Excerpts from an article in New York Times about Utah local ski company my friends started just this year.

“Bluehouse Skis, of Salt Lake City, started this year by Adam Hepworth and Jared Richards, former roommates at Brigham Young University, sells only through its Web site, www.bluehouseskis.com. One of its two models, a lightweight yet stiff ski for both resort and backcountry terrain, sold out its 500-pair run in just a week and a half. Mr. Hepworth credits word of mouth, in the local ski community and on Web forums, for demand.”

“Even a skier who never lays eyes on a pair of, say, Bluehouse skis, may ultimately benefit from the existence of the boutique firms. “A lot of innovation has come from these smaller companies,” Mr. Hepworth said. “We have the ability to make small runs and test out crazy designs.”