Heritage

Kneissl knows tradition is important and stopped mass production years ago! Quality over quantity and uniqueness overall, this philosophy has helped our brand achieve cult status and has produced individual, performance skis specially for you.

The pure classical design of our skis shows attention to detail and is the reason that we have been manufacturing skis in Kufstein for nearly 100 years.

1861 The company Kneissl is founded as a “wooden carriage workshop”

1919 – 1921 Franz Kneissl I started first serial production of alpine skis in Austria. Kneissl ski becomes a registered trademark

1932 Renamed to “First Austrian ski factory”

1936 – 1938 The first laminated ski is developed. As 18-layer ski Kneissl “Splitkein” it goes into production. Franz Kneissl travels to the USA to purchase Hickory directly in Memphis Tennesse

1936 20.000 pairs of skis are produced

1945 Death of Franz Kneissl I.

1946 After the war Franz Kneissl II. takes over the company and continues the business with 3 employees

1948 Participation at the Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz with the “One Man Team Engele-Haider”

1950 Kneissl introduces the first multi-coloured ski to the market. With 4 colours it marks a new standard in design. Kneissl becomes the most successful ski brand at the Ski World Championship in Aspen, with 3 out of 6 possible gold medals. At the beginning of the 1950s almost the whole Austrian National Team rides on Kneissl skis

1960 The first synthetic ski with a wooden core is developed – the Kneissl “White Star” becomes a legend in the skiing world – a technological milestone in the whole skiing industry

1967 In Japan a Kneissl Cup is implemented. Participation is only possible for skiers riding on Kneissl skis – right at the first race more than 150 participants start

1969 Opening of the next Kneissl factory by its Highness Prince Karim Khan

1974 The hour of birth of the Kneissl sportswear collection due to the taking over of the sportswear company “Sportalm” Kitzbühel. For the first time a skiing company produces and sells sportswear under its own brand – the Kneissl Star and Logo. Production of fully synthetic alpine skis, nordic skis and jumping skis as a further technological step

1975 Kneissl is the most successful brand at the Nordic Ski World Championship in Falun. This impressively proves the breakthrough of the new technology in ski production

1978 Kneissl develops the first fully synthetic tennis racket “White Star Pro”, a real “silver bullet”

1981 The German Crosscountry-Ski manufacturer Trak becomes controlling shareholder

1982 Kneissl manufactures tennis rackets for Puma under the brand Puma

1989 Takeover of the company by a group of Austrian investors around Erhard Grossnigg and Hans Peter Haselsteiner

1990 Kneissl develops the “BIG FOOT”. It revolutionizes the winter sports market and is known as the main incentive for the carving ski

1991 Kneissl and Dachstein are combined together into the “Kneissl Dachstein Sportartikel AG”

1992 Kneissl develops the first carving ski “Kneissl ERGO”. The “ERGO” gets the ski market out of its depression and provides the skier with a whole new skiing experience. Techniqe, image and attraction of the ski sport are sustainably changed, the ski sport is revived. The “BIG FOOT” becomes the world’s most sold winter sport product.

1994 Death of Franz Kneissl II.

1996 Kneissl takes over the brands Raichle and Dynafit

1998 Renamed to Kneissl & Friends. The red star accompanies as strongest brand Raichle, Dachstein, Dynafit and Deeluxe as a family brand

2003 The company group is restructured and the ski boot segment and its brands are sold. A Tyrolian investor group takes over the company, secures the founding location in Kufstein and puts a focus on the core competences of the company with development and manufacturing of skis of the highest quality