Rocker skis set to revolutionize the ski industry in 2011
Will the new “rocker skis” revolutionize the ski industry, as the now-dominant carving skis did back then? According to ski manufacturers, skiers worldwide will switch from carving skis to rocker skis in the coming 2010/2011 ski season.
Rocker skis: the latest innovation in the international ski industry
The Intersport sporting-goods retailer group is fully convinced by the newly designed rocker skis. According to the company, rocker skis could spark a boom similar to the one carving skis enjoyed almost ten years ago. Carving skis are heavily waisted in the middle and curve upward. Rocker skis, by contrast, lie flat on the ground, have a much gentler waist, and have both ends bent upward, making them much less strenuous for skiers to turn. Industry experts also say that rocker skis are more forgiving of mistakes and have advantages over carving skis in deep snow. Leading manufacturers such as Völkl, Atomic, and Rossignol are unanimous in this assessment.
Rocker skis set to revolutionize the ski industry in 2011
Date: 30/09/2026
Are carving skis out—and are the new skis “rocking” now?
Intersport estimates that around 25 percent of all newly sold skis will already be rocker skis in the current 2010/2011 ski season. According to manufacturers’ forecasts, the “rockers” will finally replace carving skis in the next winter season, 2011/2012. The industry expects this innovation to boost sales once again: manufacturers hope that these new skis will persuade winter sports enthusiasts to buy skis again, after skiers have mostly rented their equipment for their ski holidays in recent years or kept using their old skis longer than before.
Christian Bathen
