LISKI Products

LISKI is a well-known line of Italian sports equipment. So, it’s unsurprising to anyone who knows Sami Piana that he would be one of the largest distributors of LISKI products.

Hailing from a small town in the Italian Alps, Piana has been skiing his entire life and has participated in high-level racing and skiing.

Now the owner and president of FortyNine51 – which has Canadian offices in Collingwood, Ont., Calgary, Alta., and Moncton, N.B., in addition to its U.S. office in Buffalo, N.Y. – he provides a wide range of safety and racing products for preparing race slopes for alpine skiing and snowboarding, and cross-country skiing events, as well as security and sign systems for ski slopes and resorts for World Cup competitions.

LISKI expands into Canada

Piana began visiting Canada in 2006 and decided to move to Collingwood when LISKI contacted him, expressing an interest in expanding their products into the North American market. Piana saw this as a great opportunity and co-founded FortyNine51 in 2013 with his business partner Nick Kwasniak. The company has three additional staff members who share an extensive knowledge of and passion for the sport.

He says LISKI products are always a step ahead regarding innovation and quality. The company has been side-by-side with the International Ski Federation for the past 40 years, supplying equipment to World Cup championships and Olympic Games worldwide.

“This pushed the (research and development) department to produce equipment and solutions that fit a wide variety of applications and situations that, over time, has put LISKI in the position to expand successfully to other areas like the motorsport program,” Piana said.

He says that safety equipment is one of the main items, with safety nets type ABC for the winter program and different safety pads for the winter, summer and motorsports programs that LISKI is also involved in.

“We also see our new and innovative recycled system of production for the new green mat being applied to the winter, summer and motorsport safety pads in the future,” Piana said.

Innovative quality products

When asked how LISKI products differ from the competition, Piana doesn’t miss a beat.

“LISKI has been in the world of skiing for a long time as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of ski areas and ski racing equipment. Quality, reliability, professional sales service and pre-sales consulting are the main qualities that differentiate LISKI from the competition, as well as the passion for the sport,” he said.

FortyNine51 also carries LISKI’s ski safety equipment, including foam rubber, air mattresses and protection systems with nets, poles and racing equipment such as flex poles, signage and panels.

The company’s products include training, ski school, rental and resort supplies and equipment. These include Geoski, a polyethylene surface for practicing winter sports when snow is unavailable, and IDS Mountain’s mountain range flooring, designed for extreme conditions around lifts.

“Because of our background, we’re capable and available to help our clients throughout the entire process and give them the best possible solution for their projects.”

Sami Piana, FortyNine51

FortyNine51 also partners with Planet Built, an Idaho-based metal fabrication company that produces snow planning tools for terrain park building and maintenance. The two companies distribute belt conveyors for North American winter sports under the sister company, Planet Mover.

“They have already established themselves in the United States, so we participate in their Canada sales,” said Piana. “In terms of supplies, FortyNine51 pretty much covers all the needs that a ski area or ski resort can have. Because of our background, we’re capable and available to help our clients throughout the entire process and give them the best possible solution for their projects.”

Distribution challenges

There are pros and cons when a distribution area is as large as North America.

“The cons are the distance,” Piana said. “But the pros are the clients and the satisfaction of overcoming challenges such an expansive continent brings to winter sports.”

“We also see our new and innovative recycled system of production for the new green mat being applied to the winter, summer and motorsport safety pads in the future.”

Sami Piana, FortyNine51

Piana and Kwasniak address this by splitting the demographics. Piana focuses on the west, and Kwasniak handles the east.

“That’s why we have an east and west base because skiing in North America is different depending on where you are,” Piana said. “Many elements, like trail conditions, lengths and weather patterns require different solutions.”

As for what’s next, Piana and Kwasniak want to expand their presence further across North America.

“Right now, we are missing some spots, so we have to improve our network of professionals. We want to grow and have more FortyNine51 bases and be present everywhere there [is] skiing, snowboarding, tubing or winter sports.”

Photos courtesy of FortyNine51