BLIZZARD was founded in 1945 by Anton ‘Toni’ Arnsteiner. Just 20 years-old and a returning
war veteran, Toni took over his father’s small carpentry shop in the village of Mittersill,
Austria. His skill at producing skis out of native alpine hardwoods earned him a reputation
as a master ski builder, and began to drive demand for his handcrafted products. By 1953
the company name had changed from Glockner to Blizzard, and the skis now featured
polyethylene running surfaces, plastic sidewalls, and white top edges for protection–the
first of hundreds of Blizzard innovations. Production output from the compact Tirolean
facility swelled from 4,000 pair in 1955, to a peak of more than half a million. From the
very first wood skis, through the world-dominating Thermo models, and on to today’s
Cochise, Quattro, and Zero G, Blizzard–now part of the Tecnica Group–has sustained a
near-legendary reputation for technological innovation, superior performance, and a
fierce commitment to delivering an incomparable skier experience.
