We recently polled our readers, as we do annually, inquiring, “Which companies would you purchase products from?” Thousands of avid skiers turned out, eager to show support for their favorite brands and contribute to the data (the incentive of a shopping spree at evo may or may not have had something to do with the fantastic voter turnout, too). All in all, north of 300 different winter sports-oriented businesses were included in the polling, spread across 11 gear categories, from skis to boots, bindings, outerwear, goggles, socks and more.
The results give valuable insight into skiers’ affinities for certain brands. With a total reach of 2.5 million skiers, the numbers reflect the opinions of a mighty broad and influential skier base. So, how did things shake out in 2017-18? And what changed from previous years? We break it all down for you, below.
Note: The statistics below denote the total percentage of our audience who say they would purchase from a particular brand. Brands that did not crack the top 10, 15, 20, etc. are not displayed. The year-over-year trends reflect the polling results from the past five years; the data below was originally presented in our fifth annual Trend Book, a magazine that was unveiled to the industry at the OR Snow Show in Denver, Colorado.
Skis
After earning two silver medals in recent years, Völkl proudly steps into the top spot in our annual rankings. An astounding 54.5% of readers say they would purchase a pair of planks from the Straubing, Germany-based ski manufacturer. Atomic cracks the podium for the second straight year while K2—also no stranger to the medal ceremony—takes home the bronze.
K2 — 48.68%
Atomic — 47.69%
Rossignol — 47.29%
Salomon — 44.65%
Blizzard — 41.76%
Armada — 39.72%
Line — 37.43%
Black Crows — 35.49%
Head — 33.85%
Nordica — 32.85%
4FRNT — 32.30%
DPS — 29.27%
Faction — 29.27%
Icelantic — 23.59%
Fischer — 22.50%
J Skis — 22.00%
Elan — 13.39%
Liberty — 13.19%
Scott — 12.15%
Boots
It’s a three-peat for Salomon—a nod to the “out-of-the-box” comfort raved about by skiers worldwide. Dalbello dons the silver medal for the fourth straight year (how’s that for consistency?) and Tecnica cracks the podium after a fourth place finish last year, a result of the brand’s staunch dedication to freeride.
Dalbello — 46.77%
Tecnica — 43.17%
Lange — 40.77%
Nordica — 40.32%
Atomic — 39.27%
Rossignol — 32.87%
Full Tilt — 30.62%
Scarpa — 26.51%
K2 — 26.41%
Head — 24.76%
Dynafit — 22.41%
Fischer — 15.96%
Scott — 11.11%
Apex — 4.75%
Bindings
The people have spoken and (surprise, surprise!) Marker takes home top honors in the binding category for the fifth straight year, and by a large margin, as always. That crown will be a difficult one to snatch, folks. Salomon and Look take spots two and three, respectively, also for the second year in a row.
Salomon — 59.78%
Look — 52.41%
Atomic — 37.61%
Tyrolia — 35.66%
Dynafit — 31.49%
G3 — 20.71%
Fritschi — 11.48%
KneeBinding — 6.67%
Cast — 4.06%
Outerwear
The North Face and Patagonia have bounced back and forth between gold and silver over the past five years, but it’s “TNF” who reigns supreme this go ‘round—the result of passionate, consistent support of, and dedication to, the freeski market. Not to be overlooked, Arc’Teryx has quietly bagged the third place result for the past four years straight.
Patagonia — 61.95%
Arc’Teryx — 58.35%
Marmot — 50.47%
Mountain Hardwear — 44.84%
Helly Hansen — 44.44%
Black Diamond Equipment — 37.61%
Dakine — 35.96%
Mammut — 35.96%
Outdoor Research — 35.26%
Oakley — 34.11%
Salomon — 32.77%
Columbia — 32.52%
Spyder — 31.57%
Under Armour — 27.43%
Flylow — 24.69%
Armada — 24.24%
686 — 20.15%
Scott — 19.65%
Strafe — 18.95%
Midlayers & Baselayers
Midlayers: From first to third, Patagonia, The North Face and Arc’Teryx comprise the podium—a mirror of last year’s result in the same category. Behind the top dogs, Smartwool moves up two spots into fourth and Marmot makes a big leap from ninth into fifth.
