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 Mode, by Deviation

Deviation is a boutique ski company specializing in hand-made-in-Oregon skis and snowboards. Though they're only two years old, they already have a respectable and ever-growing line-up. I met up with founders Matt and Tim at Mt. Bachelor over the weekend and got a chance to test some of their boards. Test conditions were classic Oregon: around 18 inches of high-density, warm, wet cement. Call me crazy, but I love Cascade Cement, and I found those conditions to be prime for ski testing.

The Mode was one of the first models Devation began producing, and it is designed to be your daily driver. The ski has a low-profile rockered tip and tail, and ample sidecut. It also has a wood core of  ash, basswood, and locust, which seemed to provide an even and energetic flex. In other words, The Mode is a ski that can handle powder, crud, and groomers alike.

The Mode 143-112-132 (168, 178, 188)