Whatever your passion, chances are there's expensive merchandise out there to support it. Some of us will pay top dollar for the best of the best stuff.

But Matt Cudmore decided to make the premium goods himself. So what's the passion for this Rocky Mountain native? Skiing (surprise, surprise).

Better Skis, Better Forests

Like many of his fellow Coloradans, skiing's a way of life for Cudmore. His six-year-old company, Meier Handmade Skis, was born out of his pursuit for the perfect vessels to carry him down the hill. For Cudmore, perfection means hand-crafted boards made from local wood right in his home state.

"Each ski is crafted by hand, an original work of art," said Cudmore. "You are getting a true Made-in-America ski that slays it. Every time."

Meier Skis is the first ski manufacturer to use aspen and pine trees killed by bark or pine beetles.

The skis are made from 100 percent natural wood products -- not composites like you'd find with machine-made skis from a manufacturing company in China.

And what some people might not know is that rather than harming the environment, strategically cutting some trees can actually create a healthier forest that flourishes. By using local, carefully-chosen aspens, douglas firs and pines, Meier Skis is able to ensure that the wood for these premium boards isn't coming from a forest that's being exploited.

Using locally-grown trees also provides jobs and boosts the economy of Glenwood Springs, the company's small-town home. "The whole idea is to keep it as local as possible," affirmed Cudmore. "We emphasize home-grown, local wood and a product coming right out of Glenwood Springs."

There's still more awesomeness about 100 percent wood skis. Wood is solid -- more stable than your typical ski built around foam or plywood. High country aspen is extremely light and springy, as well.

Making The Best Of Beetles

Here's where the company really sets an example: Meier Skis is the first ski manufacturer to use aspen and pine trees killed by bark or pine beetles.

"We are reusing wood that has devastated the state of Colorado, so we are using that to be the eco-friendly ski company," Cudmore explained. "It is light and it produces a very poppy ski, a very responsive ski."

There's been an epidemic of bark beetles throughout the Rocky Mountains for the past several years. These little devils may not grab as many headlines as forest fires, but the devastation they've brought to Colorado's trees is much worse. Millions of acres' worth of aspens and pines have been wiped out by bark beetles. Recently, all those dead trees were food for the flames that ravaged tens of thousands of acres across the state.

By using these beetle-ravaged trees, Meier Skis is helping to control both kinds of destruction.

If you're still not convinced Meier Skis are premium stuff, consider that these fat, lightweight boards are hand-crafted from the core out. They're lookers too, showing off the grain of locally-cut aspen wood thanks to a clear top-coat.

Sustainability bonus: aspen groves share one root system, so if you cut down an aspen tree, several more will spring up in its place. How's that for environmentally responsible?