List of ski brands

Last updated

The following is a list of businesses known for manufacturing skis. Some of these manufacturers may also produce boots and bindings.

Contents

Skis

BrandMain ProductsOriginsEstablishedNotes
4FRNT Alpine SkisUSA2002Purchased by J Skis in 2018, and sold in 2020. [1]
AdamantAlpine SkisUSA2023Founded by Chris Peters in 2023. [2]
Armada skis Alpine SkisUSA2002Armada was founded in 2002 by a group of professional skiers and the ski and snowboard photographer Chris O'Connell. Purchased by Amer Sports March, 2017. [3]
Atomic alpine skis, cross-country skis, ski jumping skis, twin tips, bindings, ski boots, ski clothesAustria1955Founded by Alois Rohrmoser. This manufacturer created the first ski used to ski Mount Everest by Hans Kammerlander in 1996 on the Atomic Tourcap. Amer Sports purchased Atomic in 1994. [4]
Black Crows alpine skis, touring skis, outerwearChamonix, France2006Independent freeskiing-oriented company based out of Chamonix, France. Founded by professional skiers Camille Jaccoux and Bruno Compagnet. [5]
Black Diamond Equipment alpine skis, telemark skis, cross-country skis, ski boots, ski bindingsUSA1989Formerly Chouinard Equipment (founded in 1957), Black Diamond first entered the ski market in the early 1980s with the XCD telemark binding.
Blizzard alpine skisAustria1945Founded by Toni Arnsteiner. It is part of Tecnica Group since 2006.
Blossom hand-made alpine skis Italy 1906Founded by Franco Moro, an entrepreneur from Valchiavenna, and the speed coach for the national ski team and Mario Cotelli, the technical director of Valanga Azzurra.
DPS Skisalpine skis, ski clothesSalt Lake City, UT, United States2005DPS Skis - Based in Salt Lake City, UT at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, DPS was founded in 2005 by Stephen Drake and ski engineer Peter Turner [6] and is the largest domestic producer of skis.
Dynastar alpine skisFrance1963Launched as a joint venture between Dynamic and Starflex skis. Acquired by Rossignol in 1967.
Elan alpine skis, ski jumping skis, touring skis, mogul skisSlovenia1945Produced a variety of fiberglass products, including skis, then sailboats and sailplanes. Started winning on the World Cup circuit in 1964 and became famous as the ski of Ingemar Stenmark. Introduced the first widely used carving ski ("parabolic" or "shaped") in 1992, the Elan SCX.
XO SKI / Exonde alpine skisSwitzerland2011Founded in Switzerland by Stéphane Exartier, a French former alpine skier, later compiting for Poland. Previously working for major Swiss brands (Dynastar, Lange, Scott) between 2000 and 2011. Producing light weight, precisely made skis for better performance, focused on quality.
Faction Skis alpine skis, twin tips, touring skis, mogul skisSwitzerland2006Founded in the Swiss Alps by Tony McWilliam and Alex Hoye in 2006 and sponsor of notable French professional skier, filmmaker, and X-Games Champion Candide Thovex.
Fischer alpine skis, ski jumping skis, cross-country skis, ski bootsAustria1924One of the largest brands through the 1960s and into the 80s, and became a force in the downhill racing market with their C4 design in the early 1980s. Today Fischer concentrates on back-country and cross-country skis.
Forest Skis freeride, ski touring and carving skisSlovakia2012Boutique eco responsible ski brand founded in 2012, focused on high-tech customised hand made skis.
Freyriealpine skis Italy Also sold under the Spalding brand name
Friztmeir SkisGermany
