Making Of
BEHIND THE SCENES: HOW ARE BAGUETTE BOARDS REALLY MADE?
Handcrafted in the heart of the Alps in our own state-of-the-art workshop, we are proud to control each step of the production process independently. Once the recipe for your board is established, the oven can be turned on and the magic happens! Here are some illustrations of the baking process.
“It’s difficult to appreciate something as humble as a loaf of bread without having tried to bake one yourself. After several months, I had yet to attempt the true test of a baker’s skill: the Baguette. I went to work, researching ideas and techniques, poring over pictures, visiting local bakeries, and trying my hand every weekend. I baked baguettes until I had no room left to store them. The perfect baguette – if it exists – is elusive, and the bakers capable of producing anything close are true artisans” – Jonathan Shneier
OUR WORKSHOP
Located on the remote heights of Innsbruck, Ampass is a quiet village overlooking the Inntal valley. A door opens on a carpenter workshop, where some light is still shining out in the dark evening. Organized like a fully functional kitchen, each working step is disposed next to another in a circular workflow. The raw materials enter the doorway to get prepared and assembled for the baking process. In the oven, all layers fuse into one, giving birth to a new member of the family. A few steps away from emancipating themselves, the young boards are sanded, sharpened and varnished for a long lasting ride. Sharing our passion is at the center of our philosophy. If you’d like to find out more, our doors are open every week during the winter. Simply get in touch!
THE HANDMADE
We like to define the handmade as the use of tools rather than machines. Where lies the difference? Machines are programmed to perform the same task over and over. Tools provide more flexibility, a better adaptation. They can be adjusted. The cool thing with tools is that they are modular and accessible. With the handmade, custom creations become possible. Each step of the process can be tweaked to a different shape, flex or camber profile. The manufacturing process is steered by one single person, your personal adviser: the shaper.
THE BAKING
The Birth. After combining all ingredients in the right proportions, the dough is put in the oven, where the physical bonding occurs. In this precise moment, all the constituents of the structure are bonded together to become one, and a board comes to life. The process needs time and patience. No good bread cook in a hurry! The fusion of all ingredients gets strong when each layer takes the time to meet its life’s long partner. The pressure and temperature in the oven are the main characteristics of the process, adjusted towards the wished baking crisp.
FINE TUNING
When the good smell comes, the temperature goes down and the board can be taken out of the oven. A couple of finishing steps are required before it gets ready to see the outside world. The contours are trimmed, the sidewalls are lowered down and the edges sharpened. Eventually receiving an artwork finishing touch, it is then coated and polished, to enhance this unique aspect of a wood topsheet. The base is finally given a structure and deep waxed for an optimal glide. Because the entire process is steered by the shaper, it requires a lot of engagement. Love and sweat are involved in every bake.
Artwork
The Baguette community fosters a network of shapers, riders and artists, all sharing the same passion for the mountains. Snowboarding fosters a happy place for creativity and self-expression where we all connect. Artists interpret the experience of being human. They provide society with emotions, color and texture. Without Art, the world would tend to be flat, dull. Because we like and support the local community, we strive to put their work forward and get their message out there. Hear what they have to say!