Of the many bewildering subcategories of winter sports enthusiast, the easiest to discern are the two types of downhill skier. In a crowded gondola, a long time ago, do you remember propping your skis up on your boot to make them appear longer? If yes, you are likely getting on in years and were once keen to bluff your way to looking like a pro on the pistes. Then there is everyone else.

If, like me, you fell into the former category, way back in the day length was the hallmark of expertise on the slopes. Franz Klammer raced to Olympic gold on a monstrous 2.3m (7½ft) pair in Innsbruck – so if you wanted to boost your credentials, size mattered. Then came snowboards and the parabolic revolution. The shapely hourglass replaced the ramrod-straight affair and size did not matter so much any more. Years down the line, how does the humble bluffer, like myself, look like an expert now? 

All the gear

You could always make your own. It’s not as ridiculous as it sounds. A new workshop in the Swiss resort of Verbier can help you fashion the perfect pair of planks, tailored to your height, weight and piste preference – the golden ticket to looking like a pro. First Track Lab is the brainchild of Yoann Chapel and Selim Abdi, a classic pair of disrupters out to shake up traditional ski manufacturing.

Their “lab” is a small industrial unit in Le Châble, a short gondola ride from the chic Swiss resort, from where they do research, development and prototyping for several established ski makers, including high-street giant Decathlon. They also have their own brand – Anticonf – which won an innovation award in 2017 for pioneering work with cork and bamboo. Anticonf stands for anti-conformist of course; not surprising for a pair who met through the extreme world of freeboarding.