Jason Levinthal, the ski-world-renowned founder of Line Skis and J Skis, has entered into an agreement to acquire the widely-acclaimed 4FRNT Skis Inc., based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Levinthal is credited with pioneering the twin tip ski movement in the late 1990s and for the past four years has focused on developing J Skis, the direct-to-consumer, limited edition ski company he operates out of Burlington, Vermont. J Skis has achieved cult status among ski fanatics the world over.
Levinthal says, of his reasons for entering into the agreement, that of all the original start-up, freeski-centric brands born in the late 1990s and early 2000s—like Armada and Line—4FRNT is the only one that remains privately owned. The owner and founder, Matt Sterbenz, is a former pro skier and an industry legend in his own right.
“I have immense respect for the 15 years of hard work and determination Matt Sterbenz and his crew have put into building this great brand,” says Levinthal. “Matt has a great vision for the brand and together we have a combined 37 years worth of proven entrepreneurial ski industry experience to leverage.”
The sale is expected to be made final in early July and Sterbenz will continue to work for the company, heading up marketing efforts and developing its award-winning skis.
“I still recall the first SIA tradeshow booth I built at the Mandalay Bay, when Jason walked up to me with a nail gun and told me how much faster it was than screwing it all together, because let’s face it, we’ll be back here next year doing it again,” explains Sterbenz. “I’ll never forget how influential Jason’s passion was for me early on with 4FRNT. Jason has been and remains to be a positive influence to me and I’m thrilled to now officially have the opportunity to work with him on growing 4FRNT.”
The uniting of Levinthal and Sterbenz is sure to create a duo to be reckoned with in the independent ski manufacturing landscape and is guaranteed to bring some fun to the industry.
For more, visit 4FRNT.com.
