On a recent winter day on Mt. Hood, the gloomy clouds mirrored the ski slopes as rainy weather created misery for snow enthusiasts. For Jack Stewart and Patrick Willey, the mountain is always a playground.
The two slap hands and bump fists before skiing down the mountain. Line after line, Stewart, Willey and a pack of riders attempt new and daring tricks. Each successful rail and nasty fall is videoed by Ramsey Saleem, who always has an eye for the best shots.
This winter, it’s almost a weekly routine for the boys, all of whom are Grant High School sophomores and co-founders of a student-run startup company called Ski 503. Their plan is to produce videos, take photos and sell retail items tied to skiing and snowboarding. The fledgling company even has a growing media following on a personal website and Instagram.
Running a successful business can be a grind even for an adult. The average age of an entrepreneur is 40 and most have at least a bachelor’s degree. Teens running businesses are far more rare. And getting one off the ground–while going to school–can make things more difficult.
But that’s not a worry for the boys. There are six of them, none older than 16. They all say the success of the business isn’t the top priority. For them, the project is about getting job experience and practicing something they all love.
“We’re all passionate for the mountain…so the work isn’t too much,” says head skier Georgio Kenney.
Initially, the group was inspired to simply make a movie of their best rides and interviews with friends. Stewart, the main designer, says the idea for the company didn’t come immediately. “It wasn’t just one day that we decided to do it,” he says. “It kind of just happened.”
But these students say they are prepared for the struggles ahead. “It’s more for us,” says Kenney. “But at the same time, we’re trying to be serious about it and run a successful business.”
After evaluating each member’s set of skills, the boys fell into their respective roles. Stewart handles most of the designs and also helps with the technical side of things and rides for the team. Saleem has experience making skateboard videos, so he serves as the team videographer.
Kenney, the most experienced rider, is the main skier who will be featured in upcoming videos on Ski 503’s website. He also contributes ideas for design, while another member, Ben Owens, handles promotion and management.
“We won’t go ahead with something unless every person agrees,” says Stewart. “Everybody’s voice has equal weight.”
Like many novice businesses, money is a strain for Ski 503. Despite living at home, none of the members receive parental help. In the beginning, the group decided all six sophomores should put in $50 out of pocket for equipment, trademarking, T-shirts and savings. As costs continue to stack up, the group pitches in equally. “Other than rides, it’s been all us,” says Kenney.
To get more exposure, the group launched a social media plan. “They had a bunch of cool pictures that they wanted to post so I decided to make an Instagram,” says Owens.
Currently, they have over 3,500 followers and are often contacted by fans.
Grant sophomore Kana Endo says the work by the company hit a note for her. “I think the pictures are amazing,” she says. “I’ve never seen better pictures of the mountain in my life. It makes me want to try skiing and snowboarding myself.”
To take the venture further, the group created a website and drafted a logo.
Owens contacted a graphic designer in Vermont to make sure the logo was done correctly. The designer, also a high school student and avid skier, ended up costing Ski 503 two months in production.
Not long after they’d gotten the finished design, Owens discovered a strikingly similar graphic on Shutterstock, a stock image website. After contacting the graphic designer, the team found out the logo had already been copyrighted and could no longer be put on merchandise.
But team members didn’t quit. “We actually asked people online for help and got a bunch of direct messages on Instagram for logo ideas,” says Stewart.
In the end, the group was happier with the new logo. “I was disappointed at first but was glad with how things worked out,” Willey says.
Eight months into the business, the group is heading into new territory. At this point, the initial excitement has died down and new hardships have emerged. “It’s kind of a combination of us being young and not having enough resources,” says Kenney.
Currently, the sophomores are struggling to juggle schoolwork with company work, and since no one in the group has a driver’s license, getting rides to Mt. Hood has proven difficult.
Even the weather this winter–more mild and rainy than previous seasons–isn’t cooperating. “We can’t really do anything but park if the snow’s bad and the sun’s not out,” says Stewart.
On a recent trip, the snow cooperated. But even then, capturing a sizeable amount of useable footage is difficult.
“On a great day, if everyone was landing everything they were trying, you could probably get an edit done that’s maybe five minutes,” says Stewart. “And that’s if we we’re all up there and we were all working.”
The last day the boys went up, “It was a preview day and there was a bunch of powder so we built a jump and it was big enough to get some good footage,” says Stewart.
The sky was clear and the mountain empty, perfect conditions for a ski movie. “You either need clear skies or really stormy weather with tons of snow,” says Stewart.
Other than that time, the mountain has fallen short for video opportunities.
If they can get things off the ground, the Ski 503 team members say they want to sell merchandise in stores such as Evo and the Mt. Hood Ski Resort.
Johannes Jans, manager of Daddies Board Shop, says his store wants to support the young entrepreneurs. He met Saleem – who used to hang around the shop every weekend – last year. As soon as they get bigger, they’d have a shot at retailing, Jans says. Networking and negotiating is difficult as is, but their age and inexperience makes some businesses wary.
“We definitely support small local businesses,” Jans says, but “we aren’t going to start a trend with someone that’s not very known yet.”
In the meantime, the boys will work on spreading their brand. The team plans on selling T-shirts around school next month.
Phil Kenney, Georgio Kenney’s dad, likes seeing the boys’ efforts. “I’m proud of them for coming up with this even if it doesn’t go anywhere,” he says. “I think it’s important that more kids have the opportunity to get involved in something like this.” ◊
