SHEER PHYSICS

CYRUS SCHENCK OF VERMONT’S RENOUN SKIS

Founded in 2011 by northern Vermont native Cyrus Schenck, Renoun is not just another ski company. Instead their core goal is to be the absolute opposite by offering a product that is “unequivocally different.” With the power of data from a physics-cheating polymer typically reserved for the aerospace industry in his pocket, Schenck went on to develop Renoun’s trademarked HDT™ technology for their skis. In 2014, they launched their prototype Renoun skis, and the response was immediate, from winning ISPO’s Gold Award (now twice) to 100% growth.

Tell us what drew you to working in the ski world initially. I grew up in Vermont skiing and was studying aeronautical engineering at Clarkson University when I came across the nonNewtonian polymer that we now embed into every ski. Seeing what this polymer could do was a “light bulb” moment, and I immediately thought of putting it in skis. The rest is history.

Do you see yourself as more a designer or an engineer, or dare we say inventor? I studied some engineering but I’m a far cry from an engineer. The beauty of this job is that I get to do a bunch of different “jobs” every

day. Some days I get to work on our new ski graphics, others I’m planning the strategy for the next season, and others I’m putting my head together with our patent attorneys to protect our IP.

Can you explain in layman’s terms what HDT is and does? Think of Lindsey Vonn’s skis—they are super stiff for going fast. Now think of a powder ski—they are soft to be more playful. HDT allows you to have a ski that can basically adapt to do both. It doesn’t quite reach those two extremes, but it’s the first adaptable ski ever, so your ski is constantly adapting to match conditions and how you’re skiing them. It just makes skiing easier.

What does having stability in a ski truly mean? It just means skiing is easier, no matter your skill level. If you’re a beginner, the ski will literally adapt with you as you get better. For an expert, it means you can charge harder—and when you hit bad snow, the ski will adapt to get you through it faster and easier (and you’ll stay on your feet).

Your tagline—1600 came before us. We will not be 1601. —presumably means you won’t be the same in a long list of sameness, but given what we know of your abilities, we imagine it means something even more for you personally. Care to elaborate? The world does not need more skis (don’t even get me started on how bad they are for the environment) so if we’re going to build skis, they’d better be unique and actually better. Anybody can build skis these days. You can call 100 different factories and they’ll be happy to build you some sticks that slide on snow—want some phone numbers?

What are some of your toughest current challenges in the ski market? Where are you creating growth opportunities? Most brands have massive financial backing, and they can spend to be on top and not have to worry about making a profit. The funny part is they are still too scared to sell direct, so they’re handcuffing themselves. We’re one of the only brands that sells direct to consumer—it’s the future of the industry. Ski shops aren’t going away, but only the really, really good ones will remain.

Do you have an ideal client profile? A happy customer—seriously. People undervalue their own customers far too often. I used to wash windows (it’s how I paid for the first seven years of Renoun) and I never advertised; it was all word of mouth. The same goes for Renoun—we want every customer to be not just “satisfied” but “stoked” because then they tell a friend and that’s how we grow 50%+ every year.

The two-year warranty is awfully generous; how come? And does it not make you nervous? Since our skis are handmade, we’re also able to put more care into each one. We’re not cranking out hundreds of thousands of skis like other companies, so we can take more time in the manufacturing process. Our return rate plus our money-back guarantee returns are still less than other ski companies—apparently it’s working.

If you could go back to 2011, what’s the first thing you’d tell yourself? I would remind myself to take it slow. Building an outdoors brand takes 50+ years, and Renoun is no different. Plan production appropriately and take the slow and steady approach. There are some years we’ve grown 100% and it’s super challenging to keep up that pace (especially when self-funded).

What do you miss about window washing, if anything? It’s very meditative and rewarding. You have lots of time to think and plan, which is nice too. My sister actually now runs the business and is building her own tiny house in the off-season.

Your motto is “to inspire”; what do you mean by that? It’s a reminder to not be afraid to push boundaries and do something a little controversial sometimes. Too many companies play it safe. I want Renoun to be the kind of company that someone sees and is inspired to build something based on their own beliefs. If we’re going to inspire anyone, we can’t just be taking the easy road and doing what normal companies do. We’re not here to sell skis; we’re here to change an industry.

We hear you’ve reworked HDT and put it in gym floors. Is it true that Penn State has one of them? Yes. We’ve actually been developing this for four years now and are super excited to finally see it in a real gym. Our floors have the best shock absorption rates in the industry and help decrease impactrelated injuries. It’s a really interesting project to work on. Lots more to come!

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