ATOMIC is an Austrian ski manufacturer and today the world's largest ski brand, founded in 1955 by 23-year-old wheelwright Alois Rohrmoser in the small town of Wagrain in the province of Salzburg. The origin story is legendary: with the help of four employees, the first 40 pairs of skis were hand-carved in a small workshop from local wood, using woodworking skills Rohrmoser had picked up as a wheelwright. The name "Atomic" reflected the era's fascination with modernity, strength and technical progress — a bold statement from a small Alpine workshop. Quality and ride characteristics quickly drew attention: by 1957 annual output was already 2,000 pairs, and in 1971 a second, larger factory was opened in Altenmarkt im Pongau, which to this day remains the brand's headquarters and main production site — just 5 kilometres from Rohrmoser's original workshop. Atomic now produces over 400,000 pairs of skis a year and is the largest ski manufacturer in the world. What makes the brand special is that the entire process — design, R&D, prototyping, testing and series production — happens under one roof in Altenmarkt, where around 1,000 people work. According to the engineers, this means that if a new prototype is built in the morning, it can be tested on snow the same afternoon — Flachau, Zauchensee and the Saalbach World Cup courses are right outside the door. In 1981 Atomic also became the first Western company to open a factory in the then Eastern Bloc country Bulgaria (in Chepelare), where some of the models are still produced today. The range is top-level and covers every form of skiing: alpine skis from the Redster racing series to the Bent Chetler freeride model, plus ski boots (the Hawx family — narrow Hawx Ultra, medium Hawx Prime, wide Hawx Magna — a fit for every foot shape), Nordic skis, bindings, poles, helmets, goggles and gear. In top-level sport Atomic has always been strong: skiers like Hermann Maier, Marcel Hirscher and above all Mikaela Shiffrin have racked up podiums in the brand's colours, with Mikaela having been with Atomic her entire career and crossing the historic 100 World Cup wins barrier in 2025. Since 1994 Atomic has been part of the Finnish-rooted Amer Sports group (sister brands include Salomon and Arc'teryx), but its Austrian roots and production base have remained untouched. The Atomic identity is simple and clear — in the brand's own words, "We Are Skiing": a brand created by skiers for skiers, where every pair of skis starts where the buyer does — out in the snow, in the mountains.
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