Deviation Factory Tour

Some of the first Thermally Modified Modes

The rains have returned to Oregon, and along with them, the first snows have begun to fall at the upper elevations. Hopefully temps will continue to cool, and snow line will continue to drop. In the meantime, it’s time to focus on getting gear dialed in for the season.

This past weekend I stopped off and toured Deviation’s factory in East Portland. Deviation is an innovative boutique ski company entering its third year of production. Deviation’s skis feature unique wood cores comprised of a variety of woods chosen for their even flex and superior dampening. In addition, they do custom top-sheets. 

Following are a few highlights from the factory tour:

Gear Review: The Function, by Deviation

As I mentioned in my review of the Modes, Deviation is an up and coming boutique ski company out of Oregon. They build all of their skis in-house in their factory on the East Side of Portland. I met up with Matt and Tim, two of the company's founders a couple weeks ago at Mt. Bachelor, and had a chance to ride a few of their skis. Today I'm reviewing the Function, Deviation's big mountain offering.

While I enjoyed the playfulness of the Modes, the Functions better fit my skiing style. They are stiff, damp, and are best operated at speed. However, with ample tip rocker, the skis float well in deep snow. While the Function is definitely more at home in the open mountain, they are respectably responsive in the trees, and in tighter terrain.

The Function, 132-108-122