Norway sets gold standard in ski technology through innovation

Page date: published 21 May 2025; updated 20 August 2026; 6 min read (as rendered).

The article profiles Norwegian Nordic-ski equipment makers Madshus, Rottefella and SWIX and their US market activity. It says Norwegian leisure and sports exports grew 56% over the prior five years, and describes a 2025 joint showcase at the American Birkebeiner by Rottefella, Madshus, SWIX, Alfa and Åsnes, organized with the Federation of Norwegian Industries and Innovation Norway. The page describes the Birkie as attracting 40,000 skiers and spectators.

Rottefella product examples include SkateX bindings, MOVE adjustable binding positions and Xplore backcountry bindings. The company says the US represents 15–20% of revenue, about twice its share ten years earlier. Madshus’s Redline products are described as developed with NTNU collaboration; the article attributes 39 podiums in the previous season, including a 2025 world championship gold, to its Redline skis and SkateX boots. SWIX discusses fluor-free wax, launched in 2021, and development of non-petroleum wax and lower-carbon ski poles. Performance, market-share and environmental claims are those reported by the source.

Contact: Anita Kari Solheim Pieper, Category Head of Sportswear and Sports Equipment, Innovation Norway; anita.kari.solheim.pieper@innovasjonnorge.no (phone available through the page’s reveal control; LinkedIn linked on page). Related link: Manufacturing and design.