Blizzard Sport

Blizzard Sport GmbH is a company with headquarters in Mittersill, Austria, the Ski Bindings and manufactures. The production facilities are located in Mittersill and Ukraine.

History

Blizzard was founded in 1945 by Anton Arnstein ( 1925-2013 ), who, wounded several times, returned from the 2nd World War in his hometown Mittersill was founded in the joinery. In addition to furniture and other wooden objects he made ​​on skis, which quickly became a successful product of its operation despite the then economic situation after the war.

1953 Blizzard trade mark was registered. 1954 Blizzard used the first manufacturer to standard polyethylene ski bases, were the standard in the coming years. In 1957 Arnstein, the first extension of the by, now with 30 employees or employees. Fiberglass and metal were introduced as " new Skimaterialien ".

In 1960, the number of employees had risen to eighty and the " metal ski " went into production. 1963 a large part of the factory building was destroyed by fire. 1964 was made the second stage in the work Mittersill in the wake of the major renovation work. In 1965, the then Managing Director of record sales and increased the number of employees to two hundred.

1970, the operating (300 employees) has been extended for the third time. 1974, the volume of completely new plant 500,000 Ski / year and the "Blizzard ski factory Anton Arnstein " was renamed " Blizzard GmbH". 1976, a branch office in Sauerlach near Munich, was built for the German market. In 1980, after six years of development and an investment of 30 million shillings of " Thermoski " on the market. With nine World Cup victories and the overall World Cup victory Blizzard was measured on the progress made on Blizzard skis sporting achievements, the number one in the Austrian ski market.

At ISPO 1996 Blizzard presented the first carving skis. The company reported in the autumn of the same year to insolvency and on 1 October 1996 was followed by the takeover by the Swiss sports products manufacturer Scott. 2005 took over Karl Hofstätter ( 33.3 %) and Anton Stöckl ( 66.6 %), the company. Already 2006, Stoeckl retired and sold his shares in October at the Tecnica Group. In 2007, the Tecnica Group the remaining third of Hofstätter.

2009, the production site Mukachevo in Ukraine after Chop, also relocated in Ukraine.

With the 2009/10 collection, the distribution network of Blizzard and Tecnica in the core markets in Europe has been merged (including Austria & Germany ) and Blizzard now offered as a mark of the group through these distribution channels.

Since 2010, the sales structures have been integrated within and outside Europe for the first time in the existing Tecnica Group Network ( Italy, France, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, USA, Canada, Japan & Korea). For the first time in company history Blizzard was the " European Ski Award" ( better known as " ispo Award" ) is awarded for the IQ -Power System in category Ski hardware.

Products

Thermoski

In the 70 years over 30 million shillings were invested in the development of Thermoski. This conformed by the use and combination of different temperature-dependent materials the respective snow and slope conditions. Since the two ski had different constructions was given, what ski had to be used on which side ( left or right ).

Quattro

A further development of Thermoski was presented in 1982: the Quattro Blizzard skis. The so-called " downhill ski - Automatic" was combined with the Thermoski function and should make skiing easier. After disputes with the car manufacturer Audi, which uses the term Quattro to date, this technology has been marketed in the following years under the name Multi -Matic.

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 available in other major manufacturers in the industry. In the 2005/06 collection called "IQ " system was used for the top models. When the IQ system is processed in a ski guide rail, which is responsible for the binding of recording. Binding can slide freely forward and back and the ski is totally bent in the curve ( in the swing ). Sliding out of the binding during riding is prevented by a screw in the center of the binding. The system in this form is patented and is only used at Blizzard so.

Power frame

The Power Frame is the redevelopment of the season 2008/09. The continuation of the IQ sidewalls around the entire ski provides a better swing and force distribution over the whole ski.

Sidewall

In addition to the usual carving skis " Cap- constructions ", in which the ski surface of an edge over the ski to the other edge enough sidewalls are also used in new model states which stabilize the ski and give the Skibauern more choices of modes of production.

IQ -Power

The IQ technology was further developed and implemented in three models of the 2010/11 collection as IQ -Power technology to market through greater investments of the parent company. The integrated binding system was extended by an oil -pressure shock absorbers in the middle part. The models received additional carbon supports that allow the direct connection to the damper smoother running and more dynamic. This technology was at ispo '11 with the " European Ski Award" (also known as " ispo Award" ) award in the category "Ski Hardware".