Ski manufacturers at a glance: Which ski brands are there?

Every winter sports enthusiast knows that you can’t hit the slopes without skis. But where do these boards, which literally mean the world in ski resorts, come from? SnowTrex answers this question and introduces nine of the world’s most important ski manufacturers, explaining where they come from and how long they have been making some of the best skis around.

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Atomic, like Head, Fischer, Rossignol and Nordica, is one of the world’s best-known ski manufacturers.

A brief history of skiing

The history of skiing goes back more than 5,000 years. In Scandinavia and Russia, where the oldest wooden skis were found, people used the first skis primarily as a means of transport on snow. The “sporting” development began in the 19th century in Norway, where skiing became increasingly popular, mainly through racing. In the 1920s, the introduction of steel edges made skis easier to use and therefore more comfortable for recreational athletes.

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Skis continued to be made of wood until the 1950s.

Another leap in development came in the 1950s, when plastics and fibreglass were used in ski construction for the first time. The invention of carving skis in the 1990s also changed skiing technique, as they made it easier to turn on the slopes. Today, skis are high-tech products made from modern, ultra-light materials such as carbon, which are specially developed for different disciplines or types of terrain, from racing and freeride skis to all-mountain and touring skis.

The most important ski manufacturers

Today, there are dozens of ski manufacturers on the winter sports market, all aiming to offer the perfect product for all types of piste enthusiasts. To provide an overview, SnowTrex has selected the nine most important and best-known ski manufacturers:

Rossignol

• Company founded: 1907
• Country of origin: France

Rossignol, based in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans, is the most traditional ski manufacturer. Here, in the heart of the French Alps, skis have been produced for almost 120 years, since the carpenter Abel Rossignol founded the company in 1907. Initially, only professional athletes were equipped with Rossignol equipment. After Frenchman Émile Allais became world skiing champion for the first time in 1937 on skis from the Isère department and his compatriot Jean Vuarnet won Olympic gold on Rossignol skis in 1960, skis were finally produced for the general public. In 1964, the ski manufacturer launched its first fibreglass model, the “Strato”. In the 1970s, Rossignol also developed the first cross-country skis and ski boots, which the company still sells today alongside snowboards. Among the most famous athletes who have won titles on French skis are alpine stars Alberto Tomba (Italy), Tessa Worley (France) and Thomas Dressen (Germany), as well as biathlon legend Martin Fourcade (France).

Völkl

• Company founded: 1923
• Country of origin: Germany

In 1923, Franz Völkl had an alpine ski built in Straubing at the company his father Georg had founded in 1884 to manufacture carriages, sledges and boats. The “Vöstra” (short for: Völkl Straubing) marked the beginning of the history of a ski manufacturer that is still the largest in Germany today. Since acquiring the traditional Marker brand in 2000, Völkl has been manufacturing ski bindings in addition to skis. In addition to alpine skis for amateur and professional skiers, wide freeride skis and snowboards have also been manufactured in Straubing since 1993. Like other ski manufacturers, Völkl focuses on innovation in its products and launched its first ski with an ultra-light frame made of aluminium titanal in the early 2020s. Today, Völkl manufactures almost 450,000 skis per year.

Fischer

• Company founded: 1924
• Country of origin: Austria

© TravelTrex | Martin Miseré

Fischer not only manufactures alpine skis, but also cross-country and ski jumping skis, among other things. This makes the Austrian company the largest ski manufacturer in the world.

With over 1,300 employees, Fischer from Austria is now considered one of the largest ski manufacturers in the world. The family business was founded in 1924 by Josef Fischer, who initially wanted to build carts in Ried im Innkreis, but began producing skis in the winter of 1924/25. The first models were still handmade. Fischer took the next step towards becoming one of the world’s leading ski manufacturers in 1964 with a new factory, which from the 1970s onwards also produced cross-country skis such as the revolutionary “Europa 77” with its fibreglass coating.

The product range now also includes ski bindings, ski poles, ski boots, ski jumping skis and even ice hockey sticks. Thanks to innovations such as the increased use of carbon fibres in skis with the characteristic “window” in the tip, the ski equipment from Ried is extremely popular, and not just among amateur skiers. Winter sports legends such as Franz Klammer (Austria) in the Alpine Ski World Cup, Magdalena Neuner (Germany) in the Biathlon World Cup and Adam Małysz (Poland) in the Ski Jumping World Cup have made their mark in the history books with Fischer skis.

