Ski Legend Pep Fujas Talks Gear, Design, and Simplicity

Aside from the Beringia partnership, what are you up to these days?

"As far as the ski world is concerned, I still work with OYUKI (a Japanese outerwear brand) and now with Beringia. Other than that, I'm kind of a free agent. I think that's how I've approached my involvement in the ski career, and especially with sponsors. A lot of times, I just kind of let things flow, and usually people come to me, and that's kind of how I've operated. And so I'm not really going out there and looking for ski sponsors, but I've had good relationships with OYUKI over the years, and I still, you know, get skis from K2. 

I was working for WNDR for the last five years, so of course, skiing on their skis for the most part. But K2 is still outfitting my family with all of the needs, which are substantial. You have a family of four, and they also like to do a variety of different disciplines. So we have quite a garage full of ski equipment.

My approach to skiing is—I think it's the same as it's been for most of my life. I like to push myself. It's still as fun as it ever has been, and I still have, you know, I think my objectives have changed a lot. Like, I don't necessarily need to go out and like, 'Oh, I need to ski this line or that line.' And, I mean, they're always in the back of my head, like, 'Hey, if it's good, I'll go and try to get it.' But for the most part, I'm more about the small wins. I think that is also a result of having kids and a family and responsibility to people other than myself."

Maybe it's too early for your involvement with them for this, but could you just tell me a little bit about Beringia—maybe an elevator pitch on what they're doing and what they're up to?

"I mean, it's a brand that's born in the mountains. The founder has a background in textiles. So he has a really deep knowledge of the quality of the fibers and weaving techniques, and so he's kind of amassed this really broad network of designers and thread makers. He's just brought all this knowledge together to create really beautiful and aesthetic pieces that are also very functional. I think a lot of the pieces are very intentional. They're very committed to quality in both product and the philosophy of the gear. They utilize a lot of skills that originated in Japan and are still there. 

I think what I found really interesting was the storytelling behind the garments themselves and where they came from. And I was kind of taken aback. He was like, 'Yeah, we're sourcing our wool from Japan.' And I'm like, 'Well, Japan doesn't really have sheep. Why would you do that?' But the Japanese had, you know, they had figured out a way, like, after wool had been brought into the country from various other parts of the world, utilized in clothing, they figured out ways to break that clothing down and then repurpose it. And a lot of the fibers actually turn out to be a bit softer and also durable. They just created this technique that helped regenerate the wool and utilize it. 

I'm really drawn to those stories, particularly when you're utilizing something that's renewable. I think the brand philosophy also resonated with me. It's about just self-discovery and understanding, and through the immersion of yourself in nature, so learning from the world around you and learning from yourself. The foundational quality is that you don't have to do all these things to create self-worth, but they are a natural part of the human experience. I think doing hard things is really beneficial for everyone, whether that is being meticulous about creating products, or doing hard things to get to the next phase after you really immerse yourself in something, and you do something that's really challenging—you just have that ability to grow."

What does the partnership with Beringia entail for you?

"I have a history with product design and marketing. I like solving problems. It's like one of the most fun things. I think, in my ski career, that's also been one of the most fun things. Going out and seeing the mountain and figuring out how to ride down it, and maybe how to trick off of something or do it in a different way. So I'll be helping them with brand strategy. Help them build out their product line. Help with storytelling, help with kind of technical copywriting, help in marketing, and also be an ambassador."

As you noted, being involved in the product side isn't new for you. Did that start when you joined K2 and had pro models with the brand?

"Yeah, that's probably where I got my start in product design in general. The brands that you work with recognize that you're out there in the elements and environment and doing your sport. And you have knowledge about what works and what doesn't. So you know, they want to capitalize on that and create better products for their company. It's just kind of reinforcing that, 'Oh, I do have good ideas. And these ideas translate into a product that works.'

