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October, 2024

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Mainstream Ski Brands

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king_latifa
Posts: 38 - Karma: 233
I don't Really mean to sound like a hipster or whatever saying stuff like "oh I hate that because its too mainstream", but I don't like having the same brand of skis as the entire mountain, so I like getting stuff from local companies or companies that are way underrated to try and be different, ya know? Am I the only one that thinks this? I'm just curious
Nov 9 2013 2:24PM
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BLADEE
Posts: 1017 - Karma: 778
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Nov 9 2013 2:39PM
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BigScaryLarry
Posts: 1448 - Karma: 2,732
Armada
Oakley
Saga
Jiberish
North Face
Atomic
Nov 9 2013 2:40PM
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RoofDaRoofieDogg
Posts: 3090 - Karma: 1,989
Yeah man, you're sure showing those conformists.

It's good to support the little guys though.
Nov 9 2013 2:53PM
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Truetape
Posts: 291 - Karma: 227
I rock local skis which have become mainstream in our local environment.
Nov 9 2013 2:53PM
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Jon_Taffer
Posts: 1374 - Karma: 5,383
Line, K2, Armada, Atomic, Salomon...
Nov 9 2013 2:56PM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2385 - Karma: 7,781
debating switching over to Surface skis
i have been on an armada binge
Nov 9 2013 7:06PM
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ErryB
Posts: 138 - Karma: 1,685
buy the best skis and the best gear, fuck what everyone else wears and skis
Nov 9 2013 7:09PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37380 - Karma: 119,964
Nothing wrong with mainstream brands. Just means they have a larger customer base because their skis are proven to be great. I love my step-ups. I don't give a fuck if someone else has the same pair of skis. I usually just jokingly say nice skis to them and we laugh it off.
Nov 9 2013 7:57PM
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The.Doctor
Posts: 194 - Karma: 832
J SKIS! :D
Nov 9 2013 8:21PM
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Nuno812
Posts: 432 - Karma: 1,792
People care too much about what ppl think... Go ski
Nov 9 2013 8:24PM
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last_tango
Posts: 2635 - Karma: 2,665
You are probably not going to like it. Surface skis to be really stiff unless the lab2 is flexible.
Nov 9 2013 9:18PM
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thebabywilliam
Posts: 176 - Karma: 98
Totally agree man. Although the mainstream products are generally top quality, its always great to be different and to support your local ski companies! Rep your local brands/shops and spread the word.
Nov 9 2013 9:20PM
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BigScaryLarry
Posts: 1448 - Karma: 2,732
the only way those smaller brands are gunna get bigger and make higher quality product is by the support of the skiing community. every ski sale counts because that is one more person who is going to tell there friends how much they like that ski or tell the company why they dont. i have a pair of armada skis and sure they are great but i would rather support a smaller company
Nov 10 2013 8:02AM
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7-11_Slurpee
Posts: 1142 - Karma: 1,552
It is good to support the little guys. A few years back I had a pair of boone skis and i loved them. They're slowly coming back now with a few lines of skis, but it was sad to see them get sold short for a while. My Boones were the liveliest skis i had ever ridden.
Nov 10 2013 8:52AM
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humpty
Posts: 1190 - Karma: 3,162
.
Nov 10 2013 9:09AM
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ethanfrayne
Posts: 190 - Karma: 1,196
line also not saying bad just too much of it on the mountain
Nov 10 2013 9:15AM
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WU-sconsin
Posts: 565 - Karma: 1,301
its too hard to define a mainsteam ski
Nov 10 2013 11:32AM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,010
Ok, you guys saying armada, jibberish, saga, line, etc are big mainstream companies need to get out of your little park bubble and look at the big picture.

None of those companies even existed 15 years ago, and by no means are big companies in the ski world. Atomic, salomon, k2, rossignol, dynastar, elan, etc. they have been around for a long time and are much bigger players in the overall ski industry.
Nov 10 2013 11:40AM
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Catbug
Posts: 463 - Karma: 1,027
You're right. Armada is in no way a big player in the ski industry.
Nov 10 2013 12:03PM
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Maruchan
Posts: 206 - Karma: 1,582
I think its great to support the little companies, but don't do it just because you dont want to have the same skis as other people. I manufacture skis at a small shop in denver and I ride those occasionally because I got to custom tailor a ski to myself, not because I just want to be different and not mainsream. I still ride my THalls all the time and a bunch of people ride those skis too because they are proven to be good skis.
Nov 10 2013 12:03PM
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slav_slayer
Posts: 476 - Karma: 1,821
Want to set yourself apart from the pack?....Epic Planks
Nov 10 2013 12:08PM
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tcurle
Posts: 1254 - Karma: 5,269
I want to see smaller brands get big. Moment, surface, on3p...
Nov 10 2013 12:21PM
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Turd.Ferguson
Posts: 1437 - Karma: 2,713
RMU is hands down my favorite "underground" ski co. that being said i ski line chronics.
Nov 10 2013 12:24PM
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coling
Posts: 1086 - Karma: -3
Just get a pair of skis thats a model year or 2 old
Nov 10 2013 1:32PM
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SapperDaddy
Posts: 191 - Karma: 1,168
Check out oakleys. I heard the Osamas are a bad ass park ski. They are a few seasons old though check ebay cause they are hard to find.
Nov 10 2013 1:41PM
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Session
Posts: 5375 - Karma: 22,080
Comparatively Armada is not a big player overall.
Nov 10 2013 3:27PM
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linus_deboss
Posts: 1036 - Karma: 1,914
the focus here was in freeskiing I think... Armada is pretty big with Harlaut now...
Nov 10 2013 6:20PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6656 - Karma: 10,862
I know you meant this as a joke, but it's interesting that this is what Atomic is. Despite being the world's largest ski manufacturer, Atomic is still a local company if you live in Austria.
Nov 11 2013 7:26AM
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TRIKD
Posts: 67 - Karma: -3
Local like Wilson tennis rackets ;)