Hart alpine skis, mogul skisUnited States1955Founded in St. Paul, Minn. by Harry and Hart Holmberg and Ed Bjork, to make metal laminate skis. After Head, Hart became the best-selling American-made ski during the 1950s and '60s.
Head alpine skis, ski boots, ski bindings, poles, helmets, goggles United States of America 1950Introduced the Head Standard, the first successful metal/wood composite ski, and took over the majority of the ski market in the US and UK in the 1960s. Was slow to move to fibreglass, and Howard Head left the company in 1969 handing it to AMF. AMF rebuilt the brand in the 1970s and became a force again, purchasing Tyrolia. Taken over in 1989 and currently owned by Head NV, a Dutch company.
Icelantic Skisalpine skis, ski clothesGolden, CO, United States2005Based in Golden, Colorado, and manufacturing their skis in Denver, Colorado.
Identity One / Id OneMogul skis, Freeride skis, Technical Skis, Ski poles, Ski clothesJapan2000Founded by Janne Lahtela to make Many skis for most of the Mogul Olympians And, WC competitors, skis made with stainless steel edges and a fiberglass base.
J SkisAlpine Skis, Freeride Skis, Freestyle SkisBurlington, VT, United States2013After founding and selling Line Skis to K2, J Skis was created by Jason Levinthal. [7] J Skis is an independent manufacturer of small production and limited edition skis.
K2 alpine skis, twin tip skis, snowboards, mogul skisSeattle, WA, United States1962Founded by Bill and Don Kirschner to make fiberglass skis on Vashon Island, Wash. In 2001, manufacturing was moved to China and the executive offices to Seattle. In 2007, consumer products company, Jarden Corp, bought out K2 and its subsidiaries. Subsequently, it was purchased by Newell Rubbermaid.
Kneissl alpine skisAustria1861Started ski production in 1919 and becomes Kneissl Ski in 1921. Introduced the composite "White Star" in 1960, sparking a revolution in materials. Merged with Dachstein in 1991 and merged with Raichle and Dynafit in 1996.
Liberty Skis alpine skis, twin tips, touring skis, freeskis, bindings, ski polesUnited States2003Founded by James Satloff and Dan Chalfant, and pioneered the use of bamboo in its full ski line. One of the largest independent ski manufacturers worldwide, with shops and distributors in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
Line Skis alpine skisAlbany, NY, United States1995Introduced a radical-sidecut mini-ski in 1995, and then developed this basic idea into one of the first twin-tip skis in 1999. Purchased by K2 around 2002. Continues to cater to the free ride market.
Madshus cross-countryNorway1906Only major producer left in Norway. Begins production of fiberglass skis in 1974. Purchased by K2 in 1988. Madshus became the number two worldwide in Nordic ski sales in 1997.
MajestyalpinePoland2007Emphasis on backcountry skiing, freeride and freeskiing [8]
Moment Skis alpine skis, twin tipsReno, NV, United States2003Founded by Casey Hakansson, he turned his passion for building skis for family and friends into a business.
Meier Skisbig mountain, powder, freerideDenver, CO, United States2009Meier is a handmade ski shop and ski manufacturer in Denver, CO that specializes in all mountain, powder, backcountry skis from Colorado trees.
Nordica alpine skis, touring skis, twin tips, freeskis Italy 1939Founded in Montebelluna, Italy and part of the Tecnica group since 2003.
Ogasaka Skisalpine skisJapan1912Founded by Hamataro Kogasaka, a furniture craftsman from Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture [9]
Olin alpine skisUnited States1960sMajor player in the 1970s and 80s with their Mark IV. Licensed their line to K2 in 1986 and exited the business. The brand was re-introduced in 2010 and then abandoned again.
