Industry News
Zoa Engineering, innovators of the PL1, the first portable, personal, backcountry rope-tow, is officially going big, announcing a new co-founder and investment to help take the team to the next level and change with a major innovation in the way skiers and boarders travel uphill.
The new investment has unlocked the company’s potential for growth. They are moving into a new Headquarters warehouse and office space in Vancouver, BC, bringing employees on full time, and launching a full inventory order to go on sale on November 10th at www.zoaeng.com at 12:00 noon PST.
“Our crowdfunding campaign met its goal, selling out in just a few hours. That was more than a year ago. We’ve since honed the manufacturing and assembly process and delivered to 125 customers around the world. Our customers and supporters have been patiently waiting to get out there with their own PL1s. We’re excited to take things to the next level and to help our supporters ski and ride more and work less.”
– PL1 Inventor Robert Button
The next level kicks off on November 10th at 12:00 noon PST when PL1 units go on sale.
Bringing on new investment was required to move the company forward. Zoa is excited to bring Andrew Zwicker of Rossland, BC, on board as co-founder/Marketing and Sales Director. Bringing with him a significant investment in the company and a wealth of ski industry, business, marketing, and sales experience, the company is ready to grow in a big way. Zwicker is also working on game-changing new enterprise opportunities for ski areas, backcountry lodges, heli, and cat operations to add new experiences and products for their guests, as well as working with search and rescue to help them move quicker through the mountains.
“I have been following Robert and Eric’s progress for a couple of years now from afar. It has been a long term dream and goal of mine to bring new business models to the ski industry and what the Zoa guys were doing was very close to what I had in mind. It’s exciting to bring our ideas and energy together to bring every skier and boarder’s dream to life. Having a lift of your own, when and where you want to ski.”
– Andrew Zwicker
Moving into their new Headquarters in the bustling Clark/Commercial Drive neighborhood of Vancouver, a short drive south of their testing grounds in the North Shore Mountains and Sea to Sky Corridor, Zoa’s ability to efficiently manufacture and assemble PL1 units will be greatly increased.
“It’s been an increasingly short-term goal of ours to move this operation into one dedicated space and out of my guest room and storage space. This is going to be a well designed space where we can efficiently assemble and ship as well as foster and design the next Zoa innovations.”
– Co-founder Robert Button
With 125 PL1 units in the wild already, Zoa is bringing powder and backcountry access to the people when and where they want it. Helping skiers and boarders go further, faster, and get more skiing and riding in, with less effort. As the first portable, personal backcountry rope tow on the market, they are looking to follow in the footsteps of change that electric bikes brought to the cycling world.
Important Facts
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The ZOA PL1 is the first portable backcountry rope tow system.
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It is a patent-pending, powerful tool for backcountry skiing and boarding that fits in your backpack and helps skiers and boarders get more laps with less work.
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Average skiers can expect between 2,500 and 3,500 vertical feet per battery.
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Typical days have 5,000 to 7,000 added extra vertical feet with the PL1 with 1 extra battery.
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Weight: 10.8 pounds
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Minimum operating temperature -40 C
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Completed one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns for products over $1,000, selling out 125 units.
For more info, visit www.zoaeng.com.
Unintended consequences? What could go wrong!
This looks like a very heavy, disposable piece of equipment that could seriously hurt you before it’s ready for the dumpster!