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How time flies, Mark Farner, founder of Radical, may well wonder. 30 years is almost half a lifetime and a gigantic achievement for a small brand in these fast-moving times. The core of the strategy: maximum individuality plus maximum quality for maximum fun on snow.
I only got to know Mark Farner a few years ago - our Sportguide has only been around since the 2006/07 winter season - and I hadn't really noticed the relatively small production facility in Zurich-Wollishofen until now, even though I drove past it almost every day. With every conversation I have with the founder, I realize what a gigantic mountain of knowledge lies behind him and his brand, and what an impressive passion. Sometimes he makes almost too much of a secret of it, because professionals in production are really in short supply. You have to know that other small brands do not produce their sometimes very luxurious skis themselves, but have them produced in an anonymous factory or by their competitors. In October this year, for example, I was invited to the Elan ski factory in Slovenia and promptly saw skis from Lacroix and from Stöckli (Tina Maze), to name two examples. At Radical it's completely different, the guys produce everything by hand in Zurich-Wollishofen, with thought, with precision, with feeling.
How it all began
But where does the name Radical actually come from, does it have something to do with "radical"? When I asked Mark about it, he told me briefly his personal founding story and the emergence of Radical. He himself developed into a pissed off skater in his childhood and youth after the skateboard came to Europe from the USA in the early/mid 70s and was a huge hype at the time. When he emigrated to Mexico as a young man, he discovered surfing or surfing as it used to be called. After returning to Switzerland, he spent a weekend in Hochybrig (ski resort of central Switzerland) in 1981. The huge amounts of snow inspired him to develop a snowboard, because it had to be possible to surf on these masses of snow. He christened his brand "Radical" in reference to the English term "radical", which sometimes means "root". Radical, when applied to his Borader brand, means "back to the roots", "back to the original surfer feeling" or, when applied to skis, "back to the original gliding feeling". So in 1981 he started with the idea of launching his own snowboard, but it took another three years before he was able to make it a reality in 1984; his sports studies, which he completed at the ETH Zurich, had left him little entrepreneurial freedom. Now Radical can proudly pat itself on the back this winter: the 30th anniversary (1984-2014) is done! My heartfelt congratulations!
Ski range: Small series & Full Custom
For the anniversary, the ski range has also been revised once again. For this winter, a small series of four models is available for all areas of use in the most important dimensions: Race Carver, Carver, Allmountain and Freerider are the names of the models. Here, the strength of Radical lies primarily in the custom area. And I was surprised, because I was not aware of this until our conversation, because the dear Mark Farner sometimes holds too much behind the mountain. At Radical you can have a ski built according to your wishes and ideas, and that from A-Z. Material, mass, characteristics and Design can be determined by the buyers themselves and are developed by Radical after an intensive discussion with customers and everything already starting from Fr. 2'975.00, there offer other luxury ski marks not yet 'even bar commodity. Kids, you will be amazed. Just look at Custom in.
I wish Mark Farner and his team another 30 years of success with Radical. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you once again on Radicla's 30th birthday! Keep it up guys!
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