NOLIMITZ HISTORY:
Located in the Gorge for over 20 years, NoLimitz is the manufacturer of the original 'Skinny' mast, which remains unsurpassed for durability and performance. Designed by a team of engineers who love to sail on gear that does not bust, the founders of NoLimitz quickly realized that carbon is strongest in the skinny diameter, NOT the fat mast diameter, which was from the prehistoric years of aluminum masts.
NoLimitz continues to develop and build in the Gorge the leading edge in windsurfing mast technology. Pre-preg carbon lay-up ensures accuracy; rigorous testing guarantees unsurpassed response; all masts are wrapped with a UV-stable, abrasion-resistant outer coating. Bold fashion statement silk-screened graphics and boom markings will not magically disappear with use.
Take the step: grab the 'stick' and ride the wave, swell, sound... whatever your venue may be. Ride the true Skinny!
:: Company ::
Nolimitz carbon masts were born from the desire to create a mast that would better withstand the natural elements and stresses involved in the sport of windsurfing. In 1989 the first Nolimitz carbon fiber mast was built. Since then tens of thousands of masts have followed and have found their way into hands of sailors around the world in search of the most durable mast that money can buy. In 1992 Nolimitz engineers looked at the design of their masts and decided to step outside of the “aluminum” box by creating the Skinny genre of windsurfing masts. Until that point the standard diameter of all masts was driven by the design work done to create an efficiently performing aluminum mast (the material of choice in the 1980s).
NoLimitz Masts
Nolimitz released the world’s first production Skinny carbon windsurfing mast in 1992. The Skinny design was the result of pure engineering data that corresponds to composite materials being used in the construction of carbon fiber masts. The thicker wall thickness and smaller diameter proved to be much more durable than the regular diameter counterparts and the Skinny revolution began. Since then the Skinny design has been copied and tweaked by dozens of mast companies bringing the windsurfing industry to where it is today with a variety of Skinny (often referred to as “RDM”) options. Nolimitz, the company that started it all is now the only manufacturer producing windsurfing masts in the United States and currently offers three Skinny mast models to meet a wide variety of sailing conditions and equipment.
After years of testing, engineering and prototyping Nolimitz added the “SUMO” and “F.A.S.T.” models to the Skinny family of windsurfing masts. The “SUMO” was born in response to increasing demand for a slightly stiffer Skinny mast still durable enough for hardcore wave and freeride sailing. With a roughly 1 point increase in MCS stiffness over the “Original” Skinny the SUMO fills this niche and is capable of handling the most radical sailing conditions imaginable. The SUMO Skinny is available in 400cm, 430cm and 460cm lengths and boasts a UV stable and ding resistant silver texillium outer layer. Nolimitz incorporates several different carbon fiber materials to attain the ideal strength to stiffness ratio in the SUMO line. This is especially true for the 460cm model where the increased length demands a higher modulus material to achieve proper stiffness and bending characteristics. The 33 MSI (million pounds of tensile modulus per square inch) standard modulus carbon fiber that is used to construct standard Skinny lengths (340cm through 430cm) isn’t ideal when you look at designing a 460cm, or even 490cm Skinny. The mast simply becomes too soft due to the fact that the smaller diameter of a Skinny mast takes away from stiffness capabilities in these longer lengths. If extra layers of 33 MSI material are used the mast can become quite heavy. However, the engineers at Nolimitz have found that by utilizing carbon fiber with higher modulus (55 MSI fibers) you can attain the properties needed for a high performance 460cm and even 490cm Skinnies.
The “F.A.S.T.” (Fiber Alignment Skinny Technology) mast is available in 460cm and 490cm lengths. This model extends the range of any Skinny quiver and was designed in response to the demand for a Skinny mast that can accommodate larger freeride sails. The 460cm F.A.S.T. flexes very similar to the 460cm SUMO, but is lighter due to the increased usage of the higher modulus 55 MSI carbon fiber. The “F.A.S.T.” is a must have for anyone looking to stick with a Skinny diameter mast throughout their quiver, but wants to avoid switching between different diameter mast extensions. Like the SUMO, the F.A.S.T. incorporates a silver carbon outer layer of material that is UV stable and ding resistant (not to mention incredibly shiny and cool). The F.A.S.T. is geared toward freeride sailing while the SUMO is designed to handle anything you or mother nature can dish out in wave and freestyle environments.
The Original Skinny remains the benchmark for all Skinny masts due to it’s overwhelming versatility and popularity for an extremely large number of sail brands and riding styles. The reinforcements and overall design of the Original Skinny is refined every year to meet the changing needs of sail manufacturers and to improve durability. With our 3 Skinny quiver Nolimitz offers a carbon mast line that accommodates an incredibly broad range of sail sizes and styles. Contact your local Nolimitz dealer to purchase one of these products that are raising the standard in the world of high performance windsurfing masts.