Nov 11 2013 8:01AM
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11661 - Karma: 24,364
My skis are icelantic and surface and I like that they are unique but thats not why i bought them. At the same time i wear helly hansen outerwear almost exclusively.

I care more about the quality of the product than I do its percentage of the market because im not a dumbass.
Nov 11 2013 9:16AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6656 - Karma: 10,862
More like, local in that our skis are handmade in a small Austrian farm town by real people who put a lot of effort in to delivering the best stuff possible.

Don't get me wrong, I love honestly what J-Lev and many others are doing but as some here have already said, don't discount a brand based on its size. Buy what you think is best and what will make you smile the most!
Nov 11 2013 9:22AM
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TRIKD
Posts: 67 - Karma: -3
Unlike those "fake" people that make skis in their hometown? I know the heritage in AT..believe me...but discounting people because of their location? Does that make Atomic better? More "handmade"? More cool-aid please from Finland.

PS: All in good fun....I love what Atomic has done keeping AT ski production in place by lean processes and controls. It's s tough battle to keep heritage companies alive with the headwinds of cost cutting, margin improvement, and P+L pressures but the marketing swill...I can live without that.

Buy good skis and enjoy!
Nov 11 2013 9:51AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6656 - Karma: 10,862
I definitely wasn't discounting anyone nor anyone's location- just clarifying where and how our skis are built, which is either unknown or not understood by a lot of people. And I'm also not saying you were one of those people. There are a lot of people that equate handmade with small brands and machine made mass production with big brands, which is not always the case. That's all I was getting at.
Nov 11 2013 10:03AM
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Stickthelanding8
Posts: 262 - Karma: 1,046
Armada and line should both get more popular
Nov 11 2013 10:37AM
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TroyAntipasta
Posts: 444 - Karma: 535
Yes, they may not be by someone's standards as "mainstream" but to a certain skier's stand point there considered "hyphy" and "trendwhorey". /claim
Nov 11 2013 4:30PM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,010
Well sure, but 'mainstream' can't be used when you are referring to just one part of the sport as a whole, no? Sure, armada might be popular in the park, but I you look at skiing as a whole, they aren't up there with the big guys.

If you are going to break it down, wouldn't everything be mainstream at some level? If a lot of people in the park at your hill have amplid skis, does that make them 'mainstream' at your hill?
Nov 11 2013 6:03PM
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MartianMan
Posts: 1101 - Karma: 2,099
Stiffness is not a bad thing.
Nov 11 2013 6:16PM
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last_tango
Posts: 2635 - Karma: 2,665
But if you are coming from armada which are soft skis imo except for the alpha and ar7. If you are use to soft skis you are going to feel out of place. Not talking down on surface at all but damn their park skis need to have some sort of flex. The no times are as stiff as a race ski. I have been looking into live lifes.
Nov 11 2013 7:29PM
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fghtoffyrdmns
Posts: 2998 - Karma: 6,867
yah snapping a pair of skis every other week is super fun
Nov 12 2013 12:42AM
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theVan
Posts: 204 - Karma: 225
Armada is still very small. Rossignol, Salomon, K2 and now Line sorta, Nordica, Technica, Lange, Elan, Fischer, Head, Dynastar, Scott, Völkl, Marker, Atomic, Blizzard...there are shitloads of very large and very financially successful companies and even mentioning Armada next to them is a compliment in my opinion. There are so many "microwbrew" ski brands now I mean take your pick dude! So many people will ask you what ski it is you are on and how awesome it is compared to their stamped out Chinese price point garbage...
Nov 12 2013 1:00AM
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linus_deboss
Posts: 1036 - Karma: 1,914
yes it does, that's the fucking definition of mainstream
Nov 12 2013 2:20AM
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pooptrack
Posts: 361 - Karma: 214
Don't care as long as it's a quality product made by people who give a shit about the sport.
Nov 12 2013 3:14AM
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m4ttm4n1
Posts: 176 - Karma: 1,581
I have surface double times. I haven't used the yet, but I'm excited for when i do.
Nov 12 2013 10:13AM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14486 - Karma: 10,635
My problem with smaller brands is I am paying twice the price for a ski that doesn't last any longer or hold up any better. I would love to support those companies because many of them make skis that are very unique, but I cannot afford them.
Nov 12 2013 10:39AM
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