ON3P SkisAlpine skis, park skisPortland, OR, United States2006Founded to cater to the newschooler skiing style after the founder was disappointed by a pair of custom skis. [10]
Paradise Skis Freeride Skis, Park Skis, Touring Skis, Snowboards, SplitboardsCalgary, Alberta, Canada2020Launched out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. [11]
Peak SkisAlpine skis, touring skisBozeman, MT, United States2022Founded in 2022 by Bode Miller, a six-time Olympic medalist and the most successful male American alpine ski racer of all time, alongside Andy Wirth, a veteran ski industry executive. Headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, Peak Ski Company focuses on designing high-performance skis for recreational skiers.
Peltonen cross-countryFinland1945Founded by Toivo Peltonen (1921–2007). Currently owned by Normark Suomi Oy, a Rapala VMC company. Produces competition level skis with advanced nanocarbon technology at the Heinola ski factory, but also markets cross-country skis for all price classes.
Romp Skisalpine skisUnited States2010Founded by brothers Morgan and Caleb Weinberg in Crested Butte, Colorado, Romp Skis produces custom and stock alpine skis. [12]
Rønning Treski cross-country skis, alpineNorway1936Historic producer of mainly cross-country but also other types of skis such as Telemark, Big Mountain, and Hunter. Started production under the Rønning brand in 1936, and is currently the only producer of wooden skis in Norway. Still produces all skies by hand.
Rossignol alpine skis, ski jumping skis, cross-country skis, twin tips, ski boots, bindings, snowboardsFrance1907Introduced one of the first successful all-round fibreglass ski designs. Built a major conglomerate in the 1990s, including Rossignol, Dynastar, Lange, Look, Kerma, and other brands. Taken over by Quiksilver in 2005 but lost money and sold only two years later to its CEO, Bruno Cercley. [13]
Salomon alpine skis, cross-country skis, ski boots, twin tips, bindings, snowboardsFrance1947Began as a family-owned shop making saw blades, then ski edges beginning around 1947. Expanded to make bindings (1955), then ski boots (1979) and cross-country ski gear, then golf (1985), the alpine skis (1989). Purchased by Adidas in 1997 and sold to Amer Sports (owner of Atomic, Wilson, Suunto, and other brands) in 2005. See Georges Salomon.
Slatnarski jumping skis, ski jumping bindingsSlovenia2006Made a breakthrough in the world of ski jumping with an innovative carbon heel.
Spalding Skisalpine skis Italy Made by Freyrie
Stöckli alpine skisSwitzerland1935Founded by Josef Stöckli when he made 50 skis; now produces around 70,000 annually. [14]
Visucross-country skisEstonia1944After the end of Soviet era in 1992, Visu began to make skis also for Atomic, Karhu and Järvinen. By the year 2000 Visu was the biggest ski producer with volume of 300,000 pairs of skis annually. Ski production ended in 2004. [15]
Voit alpine skisUnited States1966Used a new fibreglass/epoxy technique that was well-liked but very expensive. Exited the industry after only three years.
Volant alpine skisUnited States1966–1989Introduced a stainless steel cap-ski in 1989, but was very expensive to produce and went out of business in 2001. Purchased by Amer Sports in 2003 and the brand abandoned around 2008.
Völkl alpine skis, twin tips, ski clothesGermany1923Distributed in the 1960s by Sears in the US. Purchased by K2, and in turn, Jarden in 2007. Subsequently, purchased by Newell Rubbermaid.

