Industry News
Brains
Since the early 1900s, some of the oldest ski manufacturers in the world have been crafting, developing, and expanding the ski industry with new technology and designs for skis. While skis have changed and transformed dramatically since early renditions made from dense, wooden boards, many of the original brands making the skis evolved with the times and have now been around for nearly a century or more. From cross country to backcountry, and big mountain to park skis, these are the top nine oldest ski manufacturers in the world.
#9 (tie) Elan
Elan Sports was created by Rudi Finzgar and nine other snow-loving skiers in 1945 in Begunje, Slovenia. Within the first decade, they expanded into the United States, sending 500 pairs of skis to New York. Early on, the brand quickly brought innovation to the industry by using screen printing to make designs on the top sheets of skis. Then, in the late 1970s, skiing on the revolutionary Elan Uniline skis, which boasted a huge sidecut, perfect for racers, the legendary Ingemar Stenmark dominated slalom and giant slalom in the World Cup and took home three Olympic medals.
Fast forward to the early 1990s, when Elan once again revolutionized the industry with the inception of the first modern carving ski, the SCX (Sidecut Extreme). The innovation didn’t stop there, with the introduction of an asymmetrical ski design, the Amphibio Profile, in 2011. Other original, cutting-edge inventions include fully functional folding skis and fully plastic (fiberglass and polyurethane) skis. Now, over 75 years later, with incredible advancements in design and technology, Elan has left its mark within the industry for obvious reasons.
- Related: Elan Skis Builds Yachts, Too?
#9 (tie) Blizzard
In 1945, Anton Arnsteiner founded Blizzard skis in Mittersill, Austria, at the base of the country’s tallest mountains. Over the next 15 years, the company was the first to start constructing skis with polyethylene (P-Tex) bases, and also incorporated metal and fiberglass into the ski’s layup. Soon after that, in 1971, they became the first brand to make top sheet graphics by using silk screen printing. To this day, Blizzard continues to print its ski graphics using digital and screen-printing methods.
Now, in the 21st century, Blizzard is still developing new ski construction with its most recent Trueblend Wood Core. The combination of beech, poplar, and sometimes ash and paulownia provides differing densities of wood into a uniquely blended core, which helps with each specific-sized ski’s flex patterns. With award-winning skis and plenty of legendary skiers competing in both racing and freestyle, there is no question that Blizzard has been and will keep successfully updating and improving its skis for many years to come.
#8 Stöckli
When Josef Stöckli made 50 pairs of skis in Wolhusen, Switzerland, back in 1935, Stöckli skis were officially born. By 1945, Stöckli had already started experimenting with new ski constructions, making a pair of laminated wood skis with screwed-on steel edges. Jumping ahead into the 1960s, the brand was at the forefront of mixing fiberglass and plastic compounds into its wood cores, allowing for an increased responsiveness and precision feel. The innovation, influence, and devoted fanbase helped carry Stöckli through the years, with everyday skiers to World Cup and Olympic athletes giving their stamp of approval.
More recently, from 2016 until now, Stöckli has once again shown that it’s not done introducing new technology into its skis. From titanal-layered Turtle Shell technology to Titec Pro, the brand continues shaping the future and finding new ways to provide a smoother, lighter, more stable, and more fun ski to ride. With as many as 140 necessary steps before each pair of skis is completed, the extreme attention to detail, remarkable quality, and ingenuity have helped Stöckli leave a long-term impact on the ski industry.
#7 Fischer
Fischer skis were invented in Ried im Innkreis, Austria, by Josef Fischer Sr. in 1925, after initially making sleds and handcarts the year prior. After less than five years, the wooden hut that Fischer Sr. was making skis in became too small, so he bought more space at a nearby workshop and better equipment. By 1938, the upgraded factory was already producing and exporting thousands of skis to the United States. When Fischer Sr. passed away in 1959, Josef Fischer Jr. and his sister would take over the reins of the company and really helped make Fischer explode in popularity.
As the years went on, Fischer skis integrated several different technologies still used by various ski manufacturers worldwide. With Air Core Technology and the Speedmax System, Fischer drastically improved the design and performance of Nordic skis, from the late 1970s until now. Additionally, a multitude of athletes have won in several different disciplines across the World Cup and Olympics, proving that some of the best in the world trust and rely on Fischer skis and equipment. Thanks to 100 years of craftsmanship and innovation, Fischer remains one of the leading original ski manufacturers still around.
#6 Kästle
Anton Kästle invented Kästle skis in 1924, in the Wainwright Workshop in Hohenems, Austria. The company gained popularity and traction with its ash wood, Arlberg ski model, before the start of World War II in 1937 halted production for a few years. Then, in the early 1950s, Trude Jochum-Beiser won gold on Kästle skis at the World Championships in Aspen. Just two years later, three Olympic gold medals were captured by skiers on Kästle, helping to gain even more international recognition.
Over the next several decades, Kästle underwent a number of acquisitions, starting in 1968, after Anton Kästle sold the factory to Josef Fischer of Fischer Sports, all the way until the most recent in 2018. Just a decade after a standout performance from Kästle skiers at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, the brand completely disappeared for nearly 10 years. Then, in 2007, it was resurrected, largely thanks to its revolutionary and award-winning Hollowtech tips, which eliminates unnecessary layers and weight in the tip or shovel of the skis. With over 100 years of ski manufacturing and expertise under its belt, Kästle skis is once again regaining its traction and position in the ski industry.
