4FRNT Skis

Independent American freeski manufacturer | Founded in 2002 by professional skier Matt Sterbenz | Known for: MSP, Devastator, Hoji, Raven, Renegade and athlete-shaped freeride skis | Focus: skier-driven design spanning all-mountain, freestyle, powder and touring, with prototypes developed through the White Room philosophy and a culture rooted in Utah and western North American freeskiing.

Matt Sterbenz and the 2002 decision to build skis differently

4FRNT was founded in 2002 by professional skier Matt Sterbenz during a period when freeskiing was rapidly separating itself from traditional alpine racing culture. Sterbenz has described the 4FRNT name as beginning almost like a ski-crew identity before the project became a real ski company. The first ski was the MSP, shaped around the kind of versatile skiing he was doing at Squaw Valley. As the company developed, its center of gravity moved toward Salt Lake City and the Wasatch, putting product development close to mountains such as Alta Ski Area and the wider Utah freeski community.

That origin still defines the brand. 4FRNT describes itself as independent and built around a simple principle: By Skiers, For Skiers. Instead of treating professional athletes only as sponsored users, the company has repeatedly involved them in shaping prototypes, testing flex patterns and deciding how skis should behave. Founder Matt Sterbenz has also returned to work with the brand after stepping away from its day-to-day operations, reconnecting the current company with the design culture that established 4FRNT in the first place. The 4FRNT official company page continues to position skier-driven product development as the core of the business.

MSP Switch Devastator and Hoji shapes divide the current quiver

The current 4FRNT ski range covers considerably more terrain than the powder-focused image sometimes associated with the brand. MSP is the more directional all-mountain family. The current MSP 99 uses traditional camber underfoot, a Titanal laminate, an aspen core and a sintered base, giving the ski a construction aimed at edge grip, stability and resort versatility. The MSP line also includes narrower and wider versions, allowing skiers to remain within the same directional concept while adjusting the platform toward firmer or softer snow.

Switch represents the freestyle side of the current lineup. Its present construction uses a 99 millimeter waist, traditional camber underfoot, twin tips, carbon stringers and an aspen-maple core. 4FRNT also uses thicker edge and base material to increase resistance to impacts and rail use. Devastator moves farther toward freeride. The current model uses a 108 millimeter waist across its listed lengths and combines an aspen-maple core with 4FRNT's Multi Radius Rocker concept and a full twin tip.

Then there is the Hoji family. Raven, Hoji and Renegade are closely connected with Eric Hjorleifson's approach to ski design. The present Hoji sits at 112 millimeters underfoot and combines an aspen-maple core, carbon stringers, Multi Radius Rocker and 4-Lock skin integration. Renegade moves into deeper snow with a current 122 millimeter waist, full rocker-oriented geometry and a redesigned tip profile developed with Hjorleifson. These are not simply width variations of one ski. They represent different balances between resort use, touring efficiency, maneuverability and powder flotation.

Multi Radius Rocker changes how Devastator and Hoji skis turn

One of the most recognizable 4FRNT design ideas is Multi Radius Rocker. Instead of relying on conventional camber underfoot and rocker only at the ends of the ski, models such as Devastator and Hoji use rockered profiles developed around multiple radii. 4FRNT describes the system as a way to coordinate rocker and sidecut for smoother turn initiation, flotation and control in mixed snow.

The practical result is especially relevant in freeride terrain. A fully or heavily rockered ski can pivot quickly in trees and soft snow, while a long effective shape can still provide support when speed increases. The Devastator combines that concept with a symmetrical freeride-friendly platform and twin tip, making it suitable for skiers who want to slash, pivot and land switch without moving to a narrow park ski. Hoji applies the concept in a more directional backcountry context, with a tapered shape and touring compatibility.

MSP takes the opposite approach. Traditional camber, Titanal reinforcement and a more directional tail give the MSP 99 a firmer-snow personality. This contrast is useful because it prevents 4FRNT from becoming a one-shape brand. Skiers who enjoy a planted, cambered ski can stay within the MSP family, while those who prefer loose rocker-driven movement can move toward Devastator or the Hoji-designed skis.

Eric Hjorleifson and Thayne Rich turn athletes into ski developers

Eric Hjorleifson is central to 4FRNT's design history. Matt Sterbenz has described meeting the young Canadian skier around the early Camp of Champions era near Whistler-Blackcomb, before Hjorleifson became deeply involved with 4FRNT. His first signature shape was the EHP, followed by models including Raven, Hoji and Renegade. The current 4FRNT team page still lists Hjorleifson with those skis as his quiver, and current Renegade development continues to carry his direct design involvement.

Thayne Rich represents another version of the same philosophy. His team profile ties him to the Alta and Snowbird environment, while 4FRNT has documented him physically building prototypes and taking a leading role in ski-shape decisions. His InThayne project evolved from ideas drawn from the Devastator and Renegade before becoming