Harvest Skis Puts Focus on Ingenuity, Quality and Authenticity
Eric Baker is well known throughout the Yampa Valley for his role as a musician for Little Moon Travelers and formerly for Buffalo Commons.
Fewer people know his passion for handcrafting one of the most important pieces of winter sports equipment – skis.
Baker’s pathway to launching Harvest Skis began in Mexico, when he watched a group of surfers make their own surfboards out of a conversion van on the beach. The Telluride-based group served as muses as they made and shaped their boards breakside.
Courtesy Photo/Eric Baker
“I thought that was really cool and I was really inspired by that,” said Baker. “I came back to Steamboat and decided that I wanted to make skis and snowboards. I started researching, found some information and got started.”
Baker then toured the facilities of small ski manufacturers around Colorado, learning the nuances of the industry and spending multiple days helping out while asking questions.
The next phase took place in Steamboat at Colorado Mountain Collect (CMC) in a class called Ski and Snowboard Product Design, which is part of the ski and snowboard business program. The class, which did not have a ski-making component, focused on creating a brand and marketing it.
“That is where Harvest was born,” said Baker.
As he worked through the class, he gathered the necessary materials and equipment to make his dream a reality.
In 2015, Baker won the class’s brand design contest. This led to him having to arrange for the manufacture of 30 pairs of skis for his fellow students. Rather than outsourcing the production, Baker decided to make them himself.
He finished his first pair of skis on January 1st, 2015.
“That basically kicked it all off,” he said. “It was kind of a big deal to have that happen in that program at [CMC]. For better or worse, it was really hard.”
Courtesy Photo/Eric Baker
Baker then spent four years expanding production and attending snow sports trade shows. As a “small fish in a huge pond”, he sought to grow Harvest Skis without falling prey to the industry trend of hard-driven advertising dollars and mass production. This resulted in a dedication to sustainability, quality and authenticity.
As a result, he has had only two warranty issues since 2015.
As business grew, Baker maintained a focus on skiing fresh, soft snow outside of resorts.
“I am going back to the roots of my ski journey,” said Baker. “I am going back to making things that I want to use, ski on and ride on. I am really interested in backcountry touring and really interested in fish-scale skis.”
Baker’s fish-scale skis are “cross-country adventure skis” which he designs to be “bigger, wider and surfier”. His personal quest to find fresh snow, and optimize the feeling of skiing it, has resulted in the hybridization of cross-country, alpine and telemark designs surrounding power and feel.
“The gear that was available [when I started] was not adequate for what I wanted to do,” explained Baker. “I wanted to make wider powder skis for touring without having to wear skins.”
Baker also makes all-mountain skis which do not feature a fish-scale design.
The finishing of a pair of skis, while being one of the more challenging aspects of the build, is also one of the most rewarding for Baker. After building a relationship with a client through the design process, the finished product results in a satisfaction within the reality of a tangible, custom product.
Baker compared making a custom pair of skis with the power of creating music.
“It feels really good to make music and have people connect with it and it feels really good to make skis and snowboards for people and connect with that too,” he said.
Courtesy Photo/Eric Baker
Baker takes joy in seeing people enjoy his skis and snowboards without them knowing he made them.
“In that anonymous role, I enjoy some of the true feedback I can get about the skis,” said Baker. “People are intrigued by the idea of having a pair of skis made for them by someone that they might be able to actually talk to and have a connection with.”
Presently, Baker makes skis and snowboards to order. A steady volume of sales has led to him updating his website. Since he works alone, the uptick in sales during the holiday season represents a crucial time of year with many customers purchasing a custom skis for a friend or a loved one.
As Harvest Skis progresses, he hopes to continue to meet the soft-snow needs of the skiers and riders of the Yampa Valley.
For more about Eric Baker and Harvest Skis, listen to Episode 5 of our Common Folk in the Boat podcast, presented by Billo Premium Cannabis.
In December, Steamboat Locals’ writer John Camponeschi will debut a four-part series spotlighting local, handmade, or sustainable gift options—offering creative ideas to impress your friends and family while supporting the community.
Read Part One: Seam of Life
Read Part Two: Hayden Hidden Treasures
This series of stories is proudly presented to you by Jon Wade and The Steamboat Group as a continuation of their commitment to “Keep Steamboat Special” by supporting people and organizations that promote a positive and ever-improving Steamboat lifestyle! You can also support their efforts simply by making a request on the Steamboat Locals Choice for Music. For every song request made in the month of December, The Steamboat Group will donate $2 to a local non-profit organization, up to $500 total!