The Hover Manifesto

Hover was created to keep the ski bum spirit alive.

We like our skiing how we like our tacos, spicy and cooked with some passion. When your skis are hidden out of sight they will be forgotten. Let your skis inspire you to drive that rust bucket to your local hill. To get off the couch and go ski bulletproof night laps. Laugh when you see friends crash. Go find a new favorite zone.

We believe:

  • Less is more
  • Do it yourself (Try, fail, learn, try again)
  • Play is fundamental

We take inspiration from the patriarch of the West, the Cowboy.

Our fearless explorers who look at Space with curiosity and seek answers, the Astronaut.

And your Jaded Local, who has story after story of bottomless powder and epic descents but fears the end is near.

We want to create products that matter. Make things with meaning that you can attach to. We’re not here to make a quick buck, we’re here to make a difference. Our products are ideas of our imagination. The answers to our “What if..” questions.

    Less is more.
    Strip away lift lines, parking lot reservations, $15 hotdogs and you have human powered fun on planks of wood. Work with what is available to you. Lift lines are long? Go hike a new zone. Make time to go when crowd’s aren’t there. Create something out of nothing.

    Touring is at our core. 

    We watch sunrises from ridgelines, we bump chairlifts to seek the daydreamed lines we have from the resort. Atop the summit, it makes you truly appreciate every step, turn, and view because another lap is another few hours.  

    We're deeply convicted:

    This is worth protecting. 
    This is worth sharing. 
    This is worth respecting. 

    We need places to pray in and play in.
    The wilderness is our playground.

    Do it yourself.
    The backcountry athlete is a problem solver and student at heart. They venture into the unknown to feel alive.

    In the mountains, there is no such thing as certain safety, as risk is ever present. They seek that thin line between life and death. It’s a chance to be present in the moment and savor the memory. It’s an opportunity to feel close to those who’ve passed. It’s a place to reflect on what actually matters without distraction. It’s our home away from home.

    In the backcountry, no one is there to save you but you and your crew.

    We carry that into our daily lives and apply it to our work. No one is coming to help you. Define the problem, determine a solution and get to work. It doesn’t need to be perfect, as “works for now” is good enough, until you make it better. If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Think outside the box and you’ll be surprised with what you find.

    Teach yourself something new, become part of a community.

    Life is a classroom and knowledge is there for the taking. You don’t need a lift to ski and you don’t need a school building to learn. Hijack your mentors, enroll in YouTube University, crash, burn, fail, fail, and fail some more. Intelligence is “the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations”

    We’ve learned CAD, 3D design and printing, basic construction skills, metal fabrication & welding, sourcing, mold making, laser engraving, finishing, painting, and so many more strange skills.

    We’re not perfect at them but the more we learn the better we become.

    Play is fundamental
    We reserve space for ourselves to play. Whether this is lunch laps, a mid winter backcountry mission, or 2 week ski road trips. We prioritize fun over all else.

    Playing allows us to explore and try things without judgment. It leads to deep meaningful conversations on the skin track, funny ideas while on the chairlift, and a burning passion to keep the fire alive as long as possible.

    So if your packages are a few days late, we apologize, we were probably skiing.

    At the end of the day
    We want to feel proud of the work we’re doing. We find great fulfillment scaling peaks to enjoy a 30 second fun run. We want that feeling in our work.

    We’re way more interested in sharing a beer after laps or giving pole taps at the top of lines instead of making a quick buck, flying all over the world chasing snow.

    We want to know who we share these mountains with and what it means to them.

    So think of it this way, when you support Hover with your purchases, you’re helping us keep the fire going and enabling us to protect this land we love.

    You’re also helping us leave our dead end jobs, allow us to do work we’re deeply passionate and excited about, let us to start our families the way we want and become a voice in your community.

    You won’t catch us driving brand new rigs out of the dealership, so if you see our rust buckets on the side of the road, pull over and give us a hand. We will for you.

    Skiers and their skis.
    A tribute to the ski bum.

    - Greg & Mike