• Background: Adolf Attenhofer (1892–1955) from Davos was a pioneer and inventor who held over 60 patents for skis, bindings, poles, clothing, shoe cleaners, and springs for mattresses. He became Swiss champion in Nordic combined (slalom/jumping) in 1917.

​​

• Production: Attenhofer skis were produced starting in 1925 in a small factory in Zumikon. The Attenhofer company grew to become the most important ski manufacturer in Switzerland. From 1952 onward, it was the leading European manufacturer of metal skis. Around 1960, approximately 20,000 metal skis, 10,000 wooden skis, and 10,000 bindings were manufactured annually. Production ceased following a fire in 1969.

​​

• Innovation: Attenhofer acquired the Splitkein license from Norway to produce laminated wooden skis with up to 21 layers of wood. He also developed special edges and ski bases.

​​

• Trivia: Swiss champion Karl Molitor (11-time winner of the Lauberhorn races) competed in the slalom and downhill events at the 1948 Olympic Games in St. Moritz using the same pair of Attenhofer skis, winning the bronze medal in the downhill. These 220 cm long hickory skis can still be seen today at the Molitor sports shop in Wengen.

​​

• Collector’s value: Due to their history as Swiss classics, well-preserved or restored Attenhofer skis are now rare collector’s items and popular decorative pieces for chalets and ski huts.

​​

Sources: www.swissskimuseum.com/; www.zumikon.ch; Wikipedia