A ski shop owner talks about the history of freeskiing gear in 5 minutes: 1995-2023　

This pro shop is well-versed in ski products, handling a variety of brands and offering test ride opportunities. We asked the "signature owner," who has been active in the freeskiing industry for many years, to introduce his favorite ski gear and look back on the history of ski gear and market trends to date. With the start of 2024, let's take a quick 5-minute look at freeskiing from the dawn of the sport to 2023!

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Commentary by Toshiya Ikeda, owner of the pro shop "PAPASU"　

Pro shops are often designed with the professional owner's particular preferences and tastes clearly reflected in their concept, store layout, and product selection. PAPASU in Hyogo Prefecture is a unique pro shop that is based on the concept of "not just selling gear, but also conveying the joy of skiing," and also has an indoor park with a mini skate ramp and JIB. We spoke to the owner, Toshiya Ikeda, about it

1995

I've been skiing since I was in the third grade of elementary school, and the first skis I bought because I wanted to ride were the SALOMON demo skis "9100 EQUIOE DEMO 2S." I guess I was inspired by watching the TV program "SKI NOW" at the time. The arrival of skis with a monocoque body (known as cap skis) was a shock. Cap skis are common now, but at the time they were still rare and felt like a new technology 

Around 1995, when cap skis were released, snowboarding was just starting to become popular. Basic skiers turned to "carving skis," while freeskiers quickly turned to mogul skis. "SKI NOW" featured Mohawk Kobayashi, who currently serves as the All Japan Mogul Ski Coach, skiing down moguls with his hair cut in a mohawk, just as his name suggests. However, mogul skis had not yet been developed as a ski-specific model, and at that time they were still called extreme skis

1997-1998

Mogul skiing, which can be considered the origin of freeskiing, became popular in 1998, and Tae Satoya's gold medal at the Nagano Olympics was a major factor. Soon after, mogul skis started arriving in stores. Kansai ski resorts in particular don't have as much snow as Hokkaido and other northern areas, so moguls are more likely to form, and a lot of people skied on the moguls. There are still a lot of people doing that now. At the time, moguls were becoming popular, and I think it was a time when young people in their late 20s had to choose between moguls and snowboarding

Around 1997, mogul ski stars were born, and signature skis by Jean-Luc Brassard and Edgar Grospiron became big sellers. I used to ride the Salomon Force 9. The Dynastar Assort Superior was a huge seller in the store, but only in the western Japan area

At the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Johnny Mosley, wearing K2 skis, won the gold medal by incorporating a 3D air system into his mogul skis. I think that was around this time that the freeskiing category began to become popular through the media

1999~2000

It was around this time that SALOMON's twin-tip "TENEIGHTY" was released. This ski was a symbol of the explosion of the freeride movement, which was known as the new school and gave birth to new styles such as air tricks. When the "TENEIGHTY" came out, I wondered, "What is this?" What can you do with it? My impression was that it was a slightly old-fashioned mogul ski

But when I looked at magazines, I saw JP Auclair flying and spinning in 3D, and it was a new style of performance, and I was shocked by how cool it was. I think "TENEIGHTY" sold really well

The "TENEIGHTY" was a turning point. Then carving skis were added, and more and more manufacturers started releasing similar models, and I think it became established. At the time, a global competition called the "Winter X-Games" began as part of extreme sports, and the sport of ski cross was born. At the same time, in terms of impact, SALOMON released the "Snowblade" around this time. These were short skis about 100cm long, and were called fun skis or skiboards. They became popular in Japan as well

They bring in the feeling and style of inline skating and street riding, riding without poles. They scrape rails and glide on jibs. Overseas, Mike Nick of LINE was in the spotlight, and I think this was the era when the way people enjoyed skiing was changing

2001-2003

This was the time when garage brands and rider brands were becoming popular. Brands like ARMADA and 4FRNT, and domestic brands like VectorGlide and Reism were popular. I think the first twin tip I bought at the time was a Dynastar "Concept" ski. It wasn't a model with a very high tail yet, but it was the ski I chose for freeskiing, and it was also the first board I used to ride rails on

