Blizzard is an Austrian sports equipment company, based in Mittersill, Salzburg, Austria. Blizzard is currently a division of the Italian Tecnica Group S.p.A. and is specialized in the manufacturing of alpine skiing equipment, including skis and accessories such as backpacks and ski bags.
History
Blizzard was established in 1945 by Anton Arnsteiner (1925–2013, "der Toni"), as he returned home from the Second World War,[1] and started producing skis besides wooden furniture in the family joinery workshop.
The "Blizzard" brand was registered in 1953. In 1954, Blizzard became the first manufacturer to mass-produce polyethylene ski bases. Blizzard's first expansion occurred in 1957, coinciding with the introduction of metal and fiberglass as new materials. 1963 saw a great part of the factory burned down. In 1970, as production reached 500,000 skis per year, the company name was changed from "Blizzard Skifabrik Anton Arnsteiner" to "Blizzard GmbH". In 1976 a second production site was opened near Munich.
In 1980 Blizzard introduced the "Thermoski", after 6 years of development. In 1996 Blizzard introduced its first carving ski, but it also applied for insolvency and was bought up by US company