10 best manufacturers of cross-country skiing

Skiing as an element of entertainment, and later sports and competitive discipline, was born a long time ago. The idea of ​​creating more convenient and narrower analogs of snowshoes for hunting needs was met with approval, and the world saw, in fact, the first coming of skis as a full-fledged inventory for practical use.

However, a truly powerful catalyst for the development of technologies for the production of ski paraphernalia was the inclusion of special disciplines in the winter sports program and the subsequent promotion of a healthy lifestyle through skiing.

Today, close competition is taking place not only on the tracks and designated areas: far beyond them, there is an invisible battle for primacy among manufacturing companies. A huge number of brands and brands claim a high place, but not everyone is able to achieve success. We selected for you the 10 best manufacturers of cross-country skiing, divided into three thematic categories. Places in the ranking were distributed according to the following criteria:

• popularity of the company in Russia;
• the level of quality of products sold;
• the width of the range presented in domestic stores;
• average cost level;
• durability of sets and resistance to wear.

The best manufacturers of low-cost cross-country skiing

5 ATEMI

ATEMI can be considered a purely nominal manufacturer. In essence, it is an online store that cooperates with Chinese enterprises and sells sports equipment under its own brand. Among the variety of products in the ATEMI catalog there are only cross-country skis, designed for the classic course and for the amateur level of skating.

One of the brightest representatives of the range is the ATEMI Escape series. The basis of this series of skis is a lightweight (but, alas, not the most durable) core “packed” in high-tech ABS plastic (an inexpensive material with balanced strength, ductility and hardness characteristics). The sliding surface is treated with extruded polyester, providing not the fastest, but stable course (very much depends on the method of applying lubricant). The cost of such a kit varies from 1200 to 1600 rubles, which is an excellent indicator for both beginners and avid ski lovers.

4 Larsen

The Finnish company Larsen is the most loyal manufacturer and supplier of cross-country skiing, based on their level of value. Almost all the kits in its range are universal and suitable for both the ridge and the classic move, which is especially good for beginner athletes.

Many potential users are asking the quite reasonable question of what kind of quality assurance skis can offer, the cost of which barely exceeds 1,000 rubles (and in some cases does not exceed this limit). The fact is that in their manufacture no revolutionary technologies and developments are used, since Larsen follows a strictly traditional approach to production. A standard wooden core is placed under the plastic case, which allows to simplify the construction of the ski and make it more flexible for maneuvering. Extruded polyethylene is used as a sliding surface, the degree of sliding of which strongly depends on lubrication. In general, Larsen skis are an ideal option for beginner athletes whose main goal is to master running skills.

3 Nordway

The name, known to almost all the inhabitants of our immense country. Nordway is the own brand of the chain of stores (read, companies) SportMaster, which produces a huge amount of various goods.

Perhaps it is the above fact that does not quite favorably affect the quality of individual ski sets, but the situation as a whole is compensated by a low price. The most popular children's skis in the Nordway range are hybrid cross-country models oriented to the combined style of skiing. It is not possible to talk about any technological solutions in such a situation - everything is done with an eye on the old design school, albeit with the use of modern materials. Whatever it was, but the means of mastering the skills of skiing and the achievement of a certain level of sports from Nordway, of course, are. And given their fitness for use in Russian climatic conditions, low cost and prevalence in the network of the official distributor's stores, such skis will be the best choice for young and novice skiers.

2 Tisa

The company, a period of wide popularity which fell on the 60s of the last century. The reason for this is prosaic: almost the entire range of winter sports equipment available in Soviet stores consisted of clubs and TISA brand skis. Alas, with the arrival on the market of stronger opponents in the face of Fischer, Madshus and a number of other firms, TISA gradually lost its customer base and turned into a strong, but average, so ruthless competitive segment. The sporting flagships of the company were replaced by "peace-loving" classic skis, such as Adventure Step, Sport Wax and Classic Step.

Some domestic experts prefer to refer TISA to the number of "popular" manufacturers, since most of the country's sports history and achievements were somehow connected with this company. In fact, the current brand is a kind of “restarting” of the activity of the once existing factory, owned by the well-known Austrian company Fischer since 1995. With such a strong technological base and a rich history, TISA regularly gets the fourth place in the ranking of the best.

1 Dynamic

Another clear example of how a more promoted brand is produced under a less well-known brand to meet the needs of a wide user mass. As in the case of TISA, behind which stands the Austrian company Fischer, Dynamic is a subsidiary of another large Austrian company - Atomic - and fully uses all budgetary practices (and, equally, and production lines) of a more eminent holder.

In domestic realities, in fact, only one model of cross-country skiing is in great demand - the Dynamic VR52 Grip, created specifically for beginners. It is sharpened by a classic move, different lightweight design, functionality and relatively low cost.By the way, the latest quality in relation to the entire range of the brand, which, coupled with high strength, accounts only for consumers.

