Blizzard 2016

Blizzard’s fortunes began to turn around several years ago when the Tecnica Group acquired the brand and factory in Mittersill, Austria, and pumped a few million euros into an overhaul. It’s often the case in the world of industry that he who builds the last factory...

Ripstick 96

There’s an easy-skiing flow to the Ripstick 96, supple, smooth and graceful. “Hard to lose your smile while riding this ski,” confides Scott Sahr from Aspen Ski and Board. “The Ripstick is the perfect balance of stability and lightweight construction,” he adds,...

Stockli 2016

Our spider sense tingles when we hear the term “handmade” applied to skis, as the implication is that such slats will receive extraordinary care in manufacture no mass-produced ski can hope to receive.  One reason we look sideways at the “handmade” adjective is that...

Rossignol 2016

For most of the 1970’s, 80’s and into the 90’s, Rossignol was king of the roost, the most recognized trademark in a market crammed with brands that did not survive this epoch. They built a race department that was the envy of all, with stars like Alberto Tomba and...

Dynastar 2016

Dynastar When Laurent Boix-Vives acquired the distressed fledgling brand Dynastar, he already had Rossignol in his portfolio. Thus was born a sibling rivalry that persists to this day, with the elder trying to establish an untouchable record and the younger always...