Cristina Ashbaugh wishes she could put a warning sign on her company’s website to alert visitors that its products aren’t for hardcore skiers.

“And that’s not because it’s a product problem,” said the co-founder of Yardsale, which launched in November 2023 with colorful, customizable backcountry and resort ski poles. “It’s just because (hardcore skiers) have such niche requirements that the majority of people do not have.”

By contrast, Yardsale products are designed to make a day on the slopes a little easier. The magnet that allows Yardsale’s poles to snap together so they don’t get tangled up in gear adds weight, for example, so skiers who require a specific swing weight likely won’t find what they’re looking for from the brand.

But that’s okay by Ashbaugh and co-founder Kelly McGee, because their aim is to target the recreational, weekend skier, rather than the aspirational athletes so often featured in marketing campaigns.

“Kelly and I can both ski really well, but we’re there to have a good time and spend time with friends and be outside,” Ashbaugh said. “And we felt like there wasn’t a brand that was really speaking to that side of skiing.”

So far, the San Francisco-based brand and its ski poles are resonating with buyers. In its first year, Yardsale has grown sales by 800%, helped by a $250,000 investment from Shark Tank’s Kendra Scott.

Backcountry, Decathlon, and REI were the first retailers to pick up the brand after a Yardsale TikTok video went viral. REI carries Yardsale’s poles for adults and kids in stores in Tustin, California, as well as Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City, and SoHo. So far, REI customer feedback has been positive, said Emily Murray, REI ski buyer.

“We were first drawn to Yardsale poles because they stand out,” said Murray. The poles come in a variety of on-trend colors and forego big logos or decals for a cleaner aesthetic. “In addition to looking great, the poles are packed with features to make your day better. Yardsale poles stick together with magnets on either end, so you don’t have to worry about juggling unwieldy pokey sticks.”

The Innovation

Adding magnets to poles so they snap together may sound easy, but it was surprisingly difficult to create a prototype, Ashbaugh said, especially as the two juggled full-time jobs (Ashbaugh in venture capital, McGee in medical device design). Both temperature and moisture degrade magnets, and plastic injection molding uses both, so the challenge was to get the magnet into the pole without affecting its strength.

Alternatively, they could simply use a stronger magnet, but then it would be too large to fit in the handle of the pole. In the end, their patented process combines injection molding with high frequency welding to get around the problem. The core of the handle slot for the magnet is created with the injection molding method, and then the high frequency welding quickly bonds the plastic around it using a lower temperature to preserve the magnet’s strength.

“Once we solved that, we were able to then take that application to other pole models,” Ashbaugh said. Now, the brand has resort poles, backcountry poles, and poles for kids, in five sizes and colors. Poles start at approximately $215, and each design has customizable features, such as a GoPro camera holder, that add to the price.

Yardsale has also applied its patented magnet technology to other aspects of the pole, such as the wristband, which can be finicky on conventional poles.

“We have this new magnetic strap called mag strap, and it basically eliminates the need for you to put your glove through the strap,” Ashbaugh said. The mag strap (patent pending), just attaches once to a glove, and then a magnetic attachment point connects right into the pull handle.

“So you can just click in, click out,” Ashbaugh said. “It’s such a fast interaction.”

Looking Ahead

Yardsale is already expanding its product line to apparel and accessories and recently added a ski day bag to its offerings online.

Ashbaugh and McGee’s patent for its magnetic ski poles also extends to trekking poles, so they may develop those.

“After Shark Tank, we had so many people reach out saying, ‘Please make trekking poles. I hate my trekking poles. They’re so ugly. I want them to be magnetic.’ And so, we’re considering that.”

A product like that would require a significant investment, but Ashbaugh said the brand’s retail partners, particularly Decathlon in Europe, believe there’s an opportunity there.

“They sell 500,000 trekking poles per year, which is an absurd number,” Ashbaugh said.

In the meantime, Yardsale is hosting a pop-up store in New York City this month, and will stay focused on its strong social media and digital marketing presence, which tends to focus on the cozy, warm side moments that come with a ski day, rather than pro skiers hurtling off cliffs.

“I feel like that’s what resonated with people, because most skiers – we call them the 90% of skiers – are not out there to be the best,” Ashbaugh said. “Because that’s just not really what it’s all about.”