DENVER, Colo. — Our love for the outdoors comes with a lot of gear, so anything that helps us carry that gear into the mountains is greatly appreciated. Take the Colorado company Uncii Rack for example.
It isn't always easy loading up the big luggage carrier on your car.
"I realized that I can't leave that on my car year-round," said Steve Nevener, founder of Uncii Rack. "There's got to be a better way."
Nevener, who goes by the nickname Nev, started drawing up a new concept.
"I started sketching," he said. "I have a decent sketching ability. And, I've got clay in my hand. I'm making clay going through the prototype."
The end result was a single-strap car mount to carry your skis and other outdoor gear.
"My product is called Uncii," Nevener said. "It's pronounced oon-chee. It's a derivative of a Cherokee word for snow."
The mount aims to tackle some of the hangups with bulkier rooftop boxes.
"The fins on the lateral sides keep the skis from going side to side," Nevener said. "And, (it has) a nice big, bulky handle. You ratchet everything down at once. So, there are no tools required."
"With (Uncii Rack), you have zero wind noise on the highways. It's very gas efficient. You get home, you can take it off your car in two seconds and hang it in your garage," Nevener said
And it isn't just for winter sports. He plans to expand to accommodate summer enthusiasts, too.
"We've got water sports," Nevener said. "Stand-up paddleboards and kayaks and canoes, ways to carry oars on top of your car."
Uncii can help Coloradans spend more time doing what they love and less time packing for it.
"It's going to be for niche people," Nevener said. "Day trips, single people, maybe a couple."
The Uncii Rack was also a finalist for the 2021 Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator Program.
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