Under feudal law during the Edo period, samurais who lost their master could not seek new employment, and thus became wandering, masterless warriors. Answering to none but themselves and forever becoming Rōnin. The desire to explore the mountains and choose one’s path come hell or high water is the spirit that embodies Rōnin. An integral part of Rōnin’s ski design and creative philosophy to this day connects a community of skiers who feel the same.

 

The first pair of skis I built were pressed in a plastic bag, connected to a vacuum pump I had torn out of the back of a refrigerator at the local dump and clamped to my living room table in Chamonix. Our methods have evolved since then, but the diehard excitement and desire to build amazing skis is still the same.

 

At the time of Rōnin’s conception, the ski industry offered little in the way of inspiring ski design. So with a blank canvas and a few friends, I started the process of building and testing skis without restrictions.

 

A local mountain guide spotted my girlfriend of the time skiing on a pair of Rōnin skis and inquired about them. A few months later I was delivering an order to my first customer: ten pairs for a private heli ski lodge. 

 

The amazing feedback of that first order, as well as encouragement from friends and family who loved their skis, led to the founding of Rōnin. Our skis are built by hand in the Chamonix valley with infinite care and attention to detail, beneath the mountains that inspire us as well as provide a unique testing ground for our products.