The best manufacturers of cross-country skiing premium

5 Atomic

Another Austrian manufacturer of cross-country skiing, a leader in the category of equipment for young athletes. There are not so many obvious prerequisites for this: in addition to the high quality of the sets (which is also true for “adult” models), it’s only the price level that is meant to attract the consumer, since Atomic’s price policy is good.

All sets of skis for children are built on the basis of one technology - High Densolite, indicating the presence of a core made of light synthetic material in skis. Also, almost all models have a redistributed mass balance due to the use of 3D Touring profiles, which increases controllability and compensates for energy consumption for auxiliary movements.

One of the brightest representatives of the company is the ATOMIC RACE COMBI JUNIOR kit, built using the special Race profile to enhance the effect of repulsion and increase stability when cornering. This is a technological and popular in Russia classics, suitable for children and teenagers up to 168 centimeters. The cost of RACE COMBI JUNIOR does not exceed 5.5 thousand rubles, which is a good price indicator.

4 Salomon

The French company Salomon is a bright representative of universal manufacturers focused on the production of sports equipment and professional winter equipment. Despite the fact that the brand’s product range includes both snowboards and alpine skis of various designs, traditionally a strong segment are cross-country skis, which inherit classical features with a mix of new technologies.

While other brands are trying to create a product based on one individual concept, Salomon introduces several of its own developments into production, focusing primarily on the uniqueness of the characteristics. Such a measure is the place to be, however, some combinations give a very unpredictable result.

The undoubted advantage of the company can be considered to be the focus on an excellent part of users with sophisticated sports. In the assortment of Salomon there is a huge number of classic and skating amateur ski models, a prominent representative of which is Salomon SNOWSCAPE 7 SIAM. The owners of these skis celebrate a good geometry, somewhat unexpected, but positive sensations caused by a shift in the center of gravity, optimal rigidity and dynamic performance, as well as a pleasantly low price.

3 Madshus

The Norwegian brand, whose advertisements recently flaunted in all TVs in a large country. As in the case of competing brands, the activity of this company is sharpened for the production of diversified products - from skis for slalom and ski jumping to cross-country under the classics and skating. By the way, the latter have a very flexible division and are available for different groups of users: the more expensive are targeted at professional athletes (among them is the enchanting model Madshus Terrasonic Skate), and budget ones (such as Madshus Intrasonic Classic) are suitable for beginners and athletes of the transition level. At the same time, it cannot be said that the price characteristic greatly influences the quality indicators of the products. Yes, various on the complexity of the implementation of the technology are used, but from the point of view of reliability during operation they decide not so much.

If with cross-country skiing for beginners everything is clear, then professional ones raise some questions regarding the results given by athletes. Many users notice that the speed characteristics of skis highly depend on the correctness of lubrication, and all the inaccuracies - even minor ones - are automatically shifted to the physical qualities of the sporsman.

2 Rossignol

One of the world's oldest ski brands, whose history has overcome one-century milestone. Rossignol is a premium manufacturer of winter sports equipment, the first to master the technology of making skis based on carbon and polymer plastic. Not stopping there, the French company is constantly in search of improving its already remarkable series, for which it is awarded the highest places (not lower than the second) in ratings of various levels and scale.

If you think more globally and discard the division of manufacturers into categories, then Rossignol is one of the few whose mountain and running series are almost equal in class to each other. But since we chose the latter, we will follow the methodical story about it. And there really is something to tell about. All cross-country ski sets have a sliding coating of a particularly light aramid laminate, due to which a high degree of stability is achieved in diverse areas, as well as a good finish. The strength of the skis is ensured by the use of a carbon layer directly over the core and hard plastic right at the bottom of the product. Alas, all this magnificence has one serious drawback: despite the brilliant indicators of progress, durability and quality, the cost of the kit seriously limits the circle of buyers.

1 Fischer

On the first line of the ranking is a well-known Austrian company, the first products of which were carts and winter sleds. As technology improved and consumer demands increased, the big bosses of the company realized that it was time to expand the range of manufactured goods, and in 1936 the first skis entered the shelves of sports equipment stores. The brand slowly gained popularity, but world recognition had to wait almost a century - this achievement was subdued by the Austrians only in 2006, when they were officially recognized as the best supplier of skis for the Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.

Despite the fact that the company's range includes a huge amount of alpine skiing, including an outstanding series of equipment for sports slalom (namely, RC4 Worldcup SC, developed in close cooperation with famous skiers), it should be especially noted running sets. The manufacturing technology of each individual series differs in a dizzying variety: here and the stiffeners are reinforced with titanium, and the nose is covered with carbon, and even the core is made in a very intricate form. The cost of skis Fischer is far from the budget, but fully justified by the high quality and long life.

Popular vote - who is the best manufacturer of cross-country skiing?
We vote!

ATEMI

Atomic

Dynamic

Fischer

Larsen

Madshus

Nordway

Rossignol

Salomon

Tisa

Total votes: 722

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