The brand
Our Philosophy
"My inspiration comes from the mountain, in particular from my great love of backcountry skiing. I so wanted to share my experiences of skiing away from the pistes that I decided to develop a ski that made this domain much more accessible to skiers of all levels than ever before. The Zag philosophy is this; to share the joys of freeride skiing with as many skiers as possible. Of course, so that skiing remains a pleasure, it’s important to respect the mountain. Understand that that there is no such thing as zero risk. Zag skis will make all-mountain skiing readily accessible and almost instinctive, so be careful not to get carried away."
Stéphane “Zag” RadiguetPlacement
ZAG is THE freeride ski brand “par excellence”.
We devote all of our energies to the pursuit of freeride skiing.
ZAG skis are designed by passionate skiers for passionate skiers!
ZAG is for all those who love powder skiing, touring, heli-skiing... but also for the most demanding piste skiers.
Philosophy
"To offer you total freedom to ski the whole mountain with skis perfectly adapted to your environment."
Our philosophy is founded on the following principles:
- To promote the spirit of adventure and freedom that is an inherent part of freeride skiing
- To constantly innovate and so allow you even more choice of line, speed and feel without compromising on incredible control and ease-of-skiing
- To allow you to discover new joys from your skiing
- To uphold the beauty of skiing itself: our skis are designed to perform and to flatter
- To encourage a passion and respect for the mountain.
Zag team
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Stéphane "ZAG" Radiguet
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Franck Bernes-Heuga
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Guillaume Brassod
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Marc "Bazu" Bolzer
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Stéphane "Trouble maker" Moiny
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Bastien Saillard
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Bruno Prata
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Philippe Royer
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Laurent Declercq
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Pascale Empereur
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Pierre Guyot
Stephane "ZAG" Radiguet
Founder of the Brand and Responsible of R&D department
Quiver Zag : Big 178
Self-taught, perfectionist and often ahead of his time, Stéphane Radiguet inherited the nickname « Zag » over 20 years ago during the course of one drunken evening. As it turns out, "Zag" was an appropriate nickname for someone now so involved in the winter sports scence. A former ski-instructor, Stéphane was one of the pioneers of European snowboarding and he even won a World Cup Slalom event in 1989, by which time he was also designing the boards he used. A skilled snowboard "shaper", he headed up design for the swiss snowboard manufacturer, Nidecker, for over 15 years, during which time he was responsible for the entire range of boards. This for a company that is one of the major brands and long regarded as being at the fore of snowboard design.
In October 2001, he decided to put his snowboard shaping experience to use for the first time in the design of skis. He launched a whole new concept of ski design that was a direct result of his un-blinkered upbringing within the world of snowboarding and built his first prototype « Zag » skis. The skis worked so well that the idea soon became a fledgling company marketing 2 distinct models for the Winter 2002/3. You might say that these skis reflected the personality and dreams of their creator... Close
Franck Bernes-Heuga
Managing director of Zag skis
Zag Quiver : H112 in 198 because he skis hard. Slap 185 for forays in freestyle and backcountry. Loves skiing the Big in 188 and the Heli Gold in 189, models that reflect Zag’s origins.
Originally from the Pyrenees, Franck began his ski life with alpine skiing before taking a freestyle direction. As a freestyle skier he picked up his first sponsors and then later moved more into freeriding with the creation of the IFSA circuit (International Freeskiing Association) where he recorded some good results in both the European and World events.
Franck could have continued as a pro-rider but decided instead to go into business as a regional distributor for Zag. He chose Zag not just because they were great skis but because he was attracted by the prospect of getting in near the beginning and so could be involved in the evolution and development of the brand. Whilst a pro-rider, his skis were supplied by one of the major manufactures but he felt he might as well not have existed. A large part of the attraction of being involved in a small company was that he could put forward his own ideas and someone would listen. From 2004 to 2006, he distributed Zag skis in the South-West of France. Today he finds himself as Managing Director of Zag Skis; quite a jump. As such he does have a little less time on the snow than before, but tries to get out whenever there are fresh powder conditions. The head office is only 300m from the funicular railway that gives direct access to Les Arcs. 2 to 3 hours of skiing a day helps to stimulate the mind and inspire productivity, as Franck continues to prove!
What do you like about Zag skis ?
« The « traditional » Zags (Big; Héli Gold, Lady Gold) really do ski differently and this is the main reason Zag has been able to break into the famously tight-knit ranks of world ski manufacture. Great on piste but once you take them away from the prepared runs it’s astonishing how easy they are to ski on any type of snow and any terrain you come across. They are THE ski for all skiers.
The wide, long and soft-flexing tips together with the short radius sidecuts allow the skier to effortlessly make his way over all types of powder from light to heavy to crusty, and also to carve up the pistes. The new stiffer flex patterns also mean that the skis work even better on the hardest and most icy of slopes.» Close
Guillaume Brassod
IT, Sales, Organisation and PR for Zag Skis
Zag Quiver: Gold 191 and 201 depending on how well he thinks he’s skiing, Guillaume is a big guy (192cm/ 6’4’’ and 100kg)
Originally from the Côte d’Azur, with a degree in management and varied professional experience, Guillaume moved to Bourg Saint Maurice to work for Zag Skis some 5 years ago. At Zag, he has a hand in everything, from computers and administration to both client and press relations, right through to organising and even taking part in ski tests...He actually gets to spend quite a lot of time on the snow, although not much of that on skis ! How would he describe his skiing? « According to Zag (Stéphane Radiguet) and our riders, I’m pretty terrible, but I don’t think I’m so bad! »
What do you like about Zag skis?
