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paving the way for a new manufacturing era
Welcome to the First Track Lab. We're here to challenge the riding sports industry and pave the way for a new manufacturing era.
Riding sports industry? We're talking skis, snowboards, wakeboards, and kiteboards that have been produced and distributed in the same way for decades.
Our clients are major brands, SMEs, and start-ups looking for development and production solutions. We speed up their R&D and press their products with unprecedented flexibility. And we do so directly from our facility, based in Verbier, Switzerland.
In other words, we open alternatives to the established production & business organization. We make the change happen!
gear development
Product design
Ride tech and eco tech development
Prototyping and proof-testing
Mechanical analysis
production
Swiss Made
High flexibility
High quality
go to market
Business strategy & consulting
Sustainability & transformation
Marketing strategy & execution
1
innovation award
ISPO brandnew, best winter
hardware innovation
6
team members
working with the support
of 5 business partners
4
primary sports
ski, snowboard, wakeboard, kitesurf
5
custom machines
to shape, press, test prototypes in less than 24h without mold
2'154
cups of coffee
and many many
long working nights
Photo credit: © MVD Media
first of its kind, based in verbier, switzerland
Discover the First Track Lab through the unique eye of Seb Jam, our friend and the official video maker.
Most of the shots have been taken in the area of Verbier, either in our lab or in the surrounding mountains, the ultimate playground to test our latest developments in real conditions.
"First Track Lab is the brainchild of Yoann Chapel and Selim Abdi, a classic pair of disrupters out to shake up traditional ski manufacturing."
the telegraph,
Photo credit: © MVD Media
our services
With over 10 years of background in product and brand development, the First Track Lab team can basically launch a brand from scratch. From branding & positioning, technology development, product design and down to the production and go to market, we can help you at pretty much any stage of value chain.
research & development
Research
Ride technology development
Eco technology development
Concept / product design
Technology integration
validation
Fully functional prototype
Pulled in 24h from the design validation
No investment in molds
Mechanical testing (data-driven)
Real condition testing (feeling-driven)
production
Swiss Made production
Full flexibility on volumes & stocks
Quality check during production
Gear testing for quality standard validation
go to market
Business consulting & strategy
Sustainable & business transformation
Product offering diversification
Marketing consulting & strategy
Digital transformation
Marketing execution
simplified r&d process
Developing a truly innovative product is often an expansive and long-lasting crusade. Investment in molds is usually required from the prototyping phase and brands have to take a risky bet on their ideas. The time to produce these molds is also a major constraint and when the production finally happens, back and forth start between the production site and the testing site. Here again, expansive, time consuming and not ideal for the CO2 footprint.
At the First Track Lab, our mission is to simplify this process and make innovation in the riding sports affordable, fast and flexible. Our lab has been entirely designed to build prototypes without mold and the testing areas are basically next door.
classical process
first track lab process
meet the crew
Versatile, creative and entrepreneur, these are the attributes best defining the First Track Lab team members. Through the past years, they have sharpened their skills together at Anticonf, a riding brand founded by Selim a decade ago. In addition to this common project, all have had experiences on their own in different industries.
And in their task, they are also supported by several business partners with various background (wide scale business, winter sports, entrepreneurship...).
Please meet the First Track Lab founders !
Yoann is the business profile behind the First Track Lab.
In addition to his managing role in the lab, Yoann has a background as marketing agency manager. He is overseeing the global business organization of the First Track Lab.
yoann chapel
Managing Partner, Lab Captain
With over 12 years of experience in development of riding gear, Selim is the mastermind behind the First Track Lab.
In addition to his managing role in the lab, Selim is also coordinating wide scale ski production at the AST factory in Tunisia, bridging the gap between R&D and volume production.
selim abdi
Founder, Head of Disruption
first track lab
Chemin de Châble Creux 16
1934 Le Châble VS
Switzerland
contact us
yoann chapel
Lab Captain