Back then, even though they were called twin tips, the tail wasn't as raised as it is now, and I think many skis had a center width of around 70 or 80. I think that's when K2's Silencer came out. Personally, I joined Rossignol (then Mitsui Bussan Sports) around that time, so from then on, I had no choice but to ride ROSSIGNOL skis

Around that time, ROSSIGNOL released a ski called "BANDIT," which was designed not only for flying and jibing on the slopes, but also for going into the side country and backcountry. It was a really good ski. Rossignol rider Atsushi Yamada also used it, and it was a cool looking ski

I think it was around this time that it became clear that the shape of skis changed depending on how you enjoyed skiing. I think it was around the year 2000. I think it was around this time that ski shapes started to be determined in response to diversification, with people saying, "This is for this" or "Let's use it like this."

2004~2005

Around this time, park skiing started to become established, and I think a variety of ski widths became available. The competitive aspects of slopestyle and halfpipe also emerged around 2004 or 2005. Halfpipe was adopted as an event in the World Championships in 2005. It wasn't just about enjoying skiing anymore; it became something you could aim for as a competition, and from there, competition-specific models started to appear...that's the general flow. Around this time, I think a new skiing style called freeskiing was established.

And I think the uses of gear also became clearer. It was like, "It's become clear what you can do. To do this, the ski specs are like this." By the way, I was riding a DYNASTAR "Troublemaker" ski (left in the photo below). The slightly wider shape and the balance of lightness and softness were great!

Around this time, walk-mode boots and tech bindings appeared. This was a sign of the trend towards freestyle in big mountains and backcountry. Riders who had been doing airs and jibs in the parks increasingly turned to freeriding in the backcountry, including tricks. Freeskiing, which began with an emphasis on freestyle and a new ski culture, was now included in the FIS competition framework, and as a result, people began to seek even more freedom and wanted to go into the great outdoors and deep into the mountains. This may have been the mindset at play

I think there was an interesting turning point in boots. Reichel changed its brand to FT. That was one trigger, and from then on, boots became more prominent in freestyle, and interest and awareness of boots began to grow and spread. Seth Morrison's signature flashy FT boots, and the red and white boots worn by Tom Wallisch. I think it was around this time that boots became sneaker-like, cool, and stylish. It was a shock. I wondered why they put such graphics on boots. I wondered if the meaninglessness was what made them cool. I think it was around this time that skiing as a whole started to become stylish and cool

I opened the pro shop PAPASU in 2004, and when I first opened, I met Nobuhiko Tamaki (a specialist in jib-style freeskiing) and once again found freeskiing incredibly fun, which rekindled my passion for skiing. "Skiing is so much fun!" I thought, and I started to convey that excitement to my customers with that same enthusiasm, and my merchandise increasingly shifted to freeskiing. I also rode the limited edition "ROYAL" model from Reism. Its not-too-wide shape made it a versatile ski for both the slopes and the park. I had so much fun skiing with Nobuhiko Tamaki, so that had a big influence on me

The arrival of Marker's Royal series around 2007 left a strong impression on me. These included the Jester and Glifon. With the arrival of freestyle bindings, it became possible to choose your bindings, and when the springs in the bindings were turned sideways, I felt, "This is something new!" It was very innovative

2008-2011

After that, many manufacturers started selling freeski models. I think it was around 2008. Volkl released skis called "WALL," which I remember selling really well

ARMADA came on the scene around 2010. It was around this time that ARMADA was released and rocker skis started to appear. There were a lot of changes around that time, like long noses, flat bends, and full rockers. Things that are now commonplace were born around 2008, 2009, and 2010

▼Video of Tanner Hall, who founded ARMADA with JP Auclair and others and has led it to rapid growth

ARMADA didn't sell very well in its first year, but sales exploded from the second year onwards. Rocker started to get steeper in 2010-2011. This was due to the emphasis on tricks and the fact that the tip and tail don't sink as easily in powder, providing good buoyancy. A solid rocker shape also attracted attention

