," said Lutke.
Some students create hand-drawn artwork to put on the skis, others use more intricate graphic designs. Students then have to come up with a marketing plan on how the ski will sell and who would buy it.
Student Christian Langley said those skills are important.
"I’m planning to go to college to learn business and then open my own ski shop where I can build my own skis," said Langley.
Once students have built their skis, their final exam is to take them to Arapahoe Basin ski area where the skis are tested on the snow.
Summit High is surrounded by five ski areas within 20 minutes of the school, so the ski industry has a big economic impact in the community. The machinery needed for the ski tech classroom was paid for with donations from The Summit Foundation.
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