Skis Rossignol - History

History

The company was founded in 1907 by Abel Rossignol as a textile and ski manufacturer. Rossignol, a committed skier, used his carpentry skills to make a pair of skis out of solid wood. In 1937, Émile Allais of France became triple world champion on Rossignol Olympic 41 skis.

When Laurent Boix Vives bought the company in 1956, the company only focused on skiing equipment and began to sell them worldwide. Rossignol had a breakthrough during the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, USA, when Jean Vuarnet of France won the downhill on Allais 60s, the world's first all-metal skis.

In 1964, Rossignol released the Strato, the first fiberglass ski.

In the 1970s, Rossignol began selling in the U.S., launching its first Nordic skis and soon became the world's largest ski manufacturer. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Rossignol triumphed winning six out of ten gold medals in alpine events.

In 1990, Rossignol launched a product line of alpine ski boots, as well as developing a bindings range and soon after moved into snowboards and mountain clothing.

Athletes using Rossignol products won at both the Winter Olympic games in Albertville and in Lillehammer.

Alberto Tomba of Italy, the dominant technical skier of the late 1980s and 1990s, raced on Rossignol skis.

Rossignol is the French word for nightingale.