Rossignol - Behind the Brand

Beach to Summit

Growing up near some of the most beautiful coastlines wasn't conducive to getting me skiing at a young age. It took a whole lot of planning, organization and spending to shuttle me to the ski resorts. My uncle, cool and curious, took it upon himself to teach me the ropes. In 1989, at 6 years old and in rental equipment, he strapped me to my first T-Bar. This was my introduction to snow sports and all the faffing involved. I remember looking down at my tiny feet in extremely uncomfortable boots and reading the word Rossignol. What a cool name, I thought. With poor working parents who didn't show interest in any sports, my skiing career never took off. My time on the slopes was limited but when it was time to rent, Rossignol and K2 are the only names I remember.

Rossignol Timeline

After shaping and strapping two pine planks to his feet, carpenter Abel Rossignol, steered the winter sports world in unimaginable ways. It was 1907 for Pierre's sake. There was no knowing if a pine-plank conglomerate was a feasible business or just a silly pursuit, but the craze took europe by storm and Rossignol Skis was born. Stuffed between the gentle rolling hills of southeast Lyon and the jagged peaks of Rhone-Alpes, Voiron has been the site of Rossignol headquarters for over a century. If this vague placement is messing with your mind, just imagine looking southeast of town and seeing Alpe d'Huez towering in the distance. It's a bustling industrial region now, with distribution centres, factories and warehouses nestled in valleys near the steep excitement of the Alps. Locals tell me the valley is merely a gas stop before the climb to the ski hills but I wanted to find the beauty of the local backroads. As it turned out, I had some extra time on my hands.

I aligned my visit to Rossignol HQ in Voiron with the European media event they had planned for the new Heretic. I would arrive a day early to get some rest, ride the new bike and stay a couple of days after for a more in-depth conversation about the company and its Bike Division. Ze Germans had a different plan for me however, going on strike when I was to arrive and cancelling all flights in and out of Germany. After some discussion, I opted to go two days early. More time in rural France couldn't hurt, right? Well Voiron is a sleepy place. 20,000 working habitants and a bunch of grazing cows leaves little for a tourist to do on a Sunday. I wasn't far from this part of France in October when Karin and I joined the Stoneking Rally Club Week and really fell in love with French/Italian cuisine and the beautiful geological formations; the Massifs that shoot straight up from the ground into razor-edged cliffs in a sea of green. Really damn pretty. There is a lot to draw inspiration from in this part of the world. If only I could get my hands on a bike to go for a spin.

Gatien Letondal, the Rossignol marketing man I was in contact with for weeks prior to the trip, saved the day. Gatien is 24 years old but he is focused and eager and nice. Are we really in France? Later I found out that Gatien can absolutely ride the wheels off of a bike. I was expecting him to be an XC whippet, and while that is true, he turns into Nico Vink on the descents. It probably doesn't hurt that he rides with Vink on weekends.

While my earlier than anticipated arrival threw a clé in the gears, a Rossignol Mandate Shift, the very bike I reviewed on the Shore, miraculously appeared. It was time for me to get lost on the trails. Early spring weather had me excited to explore Voiron and the surrounding area. I rode from my hotel deep into the hills, greeting every cow and farm dog. The fields were full of cats hunting mice. What a sweet experience.

I soloed a couple of slippery French loamers, and probably should have taken it easy. When I stopped for lunch on the banks of a lake, I realized there must be more hills to climb. On my way back to Voiron, I discovered a trail that goes straight up the mountain. Even with the Shimano EP801 in Boost mode, I was gasping for air. It is that steep. The descent was equally taxing. They were some of the steepest trails I've ridden on loose leaves. It was enough spice to hold me over until I got to to ride the Heretic.

As the days rolled on, I met more people from the Bike Division at Rossignol; Albert Baques, is the Business Unit Director at Rossignol Bike. He has a familiar accent, and a smile that doesn't immediately blend in with the more serious folk. He is an import from Spain and a connection was immediately established. Albert is laid back and is the perfect guy to run Bike projects at Rossignol. He has put time in at Unno and Intense and he knows what it takes to make great bikes on tight budgets. He told me the Rossignol story.