I guess that's what sparked my interest in product design. Also, when I got on board with Patagonia, they're like, 'What do you want to do for us?' And it's like, well, I want to get integrated into the design of the product and help test and give feedback. And so when you give feedback and something comes out that works better than the stuff that you had before, then it's a great feeling. That's what drove me to always want to improve the gear that I'm in. If I'm out there all the time, I want the stuff that works the best for that environment."

So product design was something you enjoyed, and by virtue of using the gear, you were like, 'Well, I should help them improve this.' And you found an interest in that side of the world?

"I always like asking those questions. Like, 'What if you do this? How's this going to change the mechanics of the articulation of your shoulder or the cuff? How can you make that a little bit more seamless so it's not moving around?’ 

The number of things that you have to do, especially when you're ski touring, is wild. Taking off the skins, remember to buckle the buckle, and put your cuff over your boot. Make sure you're not in walk mode, and you gotta zip up your jacket and put on the backpack. And is your helmet secure? There are just so many moving parts. The more you can streamline all of that, the better you are mentally, because you don't have to think about all of these other things that you have to do.

It just, you click in, and it works. You don't have to fiddle with a bunch of things, and you don't have these things in the back of your mind when you're about to ski something challenging— or even not. Just when you're going to go, it sucks when you [say] 'Oh, I left my vent open underneath my armpit, and now I crashed, and there's snow everywhere, and now I'm wet. Now I gotta deal with that.' Making functional things for the things that I do gives me a lot of satisfaction."

How do you hope to shape Beringia going forward?

"I think a brand is about culture, it's about the product, it's about the community. I want to help curate that community and also build really beautiful, aesthetic, performance-driven products. It's funny, internalizing being like, 'Yeah, I think I can do this and bring this to the table.' I don't know if I feel it's egotistical. Like, 'Yeah, I'm gonna do all these great things for this brand,' you know, and make a bunch of promises.  But I want to bring the spirit and culture of the mountains, not necessarily to say the brand doesn't have that, because it most certainly does, and that's why I was attracted to it, but to kind of elevate their storytelling a little bit.

And also, I have a passion for simplicity and trying to do what we can with the resources that we have. I think Beringia has a strong foundation and can keep evolving through different product lines and different offerings that can help usher in more sustainable resources, coatings, and gear. Just all of the little, small details that a lot of other folks don't think about. I have fun thinking about what we can do better with less. I don't know what else I'm going to bring. Maybe some fun. Got that in the back pocket on occasion."

You've been in the ski industry for a very long time. You've been a professional skier, you've done product design, you've done all these things in the industry. What are some of the current challenges you're seeing, like tariffs?

"I mean, yeah, the tariff gyrations. They are, of course, supply chain issues. There's a lot of saturation in the market. You know, there are quite a few brands. There are a lot of newer brands. There's certainly a lot of competition. That's funny, I always have that internal battle with myself, like, do we really need more gear and more brands?  Probably not. But if you're building stuff that's intentional, it's potentially more sustainable, you're using less, then let's go for it."

Are there trends that you've noticed? What trends would you like to see?

"I mean, recycled materials. I think it's bridging something that is really nice, aesthetically and timeless, with something that's really functional. I mean, it's easy to say. I think that people have been saying that for probably 30 or 40 years, but I think there's always room for improvement. Whether that's just making simple changes that open up, you know, your range of motion, or using materials that work that are not from fossil fuel-derived sources. What are the trends, or what I'd like to see in the trends?"

I guess it's a two-parter.

"It's funny, as much as I look at trends—I think if you're looking at trends, you're already kind of behind the trends, and I don't want to be trend-driven. I want to create things that are lasting. If something is functional and it works, usually, those things kind of trump some of the fashion and aesthetic trends that happen. 

What examples can I give? I guess this is the one that comes to mind. It's the Patagonia fleece. They've had this fleece that's been around since, I don't know, I was looking through catalogs when I was a kid. I was probably like five years old. It hasn't changed one bit. And of course, it's still like one of their number one top-selling garments, because it's timeless. It functions. It's comfortable. It hits all those little key points that you look for, and is something that works."