Casey Karlsen wanted to improve his snowboarding style with summer practice, so he thought he would look into setting up some rails in his back yard.
It didn’t take him long to figure out that most of the companies that build terrain park features are based on the East Coast, and buying them online can be expensive and slow.
“I knew I could build it myself, a whole lot cheaper,” Karlsen says.
That’s when Karlsen and his partner Mark Scheel got their idea for a Northwest-based business selling affordable terrain park features to hard-core park riders, resorts and sports shops, with an emphasis on the backyard shred scene.
Two years later, their idea is a reality. Karlsen and Scheel have their business Imperial Snowpark Equipment up and running in Vancouver, Wash., and they are working hard to get out the word. They designed and built the indoor features for the Portland SkiFever rail jams, and they contributed to the popular setup at this year’s New Year’s Eve Rail Jam at Skibowl. Now they’re working it with everyone from Hillcrest Ski and Sports to Whistler-Blackcomb to get the sales rolling.
Imperial’s goal, in Karlsen’s words, is “to provide skiers and snowboarders with a venue to improve when they aren’t at the resorts.”
Scheel is 23 years old and Karlsen is 22. They are funding Imperial with their own cash. Scheel kicks in money from his day job as an engineer, while Karlsen, a business student at WSU-Vancouver, sold his motorcycle, borrowed money from his sister and contributed proceeds from his other startup business of setting up Christmas lights for families.
As they proved at November’s SkiFever show, you don’t need natural snow to set up a lively park demo. They recommend combining backyard park features with synthetic turf from companies such as mSnow, or if you want to go low-budget you can drive over to the nearest ice skating rink and scoop up some shavings for free before they melt away.
Imperial sells everything from $70 three-foot rails for ollie-up practice to $354 straight rails, to $1499-and-up Rhino boxes. They are also open to suggestions from buyers with specific needs. “It’s super easy to customize these things,” says Karlsen.
Karlsen and Scheel do their own manufacturing at a variety of places: their friend’s auto shop in Woodland, Wash., a friend’s parents’ house, and Karlsen’s place in Vancouver. Down the road they would like to set up a warehouse space, but for now they are spending their money very carefully.
“We have had a couple of people say they want to invest in Imperial, but I just feel more comfortable using my own money,” says Karlsen.
It’s hard to estimate the size of the regional backyard terrain park feature market, but there is no doubt that urban riding and park tricks are taking off in snowboarding and freeskier culture, and those moves require serious practice. Mount Hood is a natural epicenter for that scene because of its proximity to Metro Portland, its super-long park season, its summer shred camps and its wide variety of terrain parks at Meadows, Skibowl and Timberline.
For more information about Imperial Snowpark Equipment and their products, check out their website and Facebook page.
Last modified: January 7, 2014