Buy and Sell

Things have been relatively linear at Rossignol for about a hundred years. Business is growing, gold medals are stacking, and the brand is making good-looking and high performing ski and snowboard gear for the global market. There is always a certain je ne sais quoi in the design language of the brand; simple, clean graphics with a clever colour palette make them instantly recognizable. n 2005, the Australian brand Quicksilver recognized this success and purchased Rossignol for 320 million dollars plus stock options. There is no doubt this injection of funds helped the little brand from Voiron.

In that same year, the new House of Rossignol was designed by Hérault Arnod Architects as an exercise in form and function. The northern face of the building is geometric and a repeated pattern maximizes natural light. The glass-domed restaurant has automatic windows to allow heat to escape on hotter days, while the thermal energy generated by the factory is captured and cycled through the building in the winter. Inside, there is a natural sense of space.

The stairs that lead up to the second floor are unique. They are suspended straight out of the rock wall that was intended for climbing. The stair planks have different thicknesses and you can feel this under your fee,t making for an unusual climb. If you prefer, you can take the repurposed ski gondola elevator to the second floor. It's more of a guest entertainer than a daily affair for the employees but it's worth the ride.

The food in the restaurant would put many chefs to shame with its choice and quality. While I saw a couple of employees bring lunches, the tables were packed to the brim with socializing employees. This is the European way, and French cuisine inspires every food conversation.

Eventually my tour arrived at the "Bike Division." This department is eager to make a name for itself within a very established brand and it's clear Rossignol wants a piece of the MTB pie. There is a strong desire to service summer sports as skiing battles climate change and increasing costs.

The Bike Division is nestled in a modest space with some natural light and a courtyard for Zen lunchtime ponderings. Esteban Deronzier, a very fast local DH personality, is leading the charge on the new Heretic V2. This bike is important for many reasons; it is an internal test for the team to see if they have the chops to design, mass produce and market the new concept. While there is very little doubt about the way the bike rides, it is important for the mothershhip to see if it is marketable. Is it a single-purpose platform, or can it address a larger audience?

With access to hundreds of ski resort partnerships under the winter sports division, the bike guys have the opportunity to run the largest demo fleet in the world. This is where Gatien and Flo come in with their marketing wizardry. They are both young and have their fingers on the pulse. They have the important job of translating an ideology and brand identity to a new generation of riders. Both Gatien and Flo are very good bike handlers. Gatien, who rides and builds with the likes of Nico Vink, is fast and stylish. Flo builds dirt jumps in Grenoble, a stone's throw away from Voiron, and runs the athletes' social content and the public face of Rossignol. The importance of the bike category is not in doubt at Rossignol and will grow as more models come are introduced.

What is on the horizon for Rossignol Bikes? They have to prove to the boss that the bikes are good and only getting better. The walls in the office are covered in drawings and renderings of eMTBs, trail bikes, recumbents, trikes... You name it, they are interested

They are desperate for new designs to see the light of day. While the geometry and suspension components are settling in quite nicely, the industrial design and drivetrain options are what's keeping the designers awake at night. Are gearboxes the new frontier? Are they just a fad? The 5-man team is busy cooking up new ideas every day.

While the European presence of the brand is quite obvious, North America, Australia and New Zealand are also on team Rossi. In Canada, Rossignol has an eight-person team in Bromont, QC. With winter and summer sports on lock there, Rossignol decided that would be their distribution centre. After-sales service will also be taken care of in Canada.

It is no accident that Rossignol's roster is Canadian and Kiwi with Max Mculloch holding it down from Vancouver Island and killing it with incredible video production and riding. Nils Heiniger, representing with undeniable New Zealand style, is working hard to put the new bike on the map.

In the US, Park City, Utah is home to the brand. With all corners of the globe covered in strategic satellite HQss, can Rossignol break out of the "rental brand" box it has painted itself into? If the new bike is anything to judge by, I believe so.

The visit to Voiron and Chamrouse was valuable. Why are the French are so good at sports we love? It's embedded in the way they work, socialize and recreate. Life is a lycée in France; you learn from your peers, you help them succeed, and you enjoy the fruits together. The Rossignol Bike Division is a classroom more than an office space. These guys ride and test together and when it's time to put their heads down and get the work done, they do it. It is weird being far from home while trying to infiltrate a brand and get honest answers but there is no faking authenticity. While we need more time and more relaxed schedules to unlock all the goods from Rossignol, the small visit to see what the brand is about, was fascinating.

The Heretic V2 has arrived for testing and I am looking forward to riding it all over the North Shore this summer.

Skis Rossignol