The North Face — 50.71%
Arc’teryx — 47.03%
Smartwool — 43.95%
Marmot — 40.78%
Under Armour — 39.92%
Mountain Hardwear — 39.01%
Helly Hansen — 37.95%
Black Diamond — 31.80%
Dakine — 29.79%
Baselayers: Patagonia, Smartwool and The North Face receive the gold, silver and bronze, respectively; the same brands appeared on the podium last year, too. This year, however, Smartwool edges out The North Face for the second place spot. Under Armour, a former category winner, slips to fourth.
Smartwool — 49.32%
The North Face — 47.35%
Under Armour — 42.25%
Arc’teryx — 41.24%
Helly Hansen — 36.14%
Marmot — 33.82%
Mountain Hardwear — 31.50%
Outdoor Research — 28.62%
Icebreaker — 26.75%
Helmets
It’s back-to-back-to-back gold for Smith in the helmet category. Behind the Portland, Oregon-based helmet and goggle manufacturer sit Giro and POC; the three brands have all appeared on the podium in one combination or another for the past five years running—a remarkable testament to their strong connection with the freeski market. Salomon bumps up to fourth after a fifth place finish last year. Also of note: Oakley leaps three spots, from ninth to sixth—impressive given the company is only in its fourth year of helmet manufacturing.
Giro — 49.04%
POC — 46.07%
Salomon — 27.44%
Scott — 26.33%
Oakley — 23.67%
K2 — 22.36%
Bollé — 21.95%
anon. — 18.03%
Pret — 16.87%
Goggles & Sunglasses
Oakley wins a narrow victory over Smith, solidifying a gold medal finish in the goggle category for the fifth straight year. Smith and Spy take second and third place, respectively, for the third year running. Scott jumps two spots to fourth year-over-year and Bollé makes a big push from ninth to fifth in the same timespan.
Smith — 67.05%
Spy — 32.60%
Scott — 30.44%
Bollé — 28.58%
Dragon — 26.82%
anon. — 24.81%
POC — 23.61%
Giro — 18.73%
Zeal — 18.08%
Gloves
It’s a four-peat for Hestra and the brand is gaining distance on those who are chasing at its tail—its winning margin has grown each and every year. Black Diamond, The North Face and Dakine round out the top four; these same brands have jockeyed for the two, three and four spots year after year.
Black Diamond — 42.91%
The North Face — 40.80%
Dakine — 36.24%
Outdoor Research — 32.68%
Mountain Hardwear — 32.23%
Gordini — 22.06%
Scott — 20.85%
Kombi — 19.95%
Flylow — 19.85%
Packs & Luggage
Dakine, too, secures an impressive five-peat, winning by an impressive 11.5% margin. Whether it’s luggage, duffel bags, ski roller bags, lifestyle packs or backcountry packs, the FREESKIER audience holds Dakine a notch above the rest. Meanwhile, Patagonia edges out last year’s silver medalist, The North Face, for second place and backcountry stalwarts Black Diamond and Backcountry Access take fourth and fifth, respectively.
Patagonia — 45.10%
The North Face — 44.29%
Black Diamond — 41.82%
Backcountry Access (BCA) — 30.81%
Mountain Hardwear — 30.25%
Osprey — 27.37%
Mammut — 23.69%
Oakley — 20.05%
Douchebags — 19.65%
Socks
Smartwool’s dominance continues; the company takes the top spot for the fifth consecutive year, this time by an eye-popping 38.1%. Patagonia takes silver while Darn Tough moves up three spots to earn itself a bronze medal.
Patagonia — 33.47%
Darn Tough — 27.06%
Under Armour — 24.94%
Icebreaker — 22.72%
Dakine — 20.04%
Spyder — 18.12%
Dissent Labs — 13.18%
Oakley — 11.96%
CEP Socks — 11.76%
Armada — 6.56%
