List of ski brands explained

Skis

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

Brand Main Products Origins Established Notes
Alpine SkisUSA 2002 Purchased by J Skis in 2018, and sold in 2020.[1]
Alpine SkisUSA 2002 Armada 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.[2]
alpine skis, cross-country skis, ski jumping skis, twin tips, bindings, ski boots, ski clothes Austria 1955 Founded 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.[3]
Black Crowsalpine skis, touring skis, outerwearFrance2006Independent freeskiing-oriented company based out of Chamonix, France. Founded by professional skiers Camille Jaccoux and Bruno Compagnet.[4]
alpine skis, telemark skis, cross-country skis, ski boots, ski bindings USA 1989 Formerly Chouinard Equipment (founded in 1957), Black Diamond first entered the ski market in the early 1980s with the XCD telemark binding.
alpine skis Austria 1945 Founded by Toni Arnsteiner. It is part of Tecnica Group since 2006.
Blossomhand-made alpine skisItaly1906Founded 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 clothesUnited 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[5] and is the largest domestic producer of skis.
alpine skis France 1963 Launched as a joint venture between Dynamic and Starflex skis. Acquired by Rossignol in 1967.
alpine skis, ski jumping skis, touring skis, mogul skis Slovenia 1945 Produced 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.
alpine skis, twin tips, touring skis, mogul skis Switzerland 2006 Founded 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.
alpine skis, ski jumping skis, cross-country skis, ski boots Austria 1924 One 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 Skisfreeride, ski touring and carving skisSlovakia2012Boutique eco responsible ski brand founded in 2012, focused on high-tech customised hand made skis.
Freyriealpine skisItalyAlso sold under the Spalding brand name
Friztmeir SkisGermany
Hartalpine skis, mogul skis United States1955 Founded 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.
Headalpine skis, ski boots, ski bindings, poles, helmets, goggles United States of America1950 Introduced 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.
Identity One / Id OneMogul skis, Freeride skis, Technical Skis, Ski poles, Ski clothes Japan 2000 Founded 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 SkisUnited States of America2013After founding and selling Line Skis to K2, J Skis was created by Jason Levinthal.[6] J Skis is an independent manufacturer of small production and limited edition skis.
alpine skis, twin tip skis, snowboards, mogul skis United States 1962 Founded 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.
alpine skis Austria 1861 Started 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.
alpine skis, twin tips, touring skis, freeskis, women's skis, bindings, ski poles United States 2003 Founded 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.
alpine skis United States 1995 Introduced 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.
cross-country Norway 1906Only 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.
alpine skis, twin tips United States 2003 Founded by Casey Hakansson, he turned his passion for building skis for family and friends into a business.
alpine skis, touring skis, twin tips, freeskis Italy 1939 Founded in Montebelluna, Italy and part of the Tecnica group since 2003.
Ogasaka Skis alpine skis Japan 1912 Founded by Hamataro Kogasaka, a furniture craftsman from Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture[7]
alpine skis United States 1960s Major 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.
Paradise SkisFreeride Skis, Park Skis, Touring Skis, Snowboards, SplitboardsCanada2020Launched out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. [8]
Peak SkisAlpine skis, touring skisUnited 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.
cross-country Finland 1945Founded 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.[9]
Rønning Treskicross-country skis, alpine Norway1936 Historic 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.
alpine skis, ski jumping skis, cross-country skis, twin tips, ski boots, bindings, snowboards France 1907 Introduced 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.[10]
alpine skis, cross-country skis, ski boots, twin tips, bindings, snowboards France 1947 Began 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.
Slatnar ski jumping skis, ski jumping bindings Slovenia2006 Made a breakthrough in the world of ski jumping with an innovative carbon heel.
Spalding Skisalpine skisItalyMade by Freyrie
alpine skis Switzerland 1935 Founded by Josef Stöckli when he made 50 skis; now produces around 70,000 annually.[11]
alpine skis United States 1966 Used a new fibreglass/epoxy technique that was well-liked but very expensive. Exited the industry after only three years.
alpine skis United States 1966–1989Introduced 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.
alpine skis, twin tips, ski clothes Germany 1923Distributed 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.

Brand Origins Established Notes
AlpinaSlovenia1947Cross-country ski boots received the 2008 and 2010 Red Dot design award and 2009 American Good Design award
United States1989 Formerly Chouinard Equipment (founded in 1957), Black Diamond first entered the ski market in the early 1980s with the XCD telemark binding.[12] 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.
United States 1969 Chris 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.
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.
Italy1928 Founded 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.
United States 1962 Introduced 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.
Italy 1939 Nordica 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.
United States 1965 Another 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.
France1947 Introduced 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.
Italy 1938 Founded 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.
Italy 1960 Formed 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.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020-09-09 . Jason Levinthal Sells 4FRNT Ski Company . 2023-02-21 . POWDER Magazine . en-US.
  2. Web site: O'Neill . Donny . 2017-03-29 . Armada Skis acquired by Amer Sports, owners of Salomon and Atomic . 2023-02-21 . FREESKIER . en-US.
  3. Web site: Our history in a glance . 2023-02-21 . Amer Sports . en-US.
  4. Web site: about . 2023-02-21 . www.black-crows.com.
  5. Web site: About DPS . 2023-02-21 . dpsskisstore . en.
  6. Web site: Whitney . Ben . Jason Levinthal and J Skis Continue Turning the Ski Industry on its Ear . 2023-02-21 . www.tetongravity.com.
  7. https://books.google.com/books?id=eL0f7L-zyO4C&pg=PA57 Skiing Japanese
  8. Web site: Skis . Paradise . Story . 2023-03-07 . Paradise Skis . en.
  9. Jay, Jon (2021) Once You Go Custom, You Might Never Buy Skis Off the Wall Again Ski
  10. Masia, Seth (2008) 100 Years of Rossignol Skiing History
  11. Hitz, Luzi (2011) Made in Switzerland Skiing History V23 #5:17
  12. Web site: Origins - Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd . 2012-03-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110930154703/http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/about-us/company/origins . 2011-09-30 . dead .