Head

Embarrassed by his lack of style and finesse during his first ski outing on the slopes of Stowe, Vermont, Philadelphia-based Howard Head set out to improve the previously lacklustre performance of traditional wooden skis. Howard achieved this by producing the first metal ski: one that gave a lighter, more efficient and more technical ski compared to its wooden counterparts.

Head Skis has grown from strength to strength since its beginnings in 1950. Now using a wide range of advanced materials (such as Carbon and Aramid), Head produces everything from burly freestyle skis, to world cup winning downhill skis. They also offer a diverse range of ski boots to suit every need and foot shape.

In an effort to diversify itself away from skis and boots, Head bought the legendary binding manufacturer, Tyrolia, in 1989. This buyout meant Head and Tyrolia could join forces to produce dialled-in ski, boot and binding combinations that work together seamlessly. We’ve long been fans of what Tyrolia have been doing with their Attack and Adrenaline series.

Check out Head Skis here

K2

Founded in 1962 by brothers Bill and Don Kirschner, K2 Skis became known for developing fibreglass ski technology. This technology promised to be lighter and livelier than metal skis, and looks to have done the trick. K2 still makes some excellent fibreglass skis, such as the Reckoner series, while also making use of the modern metal Titanal which can be found in the Mindbender Ti series.

We’re big fans of the skis that K2 are turning out, and are glad to see them dive into the world of ski boots in recent years. This was a pretty logical choice, given their recent purchase of Full Tilt. With that in mind, we’re looking forward to seeing what K2 serve up in the ski boot world of the future.

Check out K2 Skis here

Black Diamond

Black Diamond has its roots in climbing and alpinism equipment – and that’s most likely why we see them churning out ski touring and backcountry skis fit to scale lofty alpine peaks. Black Diamond is well rooted within climbing history and was, technically, founded by none other than Mr Yvon Chouinard (the founder of Patagonia and an all-round legend).

Yvon began hand-crafting pitons (the bits of climbing kit you hammer into the rock to save you from a fall), and began selling them from the boot of his car in the Yosemite Valley. This Chouinard side hustle soon became Chouinard Equipment. However in early 1989, after various liability lawsuits and a lack of profitability, Chouinard Equipment filed for bankruptcy. This company was then snapped up by former employee Peter Metcalf, who created Black Diamond Equipment. The rest, as they say, is history.

Black Diamond still focus on making some top notch climbing equipment these days, but it’s their range of backcountry and ski touring skis that impresses us the most. A combination of lightweight materials that are still able to provide power on the downhill seems to be a trademark of Black Diamond skis.

Check out Black Diamond Skis here

Scott

Although perhaps most famous for creating bikes, goggles and motocross gear, Scott Sports was actually born from the creation of ski poles in 1958. This was thanks to a talented engineer and ski racer, Ed Scott, replacing the traditional bamboo ski pole for a lightweight – and stronger – aluminium design.

Since then, Scott largely had a history in designing motocross and bicycle gear. That was, until 1997, when they started to produce technical winter sports outerwear and skis. Scott’s pedigree of design and engineering knowledge is still obvious in their modern skis, where a range of materials are used to produce a well-tuned ski that’s comfortable in a range of conditions.

One man that’s made full use of this wealth of engineering experience is none other than freeride legend Jeremie Heitz, with the production of the formidable Pure Pro 109Ti. These skis are the tools that Jeremie uses to charge high alpine faces around the world at breakneck speed with minimal turns.

Check out Scott Skis here

Black Crows

There arguably isn’t another brand that screams French freeski culture more than Chamonix-based Black Crows. Founded by pro freeskiers Camille Jaccoux and Bruno Compagnet, Black Crows are identified by their clean designs, witty sidewall phrases and marketing campaigns that wouldn’t look out of place at the Paris fashion week.

We’re glad to report though that none of the above comes at the expense of performance. We’ve been consistently impressed by the Crows’ progressive shaping techniques and powerful builds. The ranges they put out usually consist of a regular and ‘Freebird’ build, with the Freebird range representing a lightweight and slightly less performance-focused construction for uphill efficiency.

Check out Black Crows Skis here

Atomic

Atomic was founded in 1955 by Austrian Alois Rohrmoser. Ever since their founding, Atomic has solely focused on downhill skiing equipment and quickly became the only ski brand that created the royal flush of skis, boots and bindings in 1989 (most other ski brands were focusing on producing one or the other).

These days, Atomic has looked to move away from its largely downhill-focused background, and branch into the freeskiing, touring and freeride scenes (although with athletes like Mikaela Shiffrin and Sofia Goggia on their books, they’re still a dominant force in the downhill scene). Their signing of Chris Benchetler was instrumental to this shift towards the freeskiing scene, with the production of the Bent Chetler – a backcountry ski that sold (and continues to sell) like hotcakes.

Check out Atomic Skis here

ATK

It’s (sadly) a pretty rare sight to see a family company kicking about in the largely corporate world of ski equipment. But, we’re glad to report, ATK is an exception. Founded in 2007 by Italian Giovanni Indulti, ATK hand-craft some of the finest ski touring bindings in the industry.

Featuring everything from featherweight race bindings, to stacked-out freeride bindings, ATK blend innovative designs with high-quality materials to produce ski touring bindings that you’re able to rely on whether you’re miles deep in the backcountry, or leading the pack in your local skimo race.

Check out ATK Bindings here

The North Face

Although today’s fashion trends might tell you otherwise, The North Face has a proud history of creating some of the most technical climbing, skiing and mountaineering clothing on the market. Founded in 1966, The North Face began as a retail store that sold all sorts of climbing and hiking equipment.

This store quickly outstripped its supply so, in 1968, The North Face began designing and manufacturing its own brand of technical mountaineering equipment and clothing. Now, over 50 years since the shop opened, The North Face has continued to refine its selection of technical outerwear. We’ve consistently been impressed with the clever designs of their Steep Series pieces, and frequently rely on them to shield us from the elements while ski touring in the backcountry.

Check out The North Face here

Salomon Skis

Founded in 1947, this mainstream ski brand has one of the biggest histories in skiing.

Winding the clock back, Salomon began when Francois Salomon began producing ski edges in a small workshop in Annecy (in the heart of the French Alps). Francois enlisted the help of his wife and son to get through the initial orders, but the company soon ballooned to what it is today – a multinational brand that covers a range of outdoor sports.

These days, Salomon is owned by large outdoor equipment conglomerate, Amer Sports, who also own the likes of Atomic, Armada and Arc’teryx (this is the reason we see many shared technologies between these brands). Salomon’s athlete roster is a real ‘who’s who’ in the skiing world and their recently unveiled Salomon TV is consistently keeping us stoked for winter shredding.

Check out Salomon Skis here

DPS Skis

Founded in 2005 by Stephan Drake and Peter Turner (the man best known for bringing rocker technology to McConkey’s Spatulas), DPS Skis has kept progressive ski design and engineering at its heart. Stephan and Peter are responsible for some of DPS’ most wild creations, including the world’s first pure carbon sandwich ski, bringing sidecut to a rockered ski and spooned tips and tails – a shaping technique many ski designers now employ.

These days, DPS has looked to diversify its offering from the original carbon constructions. While they still produce some of the best carbon skis out there, they’ve also focused on more affordable fibreglass offerings (a favourite of ours being the DPS Koala 102).

Check out DPS Skis here

You May Also Like

Best Freeride Skis

How To Be A Pro Skier | Nikolai’s 14 Tips

Sammy Carlson Shreds British Columbia