Promising 'smart solutions' with lightweight design and adjustable length, The Douchebag is aiming high. First impressions certainly looks like a new breed of ski luggage, but the beauty on show here is way more than skin-deep.
There's a limit to how much innovation can be applied to something in which to transport skis; they're long, thin, heavy and annoying. But Douchebags appear to have found every little aspect within those limits and improved it.
For me, the main irritation of bulky luggage is storing it over summer, so the fact The Douchebag rolls up to the size of a small rucksack is a godsend. To allow this, they obviously have to ditch the length-wise rigidity. That might seem to put your skis at risk in transit, but since skis are designed to flex almost without limit under the full force of a speeding human, maybe it's time to cut the airport bag-throwers some slack?
Besides, Douchebags have added plenty of protection and structure by way of their Rib Cage construction, which sees horizontal struts placed along the whole length of the bag, and still allows the 'roll'.
The rollability is also essential to another function - the adjustable length. No longer do short skis need to be lost inside a 2 metre bag, as the end of the Douchebag can simply be rolled and secured to suit - making airport navigation much simpler too.
This is a superb, ingenious re-invention of ski carriage. It's expensive, but worth every penny. And cheaper than adding an extension to your house to store luggage....
