Blizzard ski
| Blizzard Sport GmbH
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| legal form | GmbH |
| founding | 1945 (in Mittersill ) |
| Seat |
Mittersill , Austria Tschop , Ukraine |
| management | Helmut Exenberger |
| Number of employees | 260 (Jan 2013) |
| sales | 32 million euros (2009) |
| Branch |
Ski ski bindings |
| Website | www.blizzard-ski.com |
Blizzard Sport GmbH is a company headquartered in Mittersill , Austria , that manufactures skis and ski bindings . It is owned by the Italian Tecnica group . The production sites are in Mittersill and the Ukraine.
history
Blizzard was founded in 1945 by Anton Arnsteiner (1925-2013), who, wounded several times, had returned to his hometown Mittersill from the Second World War , in his carpentry shop. In addition to furniture and other wooden objects, he also made skis, which, despite the economic situation at the time, quickly became a successful product of his company after the war.
In 1953 the Blizzard brand was registered. In 1954, Blizzard was the first manufacturer to use polyethylene ski bases as standard, which became standard in the years to come. In 1957 Arnsteiner expanded the company for the first time, now with around 30 employees. Fiberglass and metal were introduced as "new ski materials".
In 1960 the number of employees had risen to eighty and the “metal ski” was mass-produced. In 1963 a fire destroyed most of the factory building. In 1964, as part of the major renovation work, the second expansion stage was carried out at the Mittersill plant. In 1965, the then managing director reported record sales and increased the number of employees to two hundred.
In 1970 the company (300 employees) was expanded for the third time. In 1974 the volume of the completely new plant was 500,000 skis / year and the "Blizzard Ski Factory Anton Arnsteiner" was renamed "Blizzard GmbH". In 1976 a branch was established in Sauerlach near Munich for the German market . In 1980, after six years of development and an investment of 30 million schillings, the "Thermoski" came onto the market. With nine World Cup victories and the overall World Cup victory, Blizzard was number one in the Austrian ski market, measured by the sporting successes achieved on Blizzard skis.
In 1996, Blizzard presented the first carving ski at ISPO . The company filed for bankruptcy in the fall of the same year, and on October 1, 1996 it was taken over by the Swiss sporting goods manufacturer Scott . In 2005 Karl Hofstätter (33.3%) and Anton Stöckl (66.6%) took over the company. Stöckl withdrew in 2006 and sold his shares to the Tecnica Group in October. In 2007 the Tecnica Group took over the remaining third of Hofstätter.
In 2009, the Mukachevo production site in Ukraine was relocated to Chop, also in Ukraine.
With the 2009/10 collection, the sales network of Blizzard and Tecnica in the core markets in Europe (including Austria & Germany) was merged and Blizzard is now offered as the group's brand through these sales channels.
Since 2010, the sales structures within and for the first time outside of Europe have been integrated into the existing Tecnica Group network (Italy, France, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Poland, USA, Canada, Japan & Korea). For the first time in the company's history, Blizzard received the "European Ski Award" (better known as the "ispo Award") for the IQ-Power System in the ski hardware category.
Products
Thermoski
In the 1970s over 30 million schillings were invested in the development of the thermoski. This adapted to the respective snow and slope conditions through the use and combination of different temperature-dependent materials. Since the two skis had different constructions, it was specified which ski had to be used on which side (left or right).
Quattro
A further development of the thermoski was presented in 1982: the Blizzard Quattro Ski. The so-called "Talski automatic" was combined with the thermoski function and should make skiing even easier. After legal disputes with the car manufacturer Audi, which still uses the term Quattro today, this technology was marketed under the name Multi-Matic in the following years.
IQ
With the takeover by Karl Hofstätter and Anton Stöckl in 2005, the development of a ski and binding system was promoted, as it has long been used by other major manufacturers in the industry. In the 2005/06 collection, the so-called "IQ system" was used in the top models. The IQ system is a guide rail incorporated into the ski that holds the binding. The binding can slide freely forwards and backwards, and the ski is totally flexed in the curve (in the turn). A screw in the middle of the binding prevents the binding from sliding out while driving. The system in this form is patented and is only used at Blizzard.
Power frame
The Power Frame is the new development for the 2008/09 season. The continuation of the IQ sidewalls around the entire ski ensures better swing and power distribution over the entire ski.
Sidewall
In addition to the usual "cap constructions" for carving skis, in which the ski surface extends from one edge over the ski to the other edge, side walls are also used in new models to stabilize the ski and give ski manufacturers more options for production methods .
IQ power
The IQ-Technologie was further developed through major investments by the parent company and launched as IQ-Power Technologie in three models of the 2010/11 collection. The integrated binding system has been expanded to include an oil pressure damper in the middle section. The models received additional carbon struts which, thanks to the direct connection with the damper, enable smoother running and more dynamism. This technology was awarded the "European Ski Award" (also known as the "ISPO Award") in the "Ski Hardware" category at the ISPO (International Trade Fair for Sports Goods and Sports Fashion) in 2011 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ This is what winners look like: The winners of the ispo European Ski Award 2011 (January 31, 2011)
Web links
- Official website of the company