Who are we?
Name: Gijs van Lieshout
Nickname: ‘Gigi’
Role: Founder, chief editor, tester, blogger, reviewer, advisor
Gijs started skiing seriously in 2010. He was hooked right away. In his own search for a pair of skis matching his specific ability level, style, preferences, he started demoing skis. A fascination was born. And to answer his own need for proper independent information on the characteristics and specifications of skis, he started this website in 2016.
As a skier, Gijs is not the ski instructor kind of guy, nor a (former) racer. He is the addicted recreational skier that wants to go fast on perfect groomers, have a great day in even the worst weather, or play around in off-piste powder when conditions allow. His goal is always to have fun. Not to ski perfectly or to be able to ski all conditions on one pair of GS skis because ‘a good skier can get down the mountain on anything’. Gijs’ reply would be: ‘that may be, but he would have more fun on a ski that is made for those conditions.’
Tester profile: 42 yrs old | 1,82 m | 92 kg | advanced | medium to high speed | medium to long turns | carving and skidding | all terrain types
Name: Yoeri de Bondt
Nickname: ‘007’
Role: Tester, blogger, reviewer, advisor
Yoeri started skiing in 1987 on a school trip. Even though he loved it from day one, he only really learned how to ski while training for a ski instructor, according to himself. His great passion for windsurfing and skiing opened him up for a love for extreme sports. The crazier, the better. High-performance piste skiing, off-piste powder and just high-level cruising – Yoeri loves it all.
The crazy is gone now (high-risk skiing anyway), but the passion is still there. Yoeri is a certified ski and snowboard instructor. It is his conviction that the right technical skills combined with the right equipment can make anyone enjoy their sport even more. He lives his passion 365 days a year as an instructor and equipment specialist. He is a very knowledgeable and passionate skier with a clear view of what people need.
Tester profile: 46 yrs old | 1,90 m | 90 kg | expert | medium to high speed | medium to long turns | carving and skidding | all terrain types
Name: Laura van Bommel
Nickname: ‘DrLaura’
Role: tester, blogger, reviewer, marketing
Laura got hooked on skiing early. Starting from the age of 7, she never skipped a year. Competitive and curious as she is, Laura and her brother challenged each other to get down the slope faster, better or “more beautiful”, while changing to new rental skis every day searching for the ski that excited the most.
Laura learned to have even more fun during her years as a ski instructor. Letting herself be influenced by the more adventurous colleagues, she discovered skiing in the backland and creative forest routes, taking – small – jumps and daring some – subtle – tricks, combined with snowy picnics and apres-ski drinks. For Laura, days are best spent playful, not taking ourselves too seriously. Blue sky, ice, mist, powder, slush: she will find a way to enjoy it.
Her ideal ski is the one that boosts energy and confidence. Feeling the excitement of rebound in a turn, the adrenaline of speed without losing any stability, or the magic of floating on powder. Preferably without needing that emergency pitstop after an hour because your legs refuse any more turns.
Tester profile: 29 yrs old | 1,71 m | 67 kg | expert | medium to high speed | medium to long turns | carving and skidding | all terrain types
If we need more input for specific questions, we have a network of great skiing friends that we know quite well. We don’t hesitate to ask for a second opinion from a different type of skier in order to give the best advice possible.