Inside The Parlor: Collin Schauerman
Skiing is in Collin’s blood. From his days as an infant riding around in a backpack with his parents to the more recent years touring around Vermont and Wyoming, the sport has been a constant force in his life. These days Collin works in production at Parlor, which means that he spends the majority of his time crafting epic custom skis. Collin married his love for skiing and woodworking after honing his craft building high end furniture and tiny houses at Green Mountain College in Vermont. After graduating in 2016, Collin moved to Jackson Hole to design tiny homes. We’re really lucky to have him back east and working here in the shop, so we sat down to ask a few questions and introduce him to the Parlor community. Enjoy!
How old were you when you learned to ski?
CS: I learned how to ski on cross-country skis when I was 2, and then learned to alpine to ski when I was 4.
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Tell us your life story as seen through skiing (skip all that boring stuff that doesn't involve playing in the snow)
CS: Skiing is a family tradition, which but most notably dates back to my great great uncle who trained skiers in the Tenth Mountain Division. He later helped found Sugarbush and Mad River Glen. Both of my parents ski bummed at one point in their lives, and then I was born. I spent my first winter as an infant in a backpack, carried by my other and father as they cross country skied through northeastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire.I learned how to cross country ski when I was 2, and later learned how to alpine ski when I was 4. Every winter weekend from then on was spent on new England slopes, mostly skiing the whites of New Hampshire and Sugarloaf in Maine. As a young adult, I spent four years skiing Vermont resorts and exploring the Green Mountain backcountry opportunities.While living in Vermont, I refined my woodworking abilities while building fine furniture and tiny houses, which sparked my interest in designing and building skis.
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What's your favorite mountain in New England?
CS: Vermont Backcountry! But as far as resorts go, I'm partial to Killington, Pico, Jay and Sugarloaf.
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Tell us about the most epic ski day of your life.
CS: I spent four days last winter ski touring Yellowstone. Changing my touring route due to a massive heard of Bison was definitely a first. We had great uphill and downhill skiing, and the wildlife was pretty unreal.
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What do you like about working at Parlor?
CS: I love working with my hands and making quality products. The satisfaction of seeing a project from its infancy all the way through its final stages is amazing. The best part about working at Parlor is that the making process culminates with an incredibly stoked skier, getting their first look at a pair of skis that you slaved over. The process is extremely rewarding. Also, getting to ski for free at a hand full of east coast ski areas definitely doesn't suck.
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Favorite Apres beverage?
CS: Cold beer, warm beer, cheap beer, expensive beer. All beer is good beer after a day of skiing
So there you have it, Collin is a ski builder who loves skiing… and building. You'll probably find him touring around VT with his dog Hoot on the weekends, and if you ski a few laps with him be sure to offer him a warm beer - you’ll have a new ski buddy.
Want Collin to build you some skis? Of course you do...