Customer Spotlight: Turning Old Skis into Awesome Chairs
One of the best parts of my job at Eastern Mountain Sports is managing our company’s Facebook page. It was there that I connected with Anne Rast, a long-time customer at our Lake Placid, NY store. I’d started a conversation about recycling when Anne joined the conversation by posting one of the coolest photos I’d ever seen.
I must confess that I’ve never seen Adirondack chairs made out of used skis before but Anne was quick to inform me that she is not the first nor the only person to engage in this awesome upcycling artform. “I saw a chair made out of skis at Whiteface Mountain,” Anne explained. “It was falling apart and I thought I could make something even better myself.” A creative person in every respect, Anne works as a Senior Art Director for an ad agency and holds a Master’s degree in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art Design. What I like best about Anne’s chairs is the fact that she literally saves them from the landfill. In addition to taking in factory rejects from downhill and cross-country ski manufacturers, and retired rental gear from local ski shops, Anne makes regular visits to her local dump and has recruited her two sisters to do the same in West Hartford, CT.
Through all these efforts, Anne acquires enough skis to create about a dozen chairs a year which she promotes on Facebook and sells on Etsy for $275.
I honestly can’t think of a more creative Father’s Day or graduation gift for the impossible to shop for skier in your life. If you’d like more information, you can “like” Anne’s work on Facebook or drop her a line at skichairs@yahoo.com.
Here are some more “Anne-made” Adirondack Ski Chairs from the talented Anne Rast:
Hi…Your post really got me thinking man….. an intelligent piece ,I must say.
This post makes me very happy. Just the other day I was thinking how cool it would be to have a chair made of skis to bring that ski lodge feel into my house. Thanks for highlighting someone who can actually make that happen.