Rossignol, a giant in the history of French skiing

The Rossignol ski brand is a household name when it comes to downhill skiing. This great and wonderful story began in the French Alps in 1907! Abel Rossignol was a carpenter. He had a passion for skiing, so he decided to make his first pair of handmade skis from solid wood.

As the years went by, the native of Isère continued to manufacture skis, incorporating the innovations and technologies that were emerging at the time.

Rossignol first came into its own in 1937 when Emile Allais became world champion skier equipped by Rossignol.

In 1941, Abel Rossignol patented the "Olympic" ski, but it was not until 1948 that the OLYMPIC 41 ski was on the top step of the podium at the Winter Olympics.

In the second half of the 20th century, the Rossignol group took a major turn by exporting and flooding the international market. In 1960 at the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics, Jean Vuarnet finished on the top step of the podium with the very first Rossignol metal skis, a technological revolution for the time. Rossignol went from strength to strength and became a symbol of French know-how in alpine skiing.

After wood and metal, it was time for fibreglass. In 1960, the Rossignol STRATO ski was an international success story that further enhanced the reputation of the French company and its increasingly innovative ideas.

Today Rossignol is a benchmark in alpine skiing and the brand is known in every corner of the world and in every ski resort. It is one of the major players in the evolution of downhill skiing, its technique and the development of winter sports resorts.

Numerous world ski champions have proudly sported the tricolore brand, even going so far as to diversify into other types of skis: the World Champion Martin Fourcade in biathlon is a case in point.

Find a whole range of Rossignol products in our Speck-Sports shop or on our website!