Skis Rossignol

{{Short description|French sports equipment and clothing manufacturer}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Skis Rossignol S.A.

| logo = Rossignol-logo.svg

| logo_size = 180px

| industry = Snowsports, clothing

| founded = 1907

| hq_location_city = Isère

| hq_location_country = France

| website = {{url|https://www.rossignol.com}}

}}

Skis Rossignol S.A., or simply Rossignol, is a French manufacturer of alpine, snowboard, and Nordic equipment, as well as related outerwear and accessories, located in Isère, France. Rossignol was one of the first companies to produce plastic skis. The company also owns the brands Dynastar and LOOK. In 2005, Rossignol was bought by boardsport equipment manufacturer Quiksilver for $560 million.{{cite web |url=http://www.hbindependent.com/articles/2006/12/21/news/hbi-csroundup21.txt |title=Quiksilver earnings jump 94%

|access-date=2007-11-30 |date=2006-12-20 |work=Huntington Beach Independent }} In 2008, Quiksilver made a deal to sell Rossignol for $147 million to a former chief executive, Bruno Cercley.{{cite web|url=http://www.ocbj.com/article.asp?aID=08729298.123135.1674140.5973119.6879039.314&aID2=128771 |title=Quiksilver Selling Rossignol for $147M |access-date=2008-08-27 |author=Michael Lyster |date=2008-08-27 |work=Orange County Business Journal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211052652/http://www.ocbj.com/article.asp?aID=08729298.123135.1674140.5973119.6879039.314&aID2=128771 |archive-date=December 11, 2008 }}

In July 2013, Macquarie sold the Rossignol Group, along with its subsidiaries Lange and Dynastar, to a partnership of Altor Equity Partners (a Swedish investment group) and the Boix-Vives family.

Anne-Sylvaine Chassany, [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/998ef8b6-ed29-11e2-8d7c-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3TBbfefhq "Altor to buy French ski maker Rossignol"] "Financial Times", July 15, 2013

History

File:2018-01-01 (202) Rossignol Alltrack 70 ski boots.jpg

The company was founded in 1907 by Abel Rossignol, who manufactured wood products (such as spindles) for the textile industry. Rossignol, a committed skier, used his carpentry skills to make a pair of skis out of solid wood. In 1937, Émile Allais of France became triple world champion on Rossignol Olympic 41 skis.{{cite web|last1=Masia|first1=Seth|title=100 Years of Rossignol|url=https://skiinghistory.org/history/100-years-rossignol|website=skiinghistory.org|publisher=International Skiing History Association|access-date=March 1, 2015}}

When Laurent Boix-Vives bought the company in 1956, the company only focused on skiing equipment and began to sell them worldwide. Rossignol had a breakthrough during the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, United States, when Jean Vuarnet of France won the downhill on Allais 60s, the company's first all-metal skis.

In 1964, Rossignol released the Strato, its first fiberglass ski.{{Cite news |date=2025-01-24 |title=Head, Rossignol, Fischer, Kneissl: quand le ski faisait du tennis - Le Temps |url=https://www.letemps.ch/sport/head-rossignol-fischer-kneissl-quand-le-ski-faisait-du-tennis?srsltid=AfmBOoq59MLdnuMyaEkIuk2Fq6Lo0_hMB8csQlyGUBzSL58wG6HNvtg5 |access-date=2025-03-14 |language=fr |issn=1423-3967}}

In the 1970s, Rossignol set up a distribution company in the U.S., launching its first Nordic skis, and soon became the world's largest ski manufacturer. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Rossignol triumphed, winning six out of 10 gold medals in alpine events.

In 1990, Rossignol acquired the Caber boot factory in Italy and rebranded the product under the Rossignol label (Rossignol already controlled the Lange ski boot brand).{{Cite news |date=1987-03-08 |title=Entrée Rossignol capture Le Trappeur |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1987/03/08/entree-rossignol-capture-le-trappeur_4025252_1819218.html |access-date=2025-03-14 |language=fr}} The company also acquired the Geze and Look ski-bindings ranges, rebranding Geze. It soon moved into snowboards and mountain clothing.{{Cite journal |last=Nouvelle |first=L'Usine |date=1994-06-02 |title=Rossignol: Reprise des fixations Look |url=https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/rossignol-reprise-des-fixations-look.N72444 |language=fr}}{{Cite news |date=1 August 1994 |title=Rossignol va équiper ses skis de fixations Look |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/1994/08/rossignol-va-equiper-ses-skis-de-fixations-look-886977 |work=Les Echos}}

Athletes using Rossignol products won at both the Winter Olympic games in Albertville and in Lillehammer.{{cite web|url=http://www.rossignol.com/company/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061105072846/http://rossignol.com/company/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2006-11-05|title=Rossignol - Partners|website=www.rossignol.com}}

In 2006, Huntington Beach, CA based Quiksilver acquired Rossignol{{Cite news |date=2005-03-22 |title=L'américain Quiksilver achète Skis Rossignol |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2005/03/22/l-americain-quiksilver-achete-skis-rossignol_629875_3234.html |access-date=2025-03-14 |language=fr}}{{Cite web |last=à 00h00 |first=Par Le 22 mars 2005 |date=2005-03-21 |title=QuikSilver rachète Rossignol |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/economie/quiksilver-rachete-rossignol-22-03-2005-2005801112.php |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=leparisien.fr |language=fr-FR}} only to sell the entity back in 2008.{{Cite web |date=2008-08-27 |title=Quiksilver conclut la ventede Rossignol |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/societes/2008/08/27/04015-20080827ARTFIG00533-quicksilver-conclut-la-vente-de-rossignol-.php |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=Le Figaro |language=fr}}{{Cite news |date=28 August 2008 |title=Quiksilver vend Rossignol à Macquarie |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/2008/08/quiksilver-vend-rossignol-a-macquarie-496377 |work=Les Echos}} The debt incurred ultimately resulted in Quiksilver's bankruptcy.{{Cite news |date=2015-09-09 |title=Le californien Quiksilver boit la tasse aux Etats-Unis |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/2015/09/le-californien-quiksilver-boit-la-tasse-aux-etats-unis-272821 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240421090757/https://www.lesechos.fr/2015/09/le-californien-quiksilver-boit-la-tasse-aux-etats-unis-272821 |archive-date=2024-04-21 |access-date=2025-03-14 |work=Les Echos |language=fr}}{{Cite news |date=2015-09-09 |title=Le groupe Quiksilver en faillite - Le Temps |url=https://www.letemps.ch/economie/groupe-quiksilver-faillite?srsltid=AfmBOor2gh5XIZPNFQHdawvjz_PnIWDweBWrQroNGyhB44OVNmSlB8oH |access-date=2025-03-14 |language=fr |issn=1423-3967}}

Alberto Tomba of Italy, the dominant technical skier of the late 1980s and 1990s, raced on Rossignol skis.

Rossignol is the French word for nightingale.

Team riders and skiers

{{cite web|url=http://www.rossignol.com/CF_team.html|title=Rossignol International Team|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726053305/http://www.rossignol.com/CF_team.html|archive-date=2011-07-26}}

Freestyle