The skis that delivered Bode Miller’s standout GS season inspired Peak Ski Company

Miller partners with resort industry chief Andy Wirth to make ‘the best ski on the market.’

Although his racing career has ended, Bode Miller has continued his quest to find the best skis for a variety of slopes and for skiers of every level. Having tried and tested just about every ski in the world throughout his racing days and beyond, the Olympic and World Cup champion decided to take matters into his own hands last year.

Co-founded with ski resort and hotel industry leader Andy Wirth, Miller’s Peak Ski Company, based in Bozeman, Montana, is fine-tuning an initial line of six recreational skis to hit the market for the 2022/23 season.

“I’ve worked with all the major brands throughout my career. I was with Bomber for a while and was unable to get done what I wanted to get done. I worked with Crosson and had a good time. This time we started clean, really thinking through the manufacturing process and every detail that goes into a great ski,” Miller says. “This is the culmination. I’ve done it and talked about it for a long time. This is the first time I feel really confident about building the best ski on the market from beginner to expert.”

Peak’s first rollout of skis includes four high-performance front country models: the Peak 88, the Peak 98, the Peak 104 and the Peak 110 as well as two lightweight side-country models: the Peak SC 98 and the Peak SC 104. All models are designed with Peak trademarked keyhole technology, featuring a unique oval cutaway in the top layer of aluminum-titanium alloy that delivers unbeatable control and power. Miller discovered the technology during his 2003-04 season, when a technician cut a similar hole into a pair of giant slalom skis that Miller credits for his ensuing unprecedented streak of GS success, culminating with his win of the World Cup title that season.

The technology that won the GS title

“When I switched to Rossignol, they cut a hole in the top layer of aluminum on the plate and glued it to the wood core. They only did it to my skis. Those were the best skis I’ve ever skied on by far,” Miller recalls. “Ask anyone if I was good enough to win a GS title that year. Everybody said no. I was doing things no one said I could do.”

Miller said the skis featuring the holed plate allowed him to focus his power on that precise point in front of his bindings and turn as if he were wearing hockey skates.

“I won Sölden, and if you go back and watch, I was arcing every left-footed turn. I was 100 percent clean. On a steep pitch, I knew exactly where that grip was, just in front of my binding. I could pivot and know just where I was pushing my ski. I could slide. I could make the correction. I won by a second in that race. The reason was that ski had that grip point. No other ski at that time did.”

After Miller moved to Atomic, the “keyholed” Rossignol skis were passed on to Canadian racer Thomas Grandi, who used them to win back-to-back races –  the first, last and only victories of his World Cup career.

“The skis were toast. The edges were paper thin. Grandi took them out and won. He won Alta Badia with no training, then he went to Flachau and won. He beat me in both races. That always stuck with me. It demonstrates how much better those skis were than anything else in the World Cup,” Miller says. “I took those skis apart and realized they cut a hole in the aluminum. It wasn’t until now that I’ve been able to do something with that technology. It’s exciting to bring something that made such a difference in my racing career to the general public.”

Junior race design in the works

Alpine race models are forthcoming in Peak’s future. Miller and Wirth say they hope to debut a junior race model next year. For recreational skiers, Peak’s keyhole technology will give a sense of control and confidence on every type of terrain, from groomers to moguls, powder to backcountry peanut butter. Miller himself has been testing the skis all season at home in Big Sky, Montana.

“All the skis came out notably different than what you see on the market. While they looked the same, you could tell something was different even skating to the lift and getting off the lift. You could make skis out of cheese and they’d be different, but would they be better? In this case, the notable difference is a ski that builds confidence without the skier doing anything different,” he says. “I wanted a ski that pulled you there without overthinking anything. You don’t have to think about being forward or having a high edge angle. It just happens.”

While many companies focus on a ski’s rocker or side cut, Peak focuses on the middle of the ski, the torsion and energy distribution in front of the binding.

“It gives you the ability to create a balanced ski,” Miller says. “Every time I see a beginner on rental skis, I see that fore-aft wobble and then lack of confidence because everything is moving around on you. We wanted to get it right, so skiing is like walking. You have pressure underfoot to create a power base there, where you have a consistent platform, where you tip the ski on edge and get the same sensation. All the power is coming underfoot and just in front of your toe. You can trust it all the time.”

Miller has informed every stage of Peak’s ski design and development.

“Bode has been involved in everything. We’ve had 100-plus calls to our team and it was in those calls that frankly I realized his brilliance,” Wirth says. “Listening to him talk to the highest level of ski designer and engineer, it’s like he has a Master’s in Engineering from MIT. For years he’s been able to educate me on ski design and construction. Now I fully understand it. Bode’s racing experience and passion for performance, coupled with his unique and creative approach to engineering, are the key differentiators of our company.”

Wirth will serve as Peak Ski Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Miller the Chief Innovation Officer. The 2022/23 Peak by Bode Miller skis and Peak SC by Bode Miller skis are priced at $890 and are exclusively available through peakskis.com. Based on the finite number of the company’s 22/23 line of skis, Peak offers a reservation program including a fully refundable $50 deposit, allowing customers to lock in the desired model and length of Peak skis ahead of the 22/23 season.

Peak by Bode Miller skis are designed, developed and manufactured at the Peak Development Group & Innovation Center, a 10,000 square foot facility in Bozeman, Montana. The company is also launching a showroom in downtown Bozeman, opening to the public on April 6.

Photo: Peak Ski Company