Boots

The following list consists of companies known primarily for their ski boots. Some entries are duplicated from above, but not all. Some brands, like Head, sell branded boots from other companies and are therefore not listed here.

BrandOriginsEstablishedNotes
Alpina Slovenia 1947Cross-country ski boots received the 2008 and 2010 Red Dot design award and 2009 American Good Design award
Black Diamond Equipment United States 1989Formerly Chouinard Equipment (founded in 1957), Black Diamond first entered the ski market in the early 1980s with the XCD telemark binding. [16] Today, Black Diamond designs and manufacturers a full line of skis, boots and bindings for alpine, telemark and touring pursuits. Black Diamond Equipment and Scarpa began a partnership in 1987 that ended in 2005.
Dalbello Italy 1974Dalbello is an Italian ski boot specialist founded in 1974 by Alessandro Dal Bello. Italian sensitivity for unique and advanced design, technological solutions and the passion for the boot made Dalbello a top performing brand, supporting top athletes in freeriding and world cup racing. Dalbello’s journey began in the 1960s when founders Alessandro and Giovanna Dal Bello mastered ski boot craftsmanship in Switzerland before returning to Italy to launch their own brand in 1974. [17]
Hanson United States1969Chris and Denny Hanson developed the rear-entry boot while working at Lange, and left to form their own company. Successful during the 1970s, mis-steps during the early 1980s led to their bankruptcy in 1984. Purchased by Daiwa and continues to exist in Japan.
K2 United States1962K2 launched its first boot production on Vashon Island in 1975. That effort failed. Purchased Raichle Flexon molds and started Full Tilt around 2006; launched a boot line under the K2 label in 2013. Sold to Jarden Corp. and then to Newell Rubbermaid. Sold to private equity company Kohlberg.
La Sportiva Italy 1928Founded by Narciso Delladio, La Sportiva has been producing footwear for mountain sports since 1928, specialising in mountain running, rock climbing, ice climbing, alpine climbing, and skiing.
Lange United States1962Introduced the first plastic ski boots in 1962, and followed up with a greatly improved model in 1965/66. After 1968, they were a must-have for racers, and rapidly took over the market. Remain a major player to this day, especially in racing.
Nordica Italy 1939Nordica was formed in Montebelluna, the center of Italian ski boot manufacturing to this day. Entered the plastic ski boot market in 1968, following the lead set by Lange. Nordica pioneered use of the removable, customizable innerboot. Also produces skis and other equipment today. Part of the Tecnica Group.
Rosemount United States1965Another contender for title of "first plastic boot", Rosemount was an all-fibreglass shell with a unique side-opening design. Was in the process of introducing a rear-entry model in 1973 when they were purchased by G.H. Bass, then the United States distributor for Raichle. Rosemount ceased production around 1975.
Roxa Italy 1980Roxa Ski Boots, a family-owned company in Asolo, Italy, embodies innovation and advanced technology. In 1980, the Rosato brothers founded a company assembling ski boots for major brands. By 1992, it evolved into La Rocca, producing its first ice skates. In 2003, the company became Roxa Ski Boots, launching their first branded model, focusing on optimal fit and high performance. [18] Roxa pioneers 3D design and ultralight material injection, becoming one of the first ski boot makers to use CAD and 3D printing for prototypes. With a commitment to quality, performance, and reliability, Roxa remains dedicated to producing ski boots in Italy, blending cutting-edge technology with traditional craftsmanship. [19]
Salomon France 1947Introduced the famed SX series of rear-entry boots in 1979, and was a major success through the 1980s. When the rear-entry design rapidly fell from favour around 1990, they purchased the San Giorgio factory and turned to traditional front-entry designs. Salomon remains a major boot producer today.
Scarpa Italy 1938Founded in Asolo, near Treviso by Rupert Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh, SCARPA (Società Calzaturieri Asolani Riuniti Pedemontana Anonima) has been producing mountaineering and ski boots since 1938.
Tecnica Italy 1960Formed in Montebelluna in 1960 to produce leather work boots, the company introduced the Moon Boot for apres-ski. They followed this with their first ski boots in 1973. Now control a large number of brands including Nordica, Rollerblade, Dolomite, Lowa, Think Pink, Blizzard, Moon Boot, and others.

References

  1. ↑ "Jason Levinthal Sells 4FRNT Ski Company". POWDER Magazine. 2020-09-09. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  2. ↑ "Adamant". www.adamantskis.com. 2025-02-11. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  3. ↑ O'Neill, Donny (2017-03-29). "Armada Skis acquired by Amer Sports, owners of Salomon and Atomic". FREESKIER. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  4. ↑ "Our history in a glance". Amer Sports. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  5. ↑ "about". www.black-crows.com. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  6. ↑ "About DPS". dpsskisstore. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  7. ↑ Whitney, Ben. "Jason Levinthal and J Skis Continue Turning the Ski Industry on its Ear". www.tetongravity.com. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  8. ↑ https://majestyskis.com/en/content/about-us
  9. ↑ Skiing Japanese Ski, 2004
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ Skis, Paradise. "Story". Paradise Skis. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  12. ↑ Jay, Jon (2021) Once You Go Custom, You Might Never Buy Skis Off the Wall Again Ski
  13. ↑ Masia, Seth (2008) 100 Years of Rossignol Skiing History
  14. ↑ Hitz, Luzi (2011) Made in Switzerland Skiing History V23 #5:17
  15. ↑ "Classic Ski Brands" . Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  16. ↑ "Origins - Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd". Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  17. ↑ "Dalbello History Dalbello". dalbelloboots.com. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  18. ↑ Redazione. "Roxa Ski Boots: scarponi R Fit 120 ultralight ed altre novità". www.skiforum.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  19. ↑ "We are Roxa - ski boots focused on innovation and technology". ROXA SKI BOOTS - MADE IN ITALY. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
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