User:Krisdoor/Sandbox

Mark J. Wariakois (aka “Wally”) (inventor, entrepreneur)
Mark J. Wariakois (born March 20, 1955) is the founder of Voilé Manufacturing, a Utah Company that produces backcountry ski and snowboard equipment and accessories. He invented the Company's initial product, the Voilé Telemark Binding, in 1980 for backcountry skiing.

In 1991 Wariakois, along with Brett “kowboy” Kobernik, invented the Splitboard to bring snowboarding to the backcountry. Wariakois went on to design avalanche shovels, skis, and skins all for backcountry skiing. The Voilé strap was one more product invented for backcountry use, but has become the go-to device to secure, bundle and repair almost anything.

Early life
Wariakois grew up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, son of two public school art teachers, Richard (Dick) and Theodora (Teddy) Wariakois. He has one sister, Kris Wariakois Door. His father built their White Bear house in 1953 and could repair or solve almost any mechanical problem. He taught his son how to build structures, repair cars and weld together go-karts and crazy bikes. Wariakois grew up with a creative, inventive spirit.

Professional Life
After high school, Wariakois traveled out west to Utah, where he raced dirt bikes. Then he spent a few years in New Mexico where he gained small manufacturing experience making hang gliders for ElectraFlyer. When that ended in 1979 he was in Salt Lake City. While fooling around on cross-country skis, he realized the challenge of skiing downhill on those skis and built the first Voilé plates to stabilize the boot.

From this invention, Wariakois founded Voilé (pronounced vo-lay) in 1980, a manufacturer of backcountry skiing and snowboarding equipment, known for their innovative designs and high-quality products. Voilé fulfilled his passion for backcountry skiing and a desire to improve backcountry equipment. The company became known for its pioneering contributions to the industry, including the development of the first splitboard, which allowed snowboarders to traverse and ascend uphill like skiers. This invention revolutionized backcountry snowboarding. Wariakois invented the Voilé avalanche shovel in 1981, adding to the product line. The shovel’s design, like many of Wariakois’ inventions, has been copied by many. A later addition, the Voilé strap, proved so popular that it has a dedicated website, voilestraps.com.

Personal life
Mark Wariakois has one son, Shey Dilloway Wariakois, who followed in his father’s footsteps by studying engineering.