Stöckli

• Company founded: 1935
• Country of origin: Switzerland

Stöckli from Switzerland is more of a ski manufacturer than a large ski producer. Since Josef Stöckli founded the company in Malters in the canton of Lucerne in 1935, the Swiss ski manufacturer’s workforce has grown to around 250 employees. In the early days, Stöckli himself tested the skis made of ash wood on the slopes to see if they were suitable for skiing. From the outset, he emphasised that his products should stand for precision and speed. In addition to ski clothing and ski poles, Stöckli now focuses primarily on the manufacture of alpine skis. The freeride and racing skis from Switzerland are particularly popular among professionals. After Marco Büchel (Liechtenstein) competed in the World Cup with Stöckli for the first time in 1991, athletes such as Tina Maze (Slovenia), Viktoria Rebensburg (Germany) and Marco Odermatt (Switzerland) have followed suit.

Nordica

• Company founded: 1939
• Country of origin: Italy

Nordica did not start out as a ski manufacturer in 1939 in Montebelluna in the northern Italian province of Treviso. The company’s founders, brothers Adriano and Oddone Vaccari, were leather merchants and primarily produced leisure shoes. It was only after the end of the Second World War that the company began to focus on winter sports, specifically ski boots, which at that time were still made of leather. A few years later, Nordica took the next step and began producing its first alpine skis. In 2003, the ski manufacturer was taken over by the Tecnica Group, now the world’s largest winter sports group, which also owns Blizzard. In addition to ski boots, the company now also produces all kinds of alpine skis for freeriders, freestylers, hobby skiers and World Cup professionals. Among the most famous Nordica athletes are our Trexpert Felix Neureuther (Germany), Kjetil André Amodt (Norway) and Dominik Paris (Italy).

Blizzard

• Company founded: 1945
• Country of origin: Austria

When Anton Arnsteiner founded his company in Mittersill in 1945, the name Blizzard did not yet exist. It was not until 1953 that he registered the name as a trademark. Like many other ski manufacturers, Arnsteiner started out as a carpenter. His background in craftsmanship was perfect for this, as skis were still made of wood in the mid-20th century. But that quickly changed thanks to Blizzard, as the Salzburg-based company focused on innovation from the very beginning. As early as 1954, Blizzard launched the first skis with polyethylene plastic bases. By the end of the 1950s, Blizzard was one of the first manufacturers to completely abandon wood in ski construction and integrate materials such as metal and fibreglass in a layered construction. However, Blizzard’s greatest innovation, which has revolutionised the world of skiing to this day, did not come until 1996: at the ISPO sports fair in Munich, the Austrian ski manufacturer presented the world’s first carving ski!

Salomon

• Company founded: 1947
• Country of origin: France

In 1947, a small family business was founded in Annecy in the south of France, which – similar to Fischer today – has developed into one of the world’s largest manufacturers of outdoor equipment. The name of the company’s founder: François Salomon. He initially manufactured only ski edges in his workshop, and later also ski bindings. In the 1960s, Salomon’s son Georges revolutionised the industry when he invented the first ski binding with automatic release. Today, it is world-renowned as a safety binding and is an indispensable part of every alpine ski. In 1980, Salomon launched its first ski boot, followed by its first alpine skis in 1990. Shortly afterwards, the company discovered the summer market and took over golf equipment manufacturer TaylorMade, before producing hiking boots for the first time in 1992. In the 21st century, the product range was expanded to include cross-country skis in addition to clothing.

Head

• Company founded: 1950
• Country of origin: USA

Howard Head was actually an aeronautical engineer, but on a skiing trip in the late 1940s, the American was puzzled when he realised that his skis were still made of wood. In view of this, he decided in 1950 to found his own company in Baltimore, Maryland, and to manufacture skis from modern materials such as metal and plastic, which Head was familiar with from his time in aircraft construction. Within a decade, the American ski manufacturer inevitably rose to become one of the largest of its kind in North America. Shortly afterwards, Howard Head also conquered the European market with his innovative designs. In 1969, Head won over skiing legend Jean-Claude Killy (France) as brand ambassador and namesake for the “Killy 800” – a ski made entirely of metal and fibreglass.

