Dynafit North America, the world’s only full-line full-time supplier of backcountry ski gear, announced a partnership with professional skier and ski craftsman Cody Barnhill. In joining the athlete team along with Eric Hjorleifson, Jamie Laidlaw, Trevor Hunt, Donny Roth and Marshall Thomson, Barnhill will be the lead American influencer in the product development for a new line of Dynafit free touring skis that will be available in Fall 2015.
While regarded as a versatile freeride skier that specializes in incorporating natural terrain features with gigantic air and tricks, Barnhill said he was attracted to work with Dynafit not only because of its 30 year history in ski-mountaineering but also because of the opportunity to use his knowledge of ski design and construction in the next generation of freeride skis.
“I believe the work that I’ll be doing both as an athlete team member and a design team member will have a strong and positive effect on the Dynafit brand, direction and future products,” said Barnhill. “I love working with wood, metals, composites, and developing skis from the snow up. To have this opportunity to work with Dynafit, is an amazing opportunity to work with an already great line of products and help create something completely new.”
Barnhill has already been consulting with fellow athlete Jamie Laidlaw and the international Dynafit product development team on profiles and flex patterns. This spring, a team of Dynafit athletes will travel to Valdez, Alaska to ski and test the future of the freeride ski program. The goal of the partnership is to launch Dynafit’s innovative new ski collection to the world at the 2015 Outdoor Retailer, SIA and ISPO shows in January and February.
After beginning his skiing career as an Alaskan ski crazed kid, Barnhill quickly moved into the world of ski films and working with some of the industries best ski photographers. Most recently he was the star actor and skier in Sweetgrass Production’s movie of the year, Valhalla. In this role Cody was involved in telling a side the of skiers story that has thus far gone largely unsung. Before cutting his teeth as actor, Barnhill was with 4Frnt skis, as a product and development manager that oversaw all production and prototypes to come out of that factory.
Jim Lamancusa, Sales and Marketing Director for Dynafit North America, believes that by signing Cody as an athlete and designer, the brand is bound to make a leap into a new arena.
“By signing ‘Hoji’, the Dynafit boots and bindings quickly appealed to a younger freeride audience. Singing Cody as an athlete and ski designer launches a new generation of Dynafit ski products that will enable our consumers to gain the summit and shred the descent. We are about to surprise a lot of people with our new ski program.”
An athlete-driven brand from the beginning, Dynafit is committed to designing faster, stronger, and lighter gear for ambitious backcountry athletes who never compromise. Being the world’s only full-line and full-time backcountry brand is evidence of this commitment. Development of each product is pursued in concert with a select team of athletes, and no product decisions are made without clear go-ahead from the team.
Dynafit is based is based in Munich, Germany, with North American Headquarters in Boulder Colorado.
