• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
12,635
Location
Maine
I happened to be glancing at a pair of Salomon skis and was very surprised to see "Made in Austria" on the topsheet of this formerly very-French brand. I know they part of the same Amer Sports glob as Atomic, etc. However, I had thought that they were still fundamentally a French operation. Comments? Are their skis being made in the Atomic factory now? Apologies if I'm just catching up to where everyone else has been for years.
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,455
Alpine or nordic?
Couldn’t find the Alpine one I saw.
Nordic, Altenmarkt, Austria-



Design center in Annecy, France. Looks like they make some too.

Shoe Design in Annecy

Alpine design in Annecy
 

AmyPJ

Skiing the powder
SkiTalk Tester
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
7,835
Location
Ogden, UT
Must go look, but I swear my new Salomon's are made in a different country than @utskier's new Salomons.
 

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
42,624
Location
Reno, eNVy
We are in a global market. Rossignol and Dynastar have been making skis in Spain for years. The new Armada Declivity is the first ski that was designed, engineered and built under the full umbrella of Armada now that they are under Amer and they are also being built in Austria.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Tony S

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
12,635
Location
Maine
We are in a global market.

Yup. I know that.

Rossignol and Dynastar have been making skis in Spain for years.

Yeah, my German Audi was made in Spain. LOL.

I think for a long time, though, the flagship skis were made in France. Still true? Guessing it is.
 

markojp

mtn rep for the gear on my feet
Industry Insider
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,605
Location
PNW aka SEA
How do you say "Volkswagen" in Spanish?
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,455
Some tidbits on the Salomon nordic skis-

Interesting article on George Salomon from 1985 by @Sethmasia .
(Click previous for start of article)
Founding Son
FE8A698D-9E75-4F11-A653-19785BB37F85.jpeg
 

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
42,624
Location
Reno, eNVy
Salomon has been one of the most innovating companies of the past 50 years from the 727 to defining rear entry boots along with a unique sizing method that really made sence to monocoque skis with their own unique sizing that again made sense. Salomon has created some of the most influential skis, S9000's X-tremes, 1080's, Pocket Rockets to name a few.
 

Primoz

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Posts
2,483
Location
Slovenia, Europe
I happened to be glancing at a pair of Salomon skis and was very surprised to see "Made in Austria" on the topsheet of this formerly very-French brand.
Salomon and Atomic are lately pretty much like Rossignol and Dynastar.... different graphics same skis. Well it's like that with race skis, but not completely true with recreational skis, yet it still holds to some extent. But thing is, skis are nowadays not made as they were 30 or 40 years ago. Certain factory, even if not is same group is making one line of skis, other factory is doing the other line, so it's not so uncommon that certain company, with no official link to let's say Elan, has skis "made in Slovenia" (and there's no other ski factory then Elan in Slovenia). With Atomic and Salomon (or Rossi/Dynastar) things are even more so, considering they are both in same group. Some skis (and boots) are made in Atomic in Austria (as Atomic and as Salomon) and some are made in Salomon in France (again, as Atomic and as Salomon).
As for Rossi and "made in Spain" goes, Rossignol has their own company there (until few years ago, Elan had it in Austria too for example), so it's a bit different. But realistically, in my mind it doesn't really matter if it's done in Austria, France, Spain or Slovenia. Quality is more or less same, and it's in range of ski you have not in range of country where it's made.
 

Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
27,298
Location
Reno
Salomon and Atomic are lately pretty much like Rossignol and Dynastar.... different graphics same skis. Well it's like that with race skis, but not completely true with recreational skis,
Their recreational skis ski very differently.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Tony S

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
12,635
Location
Maine
Living about 1 block from the Canadian Amer Warehouse....who cares...long as the ski works for you...

That's a perfectly legit perspective. If you're not fussed, great. You can move on!

They're getting very scarce on the ground, but there are still products that trade on national or regional identity, based on long-established expertise, craftsmanship, pride, distinctive style, etc. "Sewn in Italy" bike shorts - and of course shoes - come to mind. "Made in China" on a Campagnolo crankset or a Colnago frame would be extremely jarring even in this global age. (Here's where someone posts a photo of exactly that, I suppose. In which case I give up.)

I guess part of me still clings to the idea that the blue white and red French rooster or the black Austrian eagle might still mean something on a pair of skis. When I figure out what that is, I'll let you know. :huh:
 
Thread Starter
TS
Tony S

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
12,635
Location
Maine
Salomon has been one of the most innovating companies of the past 50 years from the 727 to defining rear entry boots along with a unique sizing method that really made sence to monocoque skis with their own unique sizing that again made sense. Salomon has created some of the most influential skis, S9000's X-tremes, 1080's, Pocket Rockets to name a few.

Chapter Seven, in which Phil starts to get nervous that someone will say something critical about a sponsor. :duck:

No Phil, I'm not dissing Salomon. :) Agree they make cool stuff. Wearing a pair of their shoes right now.
 

dbostedo

Asst. Gathermeister
Moderator
Contributor
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Feb 9, 2016
Posts
18,098
Location
75% Virginia, 25% Colorado
I guess part of me still clings to the idea that the blue white and red French rooster or the black Austrian eagle might still mean something on a pair of skis. When I figure out what that is, I'll let you know. :huh:
Well it could still mean that the companies priorities, approach, process, quality control, and design adhere to certain principles or standards, regardless of the nationality of the workers or location of the factory. Those company characteristics are not necessarily tied to the country people live in (they probably were a lot more in the past).

I collect watches, and the "Swiss Made" aspect is still a really big deal, but some of the best watches come out Germany and Japan, and China is actually fairly rapidly catching up. And "Swiss Made" requirements in Switzerland have been relaxed to some extent. So it may be heading the same way, and there is a lot of "gnashing of teeth" over it.
 

Sponsor

Staff online

  • dbostedo
    Asst. Gathermeister
  • Andy Mink
    Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
  • Dwight
    Practitioner of skiing, solid and liquid
Top