“You ever heard of RENOUN Skis?” I asked the guy at my favorite Los Angeles ski shop, Sports LTD in Woodland Hills, expecting an enthusiastic gear nerd rant.
He smirked. “I guess they’re not very renowned yet.”
Ba-dum-ching. Alright, fair. I was there to get a pair of Look Pivot 2 bindings on my new RENOUN skis before heading to Aspen for a ski trip with my brother and pals from high school ski club 20 years ago.
After checking out their rocker profile and getting the lowdown on the tech, the associate was geeking out—they were something special.
“We solve for fear,” RENOUN founder, Cyrus Schenck, recently told me. Cyrus is from Nothern Vermont and an engineer-turned-entrepreneur who grinded away for years at developing RENOUN’s hero skis. “Most people are going out to Vail, to Jackson, with their buddies, their wife, their kids. They have a few days off, and the last thing they want to do is spend a lot of money and not have fun because they bought the wrong ski.” That’s why RENOUN offers a 100-day return policy—so skiers can try them risk-free.
LEARN MORE ABOUT RENOUN SKIS HERE (SAVE UP TO $150)
Reconnecting With Skiing (And My Knees)
Getting back into skiing a couple years ago in my late 30s felt like a reunion with my younger self. Growing up in the middle of Pennsylvania, high school ski club in winter was life. Weekly pilgrimages to Pennsylvania’s little knobs and hills—Ski Liberty, Whitetail, Seven Springs—riding under the lights, squeezing every turn out of winter. We even made it out west to Breckenridge, Vail, Keystone, and Heavenly.
Those trips changed me. Suddenly, all I could think about was chasing adventure, figuring out a way to make mountain town life a reality. That obsession eventually brought me to Aspen for a year before we started this website in 2009.
Back then, I hustled at a country club golf course to afford those trips. Now, two decades later, my body’s a little less springy, my knees a little more opinionated, and my time a little less flexible. But the itch to chase those old thrills never left.
After years of city living—New York, LA—I started building out a proper ski quiver. If I was going to relive my glory days and drop cash on an Ikon Pass to skedaddle up to Mammoth midweek, I wanted the best gear possible.
Enter RENOUN Skis
Out of Burlington, Vermont, RENOUN is shaking things up in the ski world. Unlike the big legacy brands that have been cranking out skis for decades, RENOUN operates like a scrappy startup—lean, experimental, and obsessed with innovation.
“Ski companies are building the least bad ski they can and still get away with it. We weren’t interested in that—we wanted to build something better,” Cyrus explained.
They’ve won multiple ISPO Gold Awards (basically the Oscars of ski gear) and made a name for themselves as one of the most exciting direct-to-consumer ski brands on the market.
What makes them different? A patented tech called VibeStop™, which is low-key revolutionary. It was a blast to experience this innovative ski technology on my trip to Aspen on three consecutive bluebird days across three mountains.
VibeStop™ Technology: A Polymer So Potent, They Got a Patent
Ski chatter is the enemy of a smooth ride. RENOUN answer? VibeStop™ Technology, a non-Newtonian polymer embedded in the ski’s core that adapts in real time to snow conditions.
Under pressure while ripping on packed groomers, it stiffens up to provide more control and stability. Cruising through soft snow and it stays relaxed and flexible for a smooth ride.
Why It Matters
- Less Chatter = More Control → Smoother turns, better edge grip.
- Lighter Weight → 50% lighter than the wood it replaces but still rips like metal.
- Fatigue Reduction → Less vibration means less muscle exhaustion, which means more runs, less ibuprofen.
- 3x More Stability → Whether you’re carving groomers or plowing through chopped-up afternoon crud, these skis stay locked in.
In short? RENOUN VibeStop™ makes skis awesome no matter what terrain you’re shredding.
This means better edge hold, less fatigue, and a ski that reacts to whatever the mountain throws at it.
“Every single ski company has one or more technologies that they’re promoting. But most of it is marketing fluff,” Cyrus said. “Put it on a test bench and show me how it’s better. That’s what we did with VibeStop—it actually changes the way a ski performs.”
The Setup: Endurance 88s with Look Pivot 2 Bindings
For my trip to Aspen Snowmass, I went with the Endurance 88s—RENOUN’s narrower all-mountain ski built for versatility. Perfect for ripping groomers, sneaky fun in soft snow, and stable enough to handle whatever else the mountain throws at you. They’ve got two sheets of titanal metal for extra torsional rigidity (read: control), plus that VibeStop™ magic baked in to keep them smooth at high speeds.
I paired them with Look Pivot 2 bindings because I wanted a setup that felt bombproof without sacrificing playfulness.
“Skis are like jeans. If they fit you, they’re awesome. If they don’t, it doesn’t matter how good the denim is,” Cyrus told me. “You just need the right fit.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT RENOUN SKIS HERE (SAVE UP TO $150)
How They Ripped
Conditions at Aspen were prime for testing: cold, crisp, and packed—not a deep powder trip, but perfect for feeling how these skis handled on everything else.
From the moment I snapped in, the Endurance 88s felt electric. Quick edge-to-edge, smooth through carves, and just the right balance of damp and lively. Even in cruddy afternoon snow, I wasn’t getting rattled. That VibeStop tech? It actually works.
I spent most of the trip chasing corduroy groomers, but even when we dipped into the trees, these skis held their own—light, agile, and easy to maneuver. The titanal sheets added a nice touch of power without making them feel stiff or punishing.
Not gonna lie, I had one of those rare, transcendent ski days where everything just clicked.
Here, let me shut up and watch me:
The Verdict?
Skiing is all about feeling something. Speed. Flow. That first deep carve where you swear the mountain is moving with you. The RENOUN Endurance 88s gave me that feeling again—like I was 18, skipping school to chase fresh turns.
So no, RENOUN isn’t quite renowned yet. But after a few more laps on these things? They’re gonna be.
TL;DR: Why You Should Care About RENOUN Skis
✅ VibeStop™ works—less chatter, more stability, smoother ride. Ideal when you don’t know what kind of snow is in store
✅ Lighter than your average ski, but just as powerful.
✅ Endurance 88s are a blast—fun, fast, and versatile.
✅ RENOUN is a small brand with big ideas—and they’re worth watching.
Now, let’s see how they handle in fresh powder.
Stay tuned. I’ll update this space when that wonderful occasion presents itself, hopefully later this winter.