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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).
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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.
More about our current line of Skinny masts (see the
PRODUCTS page for more info.):
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.
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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.
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:: Innovative Composite Engineering - Our Parent Company ::
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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.
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“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!”
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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.”
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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.
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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.”