#5 Völkl
In 1923, Franz Völkl expanded his father George’s sled, carriage, and woodwork business and started making Völkl skis in Straubing, Germany. After decades of building skis, Franz Jr took over the company and began revolutionizing the way skis were built. In 1960, Völkl was one of the first ski manufacturers to layer multiple materials together, creating sandwich construction cores, which is still very prominent in modern ski builds. Just seven years later, Völkl released the Zebra ski — featuring a recognizable graphic and cracked edges for better grip on ice — helping to propel the brand to become a known name in North America.
As the turn of the century approached, and freeskiing and powder skiing gained popularity, Völkl shifted gears. When it launched the V-Ski collection in 1998, it set a new standard for how freeride and freestyle skis were built. Also, further advancements such as Tailored Technologies and V.Werks helped Völkl keep growing and improving with the times. With more than 100 years of ski-making experience, and an impressive commitment to using 100% renewable energy at the factory, Völkl will likely help shape the industry for another century.
#4 Åsnes
Åsnes skis were created in 1922 when two of the Åsnes brothers started producing skis in Straumsnes, Norway, under the name “Brødrene Åsnes skifabrikk.” The early days of production quickly expanded out of the original barn built in 1696, to a new, 200 square meter factory on the farm in 1933. Just years later, the Royal Army placed its first order with the brothers. Unfortunately, the factory would later burn down in 1948, but volunteers helped rebuild and get the company back on its feet. By 1977, at the height of its boom, Åsnes made 137,000 pairs of skis, nearly half of which were exported to North America.
Things began to change towards the turn of the century. In 1998, due to growing competition, the family company went bankrupt and investors took over and created Åsnes Ski AS, which operated up until 2006. Then, Øyvind Lauritzen and Hans Engelsen Eide from Voss, Norway, acquired the company, and it merged with Skigutane AS (Skiing Boys). Now with factories in the Czech Republic, it produces up to 30,000 pairs of high quality skis every year, and is well known for its X-Skin Skinlock technology, a short-skin solution for touring. Throughout its long and changing history, Åsnes has stuck around and continued its commitment to making high end backcountry, cross country, and alpine touring skis.
#3 Kneissl
Kneissl was founded in 1861 by Franz Kneissl in Kufstein, Austria, as a wooden carriage workshop; long before Franz Kneissl I began making skis in 1919. By 1936, the “First Austrian ski factory” was already producing 20,000 pairs of skis. Just about a decade later, Kneissl created the industry’s-first multi-colored ski, boasting four different colors, and setting a new standard for design in 1950. That same year, it was the most winning ski brand at the World Championships in Aspen, claiming three out of six gold medals and solidifying the brand’s place in history.
With over 100 years of expertise, Kneissl has accomplished plenty of groundbreaking innovations throughout its long history. From building the first skis with synthetic sandwich construction in the 1960s to creating the best-selling alpine ski ever, Big-Foot, the 60-90 cm skis that featured an iconic left and right foot and toe design, in 1991, its legacy has grown and adapted tremendously through the course of time. More recently, Kneissl constructed the first-ever ski with six active edges, continuing its role of developing new technology within the ski industry. With more of a hand-made, high-end, and less mass-produced ski, it would come as no surprise to see Kneissl still crafting small-batch skis another 100 years from now.
#2 Rossignol
Way back in 1907, Abel Rossignol hand-crafted his first pair of solid wood skis in his workshop in Voiron, France, creating Rossignol skis. A few decades later, Émile Allais won bronze during the 1936 Olympics, and then three gold medals in the 1937 World Championships, all while skiing on Rossignol. Before the 1960 Olympics at Squaw Valley (now Palisades Tahoe), the company made the Allais 60, its first metal ski, which Jean Vuarnet would ski on to win the gold medal in men’s downhill. By 1972, Rossignol became the best-selling ski brand in the world, and held that crown into the 1990s.
In addition to a long history of winning medals, Rossignol has always been at the forefront of creating new and improved ski technology. From the Vibration Absorbing System (VAS) introduced in 1984, to the more recent Air Tip 2.0, the brand has consistently been growing and fine-tuning its skis since the beginning. While Rossignol turned into a household name mainly thanks to its skis, it expanded to snowboards in 1987 and has continued to broaden its horizons throughout the years. Even after more than 120 years of research, development, and modernization, Rossignol remains one of the more sought-after ski brands on the market today.
#1 Madshus
Madshus, the oldest ski manufacturer in the world, started making cross-country skis over 100 years ago in 1906 in Vardal, Norway, thanks to Martin Madshus. What started as handcrafted, wood skis in his father’s barn has become not only the oldest, but one of the biggest Nordic ski brands in the world, as well. As the company grew throughout the 1900s, they relocated to scale the business; once to Lillehammer in 1936, and again to Biri in 1972. By the early 1980s, Madshus began implementing DoubleBox construction to fiberglass skis, and carbon into the ski’s base for a better glide, two technologies still used to this day.
In 1988, K2 acquired Madshus, giving the brand additional access to research and development, and therefore further innovation. Madshus created the first cross-country skis which included CAP construction. Then, just years later, the brand started to streamline its process by heavily implementing 3D construction. More recently, in 2012, the Redline ski lineup was launched, offering a top-tier race ski with a lighter, faster, and more stable ride. From the early 1900’s until now, Madshus has adapted and improved the Nordic ski industry in so many ways, and the future looks bright, once again, for further innovation ahead.
I believe Madshus was just sold but
What about Sporten? Over 100 years old.