The Most Influential Ski Designs in (Recent) History
Those of us who have been on this planet for a tick can probably rattle off the skis that changed our own lives over the years.
But – when it comes to which skis changed the industry – well, that is a hotly debated topic that pairs best with beer.
We at Wagner make skis for a living, of course, and we talk to customers every day about what skis they’ve loved in the past. Which is to say, our ski history is pretty up to snuff. Here’s our list of what we think the most iconic and groundbreaking designs were in recent history (though kudos to those cave dwellers in 8,000 BC for inventing this magnificent sport). And if you disagree? Well, come visit us at our shop in Telluride—we’ll buy you a beer and hear you out.
Atomic Powder Magic, 1988
It's harder to find images of these skis than you would expect!
Since Howard Head, an aeronautical engineer who later became the man behind Head Skis, invented the first aluminum laminate skis and dubbed them the Head Standard in 1947, ski technology didn’t change all that much, with all the innovation happening under the snowboard umbrella. Until the Powder Magic came along in 1988, which ushered in a new era. Tasked with coming up with a better powder ski, Atomic ski engineer Rupert Huber sawed a snowboard in half and put ski bindings on it. It was 115 millimeters underfoot—the first super-wide powder ski—and was much shorter than the typical straight, skinny boards of that day. With so much more surface area underfoot, the Atomic Powder Magic surfed on top of the snow instead of diving underneath it. It paved the way for fat skis of today.
Elan SideCut eXtreme (SCX), 1990
These skis were ubiquitous when they debuted.
In yet another snowboard-influenced innovation, Olin engineer Frank Meatto started messing around with sidecut in the 1980s. But it wasn’t until Elan came out with their SCX in 1993 and trademarked the term “parabolic” that the idea caught on. Elan engineers Jurif Franko and Pavel Skofic began working on the project in 1988, and persevered despite derision and ridicule by other companies. When the SCX proved to help skiers of all abilities learn how to carve, other brands began adopting similar shapes. By 1995, deep sidecut was common, and now it’s industry standard.
Line Ostness Dragon, 1998
Jason Levinthal in his garage in 1995. Photo courtsey Lineskis.com
Jason Levinthal, who founded Line in his garage in 1995 while studying product and graphic design at the University of Buffalo, is the Tony Hawk of the ski industry, and is responsible for inventing a groundbreaking pair of twin-tip center-mounted skis, called the Ostness Dragon. (The Olin Mark IV Comp was the first to have tail rise in 1974, but it was a far cry from the twin-tips of today.) It was created with collaboration from pro skier Kris Ostness, who wanted a twin-tip ski he could land backwards on that would still ski powder, as most of the kickers in that pre-terrain-park era were built in the backcountry by snowboarders. The same year, Salomon came out with the 1080, which was the first twin-tip for the masses, but we’re going to give this honor to Levinthal, who has always had innovation as his raison d’etre and has continued to make skis inspired by athletes who were pushing the envelope on the sport.
Volant Spatula, 2001
Thank you, Shane.
Shane McConkey, we’ll never get over you. One of the most influential skiers of all time, McConkey started toying with the idea of building a better powder ski in 1996. Thinking about a ski in terms of what he called the “pool cover effect,” where if you were to run across a pool cover, the place where your foot is sinks while the cover surrounding floats, he argued there might be a reason to reverse the sidecut on a ski. If the place that’s weighted, i.e. your foot, is wider than the tips and tails, you’d float better, he reasoned. He famously drew a picture of it on a bar napkin, to the tune of all of his friends’ laughter, and then filed it away at home. Then, a few years later, he accidentally discovered rocker when he skied a beat-up pair of Volant Chubbs that were bent in the tips. He went back to his original drawing, added rocker, and the Volant Spatula was born. Now, of course, you’d be hard-pressed to find any ski—even wasp-waisted carving skis—that doesn’t incorporate some kind of rocker in at least the tips, because it makes for easier turn initiation.
Wagner Skis, 2006
Wagner burst onto the scene in 2006
Around this time, a guy by the name of Pete Wagner was working for the golf industry to create custom golf clubs that were tailored to the way each individual golfer swings. He wrote software that collected information about how players were hitting the ball, and then figured out how to use that data to help design their perfect clubs. A passionate skier, Wagner moved to Telluride, bought a pair of skis that weren’t right for him, and had a lightbulb moment: He could apply his skills to ski manufacturing, too. In 2006, Wagner Skis was born, and it remains the only true custom ski company to this day. Wagner uses only the finest materials to handcraft skis specifically for the way individuals ski. If you haven’t tried them, you’re missing out. Schedule your call with a ski designer today.
Armada JJ, 2008
The Armada JJ and Rossi's Soul 7 can still be found on the hill today.
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Article by Kimberly Beekman
Kimberly Beekman is the former editor-in-chief of the late, great Skiing Magazine (RIP), and a longtime editor of SKI Magazine before that. She currently uses the title of “freelancer” as a beard to ski powder all over the world. She lives in Steamboat, Colorado, with her wonderful daughter and terrible cat.
