One of the biggest differences for me was the art behind Signal Snowboards, whereas other factories just pump out product…Signal has their OG series that makes everyone original and different because the topsheet is hand painted. Here are the workstations for putting the edges on the snowboardsīefore QC it’s time to make the final product look like a snowboard ![]() The next part of the process is knowing the line and building itĭespite there being workstations in a snowboard factory, the Signal employees were trained across the board from wood shop to pressing so that everyone knew every component of building a snowboard.ĭave and Marc have been working the late shifts in the factory to make sure all the boards get done. Stacking the wood cores up after they go through the machine Everything starts in the wood shop where the wood is made into wood cores that become everything about the snowboard. Signal currently is building 80 boards a day and getting the last boards of the season pumped out so shredders can be riding them soon. Marc Wierenga and Dave Lee handling business I met with Mike Akins, Marc Wierenga and Dave Lee to get the tour of Signal’s Factory and later on the next day, a stop at the Signal office. Signal was the third stop on my California adventure in two locations: The Lodge that is located in Huntington Beach and their office located in Vista, I sought out both to get the full feel for the company beyond the carpet of SIA and what I found was the value and personal touch in building snowboards. Built around the motto, “dream it, built it, ride it” and they do, even from the parking lot. "Digital media is a lot of fun," says Lee, "but it's blue collar work and it takes a lot of commitment and dedication to keep it up.When it comes to snowboard factories in the United States there are few and far between but in southern California lies The Lodge – Signal Snowboards factory. "We're used to making snowboard videos, trick tips and other content based around snowboarding, but ETT is the first web series of its kind to build a real show revolving around an entire company and its building processes," says Lee, who adds that the glamorous world of video and the prosaic practice of manufacturing aren't that different. Signal Snowboards continues that tradition, but is also helping to make manufacturing cool. Epic runs and humorous skits were shared on VHS cassettes and chronicled the daring evolution of the extreme sport. Snowboarding and skateboarding became popular in the 1980s partly because of a culture of video production. "Coming from a pro rider background it's important to us that we work with our riders and use our experience to evolve designs that keep up with progression of the sport." says Lee. The crazy prototypes also keep Signal enmeshed in the counter culture mindset that spawned them. ![]() Some of the designs seem far fetched, but a wheel chair rig designed for a paralyzed rider and a board covered in solar panels to charge gadgets seem like the start of interesting product lines. ETT has absolutely given way to lower prototyping cost and faster fabrication methods." ![]() "We have also updated a lot of core profiles in our snowboards because of the show and its constant access to R&D. "A few of the production boards have ETT ideas built in to them or around them," says Lee. While irreverent, the ideation process has had a big influence on the company's standard designs.
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