ARMAMDA's "JJ" ski had a long nose, rockered camber, and a solid sidecut, so I think it created a new style of powder ski that could be used on the slopes. I think the arrival of the JJ was a big deal for the freeskiing world. I also think that Tanner Hall and the LINE riders at the time had a very strong influence

2015-2020

"In 2015, 4FRNT's GAUCHO was released, followed in 2020 by LINE's BLEND, with a 100mm center. At first, the impression was that you couldn't ski with a 100mm center unless you were in the backcountry, but I think it was BLEND and GAUCHO that changed the impression that you could ski with a 100mm center even on the slopes. For people who are doing basic skiing and wear skis with a 60mm center, they wondered, can you really wear a 100mm center? But they completely overturned that notion of center width, making people think, 'Thick skis are fun!'"

I think the introduction of the KINGPIN bindings in 2017 was a big deal

At the same time, walk-mode boots also appeared, and I think that the innovation in bindings further diversified the ways of enjoying skiing. "KINGPIN," "DUKE," "Baron"... This meant that skis that could be enjoyed with these bindings and boots were also needed

▼Marker "KINGPIN" explanatory video

2020-2023

A recent trend has been the emergence of light core materials, making all skis extremely light, flexible, and easy to handle. Some skis incorporate titanium or carbon to increase rigidity and provide excellent gliding. This has made it easier for each skier to choose a ski that suits them

In terms of specs, perhaps due to the popularity of powder and freeride in recent years, skis with waist widths of 90mm or more have increased dramatically, with skis around 100mm proliferating. There are also more models that are fat yet easy to ski on packed snow slopes, and multi-purpose all-mountain skis that can handle both powder and carving on groomed runs are becoming popular. Personally, I've been riding the model below for the past year or two

Left) ROSSIGNOL | BLACKOPS98 (2022) Reason for purchase: I think this is the best shape for skis that can be used on the slopes, in the park, and even in the side country! The metal construction also gives it a firm grip!

Center) ROSSIGNOL | BLACKOPS92 (2023) Reason for purchase: I wanted a slightly narrower ski for the slopes and side country. These skis have a nose rocker, making them easy to use in all conditions, from flat to bad snow and spring snow!

Right) ROSSIGNOL | SUPERVIRAGE Ⅵ LTD (2023) Reason for purchase: Excellent glide and maneuverability! The feeling of the skis moving smoothly is excellent!

summary

I think the term "freeskiing" is still very vague. Backcountry, sidecountry, freeride, parkride, moguls, and so on all fall under the term "freeskiing," but I think it would be easier to understand if it were a little more clear

Among these, I think the answer is starting to emerge for park skis. If you're looking for a solid ski with a center width of 85-95mm and camber, I think Völkl's "REVOLT 84/90" or ARMADA's "ARV 88/94" would be good choices

Outside of snow parks, I think new styles of riding are emerging that allow you to enjoy board flex, such as freestyle and ollie-nollie. Recommended models for these styles are LINE's "BLEND" and "HONEY BADGER."

As for the market, it seems like freeriding has become more popular than parkriding in recent years. I think the enthusiasm varies depending on the region, the age of the riders, and other factors

I think the current movement is freeriding, where people who love skiing and have been doing it for a long time, as they get older and a bit more mature, start to enjoy the act of skiing itself at a leisurely pace, and discover the beauty of nature and the mountains as a whole. I think this will grow even bigger in the future. Former

basic skiers are now enjoying freeriding on groomed slopes. You could also call it carving-style freeskiing. For example, I recommend ARMADA's "Diclivity" or K2's "Mindbender".

Nowadays, there are more and more skis on the slopes, not just twin tips, but also skis with rocker at the top. Skis that can be enjoyed on the slopes and in the side country have been on the rise recently, and I think they will continue to increase in the future. There are now many ways to enjoy skiing, not limited to categories such as basic, park, and backcountry, and this diversity is becoming established. As a result, there is an endless amount of ski gear available

If you're having trouble choosing ski gear, why not visit a ski pro shop? Be sure to talk to the owner, who is very particular about his gear. You're sure to hear a lot of interesting stories