Lock Down Life

As the crown shaped bug’s grip proliferated across the world I could see that the Lonely Mountain Skis project stood in jeopardy. The ski season lay in tatters as did many of the symbiotic business relationships that rely on it. Even more frustrating was the quality of the local touring that could be seen from the nearby hills but not reached due to restrictions! With no end to the disruption in sight, an exit plan was considered. Fortunately financial aid from the government formed a buffer from the virus disruption.

Although being a bootstrapped micro ski maker with little financial protection it became clear that this was actually an incredibly lucky position to be in regarding the lock down. For instance I could still visit the workshop everyday and began to start thinking of things I could make to help people in their lock down. Many of my global ski making counterparts who possess CNC machines or laser cutters managed to start producing visors for their local health services. Although I possess complicated machinery It wasn't up to the task of making medical quality visors and respirators. In any case, I was told by a local GP at the time that “Perthshire was the safest place to be in the country” and that there had not been the influx of patients that had been predicted. Ski making was also out of the question as I had both run out of various materials including the much coveted nitrile gloves and IPA alcohol.

With the closure of gyms and sports clubs forcing people to exercise outside and in their homes there suddenly became a demand for the LMS wooden parallettes. The more I made the more orders came in, sometimes shipping as many as 10 pairs a week. Alongside this I produced a few plyometric jump boxes which I was told also doubled up as handy coffee tables when not in use. In many ways I was busier in lock down than I probably usually would be in a usual March of ski making. It was quite surreal watching large national and multinational organisations begin to retch and heave as their umbilical cashflow cords were severed. It really brought home the advantages of being a small and nimble specialist business that makes tangible ‘things’.

A big thank you to everyone who ordered the parallettes and plyometric boxes, it was a big help to the business and it also gave me a great deal of utility. At the peak of production one pair even flew off exotic climes of Puerto Rico!

As peoples desire for health and fitness faded with the lockdown I had some time to reorganise the workshop for season 2021 and even make some knifes out of some nice thick saw blades.