GEAR: The First Women’s Ski Wasn’t Pink. It Was Stainless Steel.

While the ski tech has come a long way, it's nothing compared to the old school skis. Look at those boots.

For much of ski history, women’s gear was an afterthought. Skis marketed to women were often just men’s models in disguise — shortened, softened, and dressed in a palette of pastels. Performance took a backseat to aesthetics, and the assumption lingered that women didn’t need — or couldn’t handle — the same engineering as men. But in the early 1990s, that narrative began to shift. Slowly, then all at once.

In 1993, Colorado-based Volant, known for its stainless steel ski construction, released the Chick — a ski that would quietly rewrite the rules. Unlike its predecessors, the Chick wasn’t a cosmetic tweak. It was a structural reimagining: lighter weight, softer flex, and a forward-mounted binding position designed to match women’s center of gravity and stance. It was engineered by women, for women — and it marked a turning point. Volant didn’t just build a ski.

They built a precedent.

But the Chick wasn’t the only early disruptor. Around the same time, Slovenian brand Elan introduced the SCX — a revolutionary shaped ski that changed how skis turned and who they were built for. While there’s no confirmed record of a women-specific SCX W model, Elan’s geometry laid critical groundwork for future gender-specific design. If Volant’s Chick was a bold leap, Elan’s shaping tech was the shift that made it possible.

By the late 1990s, the conversation had shifted from “should we make women’s skis?” to “how do we make them better?”

The Elan SCX. While today it may not look like much, it was a step forward for women's ski tech. Photo Credit: Elan

That’s when K2 entered the chat — and changed it entirely.

The launch of the T:Nine series marked the first time a major ski brand invested in a full line of performance-driven women’s skis. These weren’t watered-down versions of men’s gear. They were built from the snow up, with innovations like BioFlex cores (fir and spruce wood blends tuned for lighter skiers), MOD Monic dampening systems, and forward mounting points. But the real revolution wasn’t just in the skis — it was in the process.

K2’s Women’s Alliance, formed in the early 2000s, embedded women into every stage of development: engineering, testing, marketing, and storytelling. It wasn’t tokenism. It was systemic inclusion. The result was gear like the Luv series — skis that reflected real feedback from real skiers. More importantly, the Alliance created space for women’s voices in an industry that had long sidelined them. K2 proved that when women lead design, performance and connection follow.

As backcountry skiing surged in the 2010s, the need for women-specific touring gear became impossible to ignore. Dynafit responded with skis like the Manaslu Women and Baltoro Women, paired with boots and bindings designed around anatomical data. K2 followed with the Talkback series — a dedicated women’s touring line that balanced uphill efficiency with downhill confidence. These weren’t just scaled-down men’s skis. They were purpose-built tools for women pushing deeper into the backcountry. And they helped shift the narrative: touring wasn’t just for elite alpinists or gearheads. It was for women who wanted freedom, precision, and gear that could match their ambition.

The first women-owned ski and snow company- Coalition Snow. Photo Credit: Coalition Snow

Then came the disruptors.

In 2014, Coalition Snow entered the scene with a clear message: “We’re not here to participate in the industry. We’re here to change it.” Founded and run by women, Coalition didn’t just make skis — they made statements. Their gear was bold, their graphics unapologetic, and their mission rooted in feminism and inclusivity. Coalition challenged the idea that women’s gear had to be delicate or muted. They built skis that could charge hard and speak louder, proving that performance and identity could coexist.

Today, the most comprehensive women-focused gear program belongs to Blizzard Tecnica. Their Women to Women initiative, now in its tenth year, began with a simple question: “What do women actually need from their gear?” The answer came through anatomical research, rider feedback, and mentorship summits. The result is a product line — including the cult-favorite Black Pearl skis — that reflects how women actually ski. But more than that, it’s a global movement rooted in listening, not assuming.

Only a small fraction of what's available on the market today for women.

At She-Shredz, we don’t just follow the arc — we test it.

Our reviews are grounded in 100+ day seasons, real terrain, and zero shortcuts. We evaluate gear not for trends, but for truth. We ask what works, who it’s for, and whether it earns its place in your quiver. This season, we’re expanding our testing scope — across touring, freeride, and all-mountain categories — with a sharper lens on design integrity, progression, and real-world performance. Our full ski guide for 26/27 is already in motion.

Because when women lead the conversation, the gear gets better — and the culture follows.

Have a ski we should put to the test? Drop it below. And tell us what’s holding space in your quiver right now—we’re listening.