Move over, Charles Darwin, Steve Denkers has his own theory of evolution.
No, Denkers doesn't claim we all have a monkey's uncle in our family tree. His theory is that skilled humans can make better skis than factory robots, and since 1985 he's been trying to prove it.That's when Denkers founded Evolution Ski Co. in Salt Lake City, a small manufacturer of hand-made skis in the heart of The Greatest Snow on Earth.
Nine years later, he expects to gross $850,000 in 1994 from sales to 80 dealers worldwide and a retail store the company operates downtown.
Maybe he should have named the company "De-Evolution," he quips. It might more accurately describe his "small is good" business philosophy - the antithesis of industry giants Rossignol, Head and K2, among others.
Like Burger King, Denkers wants you to have it your way.
Want to see a whale breaching across your new "fat" skis? Evolution's factory artist Shannon Ison will make it happen. Want to gaze at your grandchildren as you glide through the powder? One grandma did and her wish was fulfilled at Evolution.
Coyotes, fly fishermen, corporate logos, mountain bikers . . . Evolution can turn your new skis into a work of art.
True, most of the skis turned out at Evolution's factory at 790 W. 1700 South - models such as Ruby Mountain, Diamond, Mountain Cruise and its new Wide Glide "superfats" - come with no custom graphics. Standing out on the hill can add hundreds of dollars to an already pricey sport.
But custom skis are a market niche that separates Evolution from the pack and have made a small, start-up company into a recognized player nationally and internationally.
Denkers is one of those "overnight success" people who has spent life preparing for it. A Utah native, he worked in the ski industry during his years at Ogden High School and made contacts that would serve him well later on. He spent three years at the University of Colorado and then came back home to the University of Utah where he graduated in outdoor recreation and resource management.
His degree got him a job with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, but he soon decided he wasn't cut out for the bureaucratic life. His big break came when he heard that some ski-making equipment was for sale in Sun Valley. He called Mike Brunetto, owner of Sun Valley-based Wolf Ski Co., and has never looked back.
Not long after that, Evolution Ski Co. opened a half-block from its current location. The company was not an instant success, struggling through the "low snow" years from 1985-89. In 1989, Denkers bought out his two partners in the business and became sole owner.
But it wasn't all bad news during those early years. During that period the company developed a European and Japanese following. It also gave Denkers time to work on enhancing product quality and develop the custom graphics that sets Evolution apart today.
But Denkers bridles at the suggestion that Evolution only makes pricey skis for wealthy dilettantes.
"Most of our skis are in the $500-$600 range," he said. "That used to be ultra high end, but now I'd say we are middle to high. You can spend $300 on bindings and $500 on a pair of boots today - but then you can spend $3,000 or more on a mountain bike, too."
Alpine skiing is described as "mature" - meaning it's not growing anymore. In 1985, close to 1.8 million pairs of skis were sold in the United States. Last year that figure was only 700,000.
Nevertheless, Evolution has doubled its season-to-season sales. Denkers sold 1,500 pairs last season and is on track to sell 3,500 to 4,000 this season. The company's employment has doubled as well. Evolution has employed 11 people "virtually forever," said Denkers, but went to 25 over the past six months.
Why has alpine skiing gone downhill over the past decade? Denkers cites everything from the growth in cruise-ship vacationing to the competition from golf courses located in warmer climes.
On the other hand, telemark skiing is growing 14-15 percent and snowboarding at a 50-80 percent rate.
Evolution has been in the telemark or back-country business since the beginning but has so far stayed away from snowboards and the quarter-million dollar investment it would require to begin making them. If he could find a good deal on the equipment for making snowboards - say a snowboard company goes out of business - Denkers said he might make the leap into that market.
In the meantime, the so-called "superfat" skis have created a lot of new interest among alpine skiers. People who may not have bought a new pair of skis in years are lining up for their first pair of "widebodies."
First introduced in 1991 by ski manufacturer Atomic for use in helicopter skiing, Denkers says the 5-inch-wide skis have revolutionized downhill skiing in the back country because of their ability to float on loose powder and broken "crud" snow.
In a joint venture with Brunetto of Wolf Skis, Denkers developed the Wide Glide, which has quickly become the major part of Evolution's business.
"I will build 2,000 pair of Wide Glides this season, and if I could make more I could sell them - we're running out of materials," said Denkers.
"They wouldn't have let you on the mountain with these things a few years ago," says Denkers of the ungainly looking skis. "But they have changed my business forever."
Eventually, he believes, Evolution will manufacture nothing but Wide Glides.
"I don't want to be a huge ski company, I want to stay small and do the custom work. My maximum volume will be 5,000 to 10,000 pair per year."
Denkers says fat skis have taken off because people get bored with skiing carefully groomed slopes and want the thrills that come with leaving them for the hills and trails and slopes.
"We've already lost the younger kids to snowboarding, but older people want a challenge, too. They get excited about being able to ski off the beaten track."
Denkers said he initially had to talk people into trying his wide skis. Then they would return and tell him they had the best day of skiing in their lives without becoming exhausted - the usual drawback to skiing broken and powder snow.
"I call Wide Glides our all-terrain vehicle. Short of man-made snow, they will ski anything."