I think the main reason you see so many new companies emerging recently is because the market is growing and there are ways to make product better. If you believe just because a company has been around a while makes them reliable, I question where you are getting your criteria for reliability. If you call the good warranty policy ever time you break your salomon foam core skis reliability, sweet. If you want to keep replacing your K2 Skis because they keep delaminating (hence K2 installed rivets in their skis from the factory). If you think reliability is using a product with sales numbers in mind, go with the big companies that have been around a while.
Armada, 4Frnt, Faction, NinthWard, Liberty, and the other new companies are emerging because skiers are finding ways to make the product better. Skiers today are using their equipment much differently than in the past. For a big company, it is very expensive to start fresh and design an entirely new ski. Only just now have the big companies felt that the sales numbers and profits would justify creating new expensive molds and production processes for the new generation freeride/park ski.
For the new companies, it is much easier to start building a solid product. From the beginning, everything in and about the company is focused on one goal, designing and producing a product specifically for our market. Just like the abundance of skateboard deck, truck and wheel companies out there that were established to meet the wants and needs of a specific market.
I think the big companies will always have a line of products designed for park/freeride, but the real quality products will be designed by the smaller, more specific companies simply because the efforts are more centrally focused.
I advise all of us as skiers to support these core companies because they are the ones who will listen, keep up with the trends and stay ahead of the big corporate manufacturers.
...he died doing what he loved. He will always be rememberd as a great snowboarder, but more importantly as a great friend.
In loving memory of Josh Malay.
RED TEAM!