BEST MADE PROJECTS

Best Made Product Preview: The Sporting-Sail

Next week we’ll be launching a new product known as The Sporting-Sail: a stylish and useful device built to catch wind and slow you down. In anticipation of the launch Billy Smith, founder of Sporting-Sails, tells us about his grandfather Harry William Smith Jr.: a man of speed (both slow and fast), and a catalyst for his venture.

A true Best Made man if there ever was one, Harry was an internationally renowned skier and mountaineer, he raced fast cars, he pioneered early wind tunnel research, and as president of McLaren North America he developed sophisticated new designs for Formula One racing. 

Vail, Colorado (March 2006): My brother and I were rummaging through our grandfather’s attic in search of fireworks. We knew he had plenty because earlier in the day, high atop Chair 7, he pulled out some “Flashing Fountains” and “Piccolo Petes” behind the trail sign and ignited an orchestra. Before anyone on the mountain knew what was happening, he was a mere speck at the bottom of the run, long gone and out of sight…  After sifting through various sized cartons of imported Schnapps and Austrian formal wear, we stumbled upon 3 boxes containing 18 individually packaged “Ski-Klippers.”  The green and white packaging featured a simple line drawing of a skier and what appeared to be a deployed object on the skier’s back.  At the bottom, it simply read: “sail + chute + kite = 3-in-1 for FUN!”. Not knowing what to think, we took the boxes down from the attic to show our grandfather. We asked him, “what are these things?” he replied, “Ski-Klippers, I made them, they’ll slow you down and they’re a lot of fun.

We then lit up the slopes, 30 or more deployed at once. We put on a show and people would cheer from the chairlifts.  Just weaving in and out of turns, playing with the wind and enjoying what the mountain had to offer.  The sun would shine through and illuminate us with various shades of color and light. Against a blue sky and a snowy white backdrop covered in Aspen trees, it was the most beautiful sight you’ll ever see.  It’s easy, you boys should give em’ a try.” So we did, and immediately we were inspired. Nothing stood in our way: no terrain too steep, no powder too deep.  

Marin County, California (2010): Shifting our attention from snow to street, high on top of Mt. Tamalpais, my brother and I began toying with our grandfather’s concept on skateboards. Managing speed, increasing stability and being seen for safety never seemed so simple. Our goal was never to reinvent the descent; however, that was exactly what we did. From that point on, it became only necessary in these fast times to revive his vision and slowly share his invention with the world. After all, the man behind the “Ski-Klipper” (our grandfather) was never in any hurry to grow up, he was having too much fun to worry about silly things like that. - Billy Smith (grandson of Harry William Smith Jr. and founder of Sporting-Sails).