Product Description Most outdoor chairs are forgotten the moment guests sit down. This one starts conversations. Walk into any patio furniture store and the formula is the same. Stamped aluminum frames, injection-molded plastic, teak veneer over particle board. All of it engineered to look acceptable in a showroom and deteriorate quietly in your backyard over the next three summers. We had a different starting point. Adam started collecting old skis in 1995 because he couldn't stand the idea of them ending up in a landfill. He was a semi-pro ski racer in Colorado, competing against people who would go on to become Olympians. Skiing was everything to him. When that chapter ended and he found himself stuck in a corporate job, he went back to the garage in Manitou Springs with a set of DeWalt tools and started building. That was 2007. Colorado Ski Furniture has kept over a million pounds of skis out of landfills since. The compact chair is built for real outdoor use. The Alpine Compact Chair was designed for spaces where a full-size chair is too much: a patio, a fire pit area, a deck that gets used hard from May through October. The frame is solid wood with real ski rails, handcrafted and hand-finished by a team in Manitou Springs who have been doing this for nearly two decades. It's heavier than it looks, which is the point. You choose your ski color preference and base stain before we build it. No two chairs come out the same. Here's how that works. When you order, there's a notes box on the product page where you can share your ski color preferences, brand requests, or anything else that matters to you. Adam and his team will go through their stockpile and send you photos of the skis they've selected before they build anything. If they can't put together a combination you're happy with, you get a full refund. We have plenty of customers on their third and fourth order. "Great construction and very durable," one repeat buyer told us. Another said the customization options are what brought them back for a second purchase. That tracks. Once you see how it comes together, it's hard to go back to something off a shelf. What makes someone stop and ask about a chair? It's not the finish. It's the skis. Every pair has a history and you can feel it. Customers tell us their guests walk past every other piece of furniture in the yard and want to know the story behind the chair. "They're always the center of attention when we're in the backyard," one customer told us. That's not something you get from Pottery Barn or Costco. These also make the kind of gift people actually remember. We've had customers order pairs as wedding gifts, call Adam directly to talk through the details, and walk away with exactly what they had in mind. "Extremely excited to give a pair of ski chairs as a wedding gift," one customer said after working with Adam on the order. That kind of thing happens here more than you'd think. A note on fit The compact design sits more upright than a traditional ski chair, which makes it easier to get in and out of and pairs naturally with fire pit height and standard patio table setups. It delivers real comfort without the footprint that makes a larger chair feel like a commitment. If you're unsure whether this or the standard size is right for your space, reach out and we'll help you figure it out before you order. Questions get answered fast, and customization is straightforward. This is a family business, which means Adam picks up the phone, the team follows up, and taking care of people is just how it works here. Makes an easy gift for anyone who loves skiing, Colorado, or just a good chair. Handcrafted in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Built to outlast whatever season you put it through. Dimensions Width: 25" Depth: 30" Height: 36" Weight: 35 lbs Materials Every chair is built to last through Colorado winters and beyond. Frame: sustainably harvested Douglas fir Seat & back: retired alpine skis sourced from local resorts Hardware: stainless steel screws and brackets Finish: weather-proof exterior oil paint/stain Finish Each chair is hand-painted by Colorado artisans — no two are exactly alike. Weather-proof exterior oil stain UV-resistant topcoat for outdoor use Available in natural wood, painted, or custom color on request Contact us if you'd like a specific color match for your space.