With revolutionary manufacturing methods and the use of high-tech materials such as aluminium and carbon, Head, whose alpine headquarters are now located in Kennelbach in Vorarlberg, continues to set standards to this day. In addition to many amateur skiers, skiing legends such as Lindsey Vonn (USA), Maria Höfl-Riesch (Germany) and Aksel Lund Svindal (Norway) also swear by the ski equipment from the USA.

Atomic

• Company founded: 1955
• Country of origin: Austria

© JOZEF_KAROLY/Shutterstock

American Mikaela Shiffrin is the most successful female skier in history and has achieved all her successes on Atomic skis.

Wagrain in the Salzburg region is still home to ski manufacturer Atomic today. In 1955, trained wheelwright Alois Rohrmoser founded the company in his home town. What began as a small business with four employees manufacturing wooden skis is now one of the world’s best-known and most important ski manufacturers. By 1971, demand for Atomic skis was so high that Rohrmoser had to open a second factory in Altenmarkt im Pongau. The very first Atomic ski was the “SL1”, which the company developed in 12 generations up to the “SL12”.

Today, amateur skiers can buy almost everything they need for a successful day on the slopes from Atomic, from skis, ski boots, ski helmets and ski goggles to ski clothing. In addition to cross-country skis, the ski range mainly includes all-mountain, freestyle, freeride and children’s skis, but also the “Redster” racing skis, which are very popular with current and former ski pros such as Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), Hermann Maier and Annemarie Moser-Pröll (both Austria).

Wed’ze

• Company founded: 2006
• Country of origin: France

Wed’ze was founded in 2006 and is now the ski, snowboard and sledge brand of our SnowTrex partner Decathlon. The brand philosophy is clearly defined: as a ski manufacturer, Wed’ze wants to make skiing accessible to everyone, whether on the slopes or freeriding, with affordable yet high-quality equipment.

The skis are developed by a design team with a wealth of expertise, based in the heart of the French Alps in the Mont Blanc valley. The proximity to major ski areas, such as the Chamonix-Mont Blanc ski region (870 kilometres of slopes), enables product managers and engineers from the Wed’ze team to test and perfect their products on the slopes before they are launched on the market for customers.

Van Deer

• Company founded: 2021
• Country of origin: Austria

Van Deer is an Austrian ski brand founded in 2021 by skiing legend Marcel Hirscher. Production began at the Augment ski factory in Stuhlfelden (Salzburg region) with an initial planned production run of around 1,500 skis. The name “Van Deer” alludes to Hirscher’s family roots, as “deer” means “Hirsch” in German and his mother comes from the Netherlands, where “van” is a popular prefix for surnames, as in the case of former footballer Mark van Bommel. In 2022, a collaboration with Hirscher’s long-standing sponsor and energy drink producer Red Bull led to the creation of “Van Deer-Red Bull Sports Equipment GmbH”, which took over the Augment production site. In 2025, Van Deer moved to a new factory in Scheffau am Tennengebirge. Van Deer skis have been used by World Cup athletes since the 2022/23 season. This positions Van Deer as a manufacturer of premium skis on the market and, in line with its own self-image, designs products with racing aspirations.

FAQs about ski manufacturers

What role do modern materials play in ski development?

Modern materials such as carbon and fibreglass have revolutionised ski development. They make skis lighter, more robust and significantly improve their performance. These materials enable more precise designs and result in better control and higher speeds on the slopes.

What are carving skis and why are they important?

Carving skis were developed in the 1990s and are characterised by their waisted shape. This design, first introduced by ski manufacturer Blizzard in 1996, makes turning much easier and improves skiing dynamics. To date, carving skis have completely changed skiing technique and are popular with many skiers because of their efficiency and the enjoyment they provide.

How has ski binding technology developed over time?

Ski binding technology has evolved considerably. A milestone was the invention of the safety binding with automatic release by Salomon in the 1960s. This innovation significantly increased safety by reducing the risk of injury in the event of a fall.

Which ski manufacturers have a long tradition and are particularly renowned?

Among the most traditional and renowned ski manufacturers are Rossignol (founded in France in 1907) and Völkl (founded in Germany in 1923). Both brands have a long history and are known for their high-quality skis and innovations in skiing.

What are the most important criteria when choosing a ski manufacturer?

Important criteria when choosing a ski manufacturer are the manufacturer’s experience and reputation, the technologies and innovations used, the range of ski types and models, the price-performance ratio, customer service and warranty services.