NoLimitz Masts
:: Innovative Composite Engineering - Our Parent Company ::
One of the earliest technology companies to call the Columbia River Gorge home is Innovative Composite Engineering (ICE), founded by Steven Maier in 1989. The vision for ICE was to apply advanced composite technology from the aerospace industry to the design and manufacture of industrial and consumer products. Over the past 17 years ICE has grown to be a world leader in composite structures through development of specialized design and manufacturing technology. “We solve problems that others are afraid to tackle,” says Maier.
“Why the Gorge? Why not!” responds Steve when asked why he settled in the Columbia River Valley. “I was living in Indianapolis, doing an hour commute to my engineering job at a major auto manufacturer, working 50 hour weeks, making good money, and absolutely hating life”. In 1987 Steve came to the gorge on vacation and immediately fell in love with the area. He saw the gorge as the perfect place to start a company. Rent was cheap, workers plentiful, the lifestyle incredible, and only an hour drive from the Portland Airport. “I was amazed that more companies did not call this place home. Live in the city or live in a recreational paradise an hour from a major city? Tough choice!”
NoLimitz or ICE often flies under the radar in this community as they have very few local customers. “Our customer base is global ranging from Fortune 100 companies and branches of the military to small “mom and pop” shops with a little of everything in between,” says Maier. ICE’s customer list includes some heavy hitters such as Baker-Hughes, BMW, Daimler-Chrysler, Boeing, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Lockheed, but it is all the smaller companies that keep them well-balanced. When you ask Steve what exactly ICE makes he states: “Basically, we are a really boring company in that we just make tubes, but some of them are very impressive.”
The Nolimitz mast was ICE’s first product, but only by a few weeks. “People think of us as a windsurfing company but what really launched ICE was tubing for cell phone broadcast towers,” says Maier. In the early 1990’s the first major networks were being developed for analog cell phones and ICE developed manufacturing technology that allowed for cost effective production of thousands of these tubes per week. The Nolimitz line of windsurfing masts were a result of Maier “being sick of swimming.” “I learned to windsurf in the late 70’s (admits he should be better by now) and loved the sport from my first day on Lake Superior. In the Midwest, you get maybe 5 good days a year.
Breaking a mast ends your day and there goes 20% of your good sailing. I knew there had to be a better way of building a mast, something that would not weigh a ton or send you swimming with the fishes.” It was also a great way to generate much needed cash flow for ICE due to their location in one of the premier windsurfing locations in the world. The Nolimitz carbon mast quickly became the industry standard for durability and performance. In 1992, another innovation was made when Maier engineered the first ever “Skinny” mast. When asked about “The Skinny” Maier replies, “The Skinny is a result of pure engineering being applied to a defined problem, it really was just simple logic”. The overall diameter was reduced, wall thickness was increased, and the result was a mast lighter and more durable than any other on the market. The Skinny redefined the mast market worldwide and every mast company out there offers some sort of copy. For the past 15 years ICE has been tweaking and improving the Nolimitz Skinny and it is arguably the most technologically advanced in the world. “The biggest mistake we made with the Skinny is that it is too durable. People never need to replace them,” Maier jokes. ICE is currently the only manufacturer producing windsurfing masts in the United States. Raw materials for every ICE product are only sourced from US Suppliers. Steve says this is the way it has always been at ICE and it is something that will not change.
ICE’s diversity is their strength in a time when many US based companies have outsourced their production and engineering to countries all over the world in search of cheaper labor and lower production costs. The Nolimitz line of Skinnies is the only mast line left that is actually manufactured in the US. The goal at ICE/NOLIMITZ is to innovate solutions for customers while creating employment here in the gorge. “It is not about money. If it was, we would outsource and use lower cost materials. It is about the people, feeling good about what you are doing, and the lifestyle you are living,” says Maier. “ICE firmly believes in keeping manufacturing and technology jobs in the US, and we proudly call the Gorge our home.”
More about our current line of Skinny masts (see the PRODUCTS page for more info.):
The F.A.S.T. NoLimitz - USA
http://www.windrider.gr/forum/viewtopic.php?p=543#543
The “Sumo” Skinny: NoLimitz
http://www.windrider.gr/forum/viewtopic.php?t=433
The “Original Skinny”
http://www.windrider.gr/forum/viewtopic.php?t=432
Technologically advanced prepreg carbon fiber windsurfing masts. Handmade in the U.S.A.
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