« I like to be seen on posh skis and so get noticed. Seriously though, Zag skis allow me to ski with the pros who work with us without trailing too far behind. They are easy to ski, super smooth and great all-rounders. » Close
Marc "Bazu" Bolzer
Professionnel Tester and Developer for Zag Skis
Zag Quiver: Purist RX 181 for normal skiing and the H112 for the high speed skiing he loves when he’s not working!
Marc "Bazu" Bolzer, aged 43, is co-founder of Zag Skis in 2002, and together with Zag (Stéphane Radiguet) developed the first ski collection. A professional tester and developer for Nidecker Snowboards (boards, boots and bindings), he also works during the winter as an independent ski and heli-ski guide. He spends about 8 months a year on the snow.
Bazu seems to have worked with Zag forever, and when the Swiss snowboard company Nidecker thought about bringing out some skis, Marc jumped onto the prototypes with Stéphane - those prototypes finally becoming the starting point for Zag skis Close
Stephane "Trouble maker" Moiny
The design of the Zag logo in 2001 was his; the topsheet design of the first Zag free-style ski in 2002 was his as well... Stéphane Moiny, alias Trouble Maker or Coyote to his close friends, has long been impressing everyone with his creative talent. This great artist works in a sort of inspirational « world of his own » that we get glimpses of through his art. Equally gifted with paint, sketching, scene making and live performances, his creations, tinted to various degrees with humour, parody, sarcasm and provocation, are identifiable to us all yet still somehow slightly shocking.
His workload includes three comic strips, numerous cartoons in ski, snowboard, surf and skate magazines, exhibition work, and designs for skis, snowboards, skateboards and surfboards...
To give you some idea of how fearless (read « crazy ») this guy is, his first ever day on telemark skis was spent competing in the Derby de la Meije, a staight line race over 7km of unpisted terrain with a vertical fall of 1650 in the one of the most intimidating ski areas in the World!
Discover more about the strange and colourful world of Trouble Maker at www.trouble-maker.com Close
Bastien Saillard
Head of affairs for ZAG skis production
Quiver ZAG: H112 198cm, the kid’s got thighs!
Recently a Masters graduate in engineering and ergonomics of sporting products, Bastien spent the last year of his studies between the university and the Zag house.
He had already deserted his classes in order to make skis, snowboards, and wind-surfing boards…and he even won, with three of his colleagues, the prize for sports innovation at the 2008 Audi Challenge, thanks to the invention of a new flexible handle-bar for mountain bikes. Unfortunately, being too busy following ZAG production affairs, he couldn’t attend the prize-giving! Yep, he now spends most of his time in the factories….and on his skis of course! Close
Bruno Prata
Head of ZAG graphics
Quiver ZAG: Big 188cm
Zager of the first degree, Bruno puts his designing talents to the service of the biggest brands in the car industry (Mercedes, Alpha Roméo….). He has also recently become head of graphic orientation for the brand. This way, he has been able to find his true ‘graphical’ identity and can promise you a 2011 collection which risks being the talk of the town!! Close
Philippe Royer
Official photographer for Zag
Quiver ZAG: Big 178cm
Professional photographer, he lives at the foot of the largest ski resorts in the Tarantaise : La Plagne, Meribel, Les Menuires, Val Thorens, Les Arcs, Courchevel, Tignes, Val D’Isere, Ste Foy Tarantaise, La Rosiere…
Philippe is a specialist in action photos on snow, mountain sports, nature…he equally produces many pictures of activities and travel. He is also the official photographer of our brand and is at the origin of the most beautiful clichés that ZAG uses for its communication. He is always on the look-out for the smallest depression and the riders know that the telephone will ring as soon as the snow falls. Each day passed on the snow re-tells itself automatically by appearances in all the specialized sports magazines! This is why he is one of the best-known photographers in the trade... Close
Laurent Declercq
Zag Pro Shop director
Ski technician since 1981, my sole purpose is to help you ski as fast as possible, and keep you on your trajectory thanks to a healthy edge preparation.
Personal info : I don't ski. Close
Pascale Empereur
Financial director
Skis Zag :Lady Gold 157cm
100% Savoyarde, from Sainte Foy in Tarentaise more precisely…., Pascale is very happy to have integrated into the ZAG company, after several years working in various accounts firms.
She represents the female (and young mum…..) side of ZAG, surrounded by passionate Freeriders.
Pascale, who loves to let her brain breathe each weekend, is just waiting for the snow to go skiing, …….on ZAG skis, of course!!!
And yes, in Sainte Foy we trust !!!!! Close
Pierre Guyot
Communication assistant
Ski Zag : H112 188cm et SLAP 195cm
Non-academic Pierre re-sat his third year, then failed his BAC a few years later. Pierre's problem was that he thought of skiing more than anything else, and it's not his final year economy teacher, Pascal Binet, who will say otherwise : "Pierre's school results vary with the depth of the snow…."!! Paradoxically, it is skiing that saved the schooling of this young man, who would later enter into a ski/study scholarship at university, due to his high level in skiing, and then be rewarded with a BAC+3 in sports commerce.
Ex-member of the French freestyle ski team, and currently aiming to teach skiing in Les Menuires ski school, Pierre looks after the communications side of ZAG. Close
