Business
Grizzly Outfitters turns to a robot for the perfect tune
Published
5 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Amy Wiezalis EBS Contributor
The founders of Big Sky’s Grizzly Outfitters Ski & Backcountry Sports, Ken Lancey and Andrew Schreiner, have been immersed in the outdoor industry for well over 25 years. They constantly seek out the best that the industry has to offer with the goal of optimizing customer experience. Their scientific approach to helping the best gear perform even better is downright academic. Enter the Crystal Rock.
In their quest to offer a more perfect tune, they recently purchased a Crystal Rock fully automated tuning robot from Montana of Switzerland. It is the first machine of its kind in North America, and a team of four representatives from the company traveled to Big Sky to oversee installation.
Schreiner and Lancey chose the Crystal Rock based on its unique components that offer consistent, precise tunes. The machine’s computer divides the ski or board into 10 distinct zones, offering infinite combinations catering to the style and skill level of each customer. It works efficiently, reducing human error and minimizing employee exposure to fumes and particulate. The Crystal Rock also enables Grizzly employees to create a highly customized tune catering to a particular skier or snowboarder.
“I can take a ski racer, park rider, Nordic skier, a child, whoever—then vary the grind and bevels to make their ski or board do whatever they need it to do,” Schreiner said.
Schreiner explained that the overall feel of your ride comes down to the base: “You want a flat surface with a perfectly centered structure.” If your skis or board are feeling “grabby” or “squirrely,” chances are the base is fundamentally uneven. Tune techs slide a precisely flat “true bar” along the bottom to reveal discontinuities.
If the surface is convex, it results in a wiggly feel and will be more difficult to engage the edges. More commonly, the surface will be concave or “railed.” Railed skis feel grabby and resist turning. A stone grind is required to remedy both of these problems.
Base structure is the pattern of grooves running through your base material. As you slide, friction melts the snow into a thin layer of water. “Structure is crucial to properly move water, decrease friction, and improve glide,” Schreiner said. A proper base grind can make your old sticks feel magical again. Even if the powder is bottomless, you’ll still want to channel snow crystals in the right way.
The Montana Crystal Rock utilizes a unique pneumatic system to pick up the ski or board and precisely adjust the pressure applied as it works. The technology also ensures the ski will move through the machine without getting knocked askew, resulting in an off-center grind or uneven tune.
Today, ski and snowboard profiles incorporate several configurations of camber and rocker. Traditional tuning machines force the ski flat during the tune. Montana’s pneumatic suction mechanism suspends the ski or board from above, applying variable pressure in harmony with the normal contour of the ski or board. This calculated base grinding reserves base material and extends the life of your skis or board.
Everyone is looking for a responsive edge that won’t catch too aggressively and cause a fall. Again, this depends on individual style and terrain choice. A World Cup racer will require different edges than a park skier, but both will be floored by the tuning technology exclusive to Montana of Switzerland.
Montana’s GRIPtech is the only tuning system that grinds the side edge in a vertical direction. This creates a consistent angle along more of the edge than a traditional horizontal ceramic wheel can achieve. And Grizzly’s Crystal Rock is the only machine in North America that features Montana’s HTT system to angle and polish the base side of your edges. During their radial tuning process, certain areas are tuned more aggressively than others. The bevel angle is varied throughout the length of the ski in a precise way to maximize safety and performance. The HTT system also finishes edges with no burrs.
Grizzly continues to use Wintersteiger’s Wax Future machine with infrared radiation that helps the wax thoroughly penetrate your snowboard, alpine or Nordic skis.
Tuning robots like the Crystal Rock offer speedy tuning with unparalleled precision, and these robots have elevated tuning possibilities to match the design innovations of the ski and snowboard industry. However, each tune at Grizzly Outfitters is still finished the old-fashioned way, by hand.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Thursday) 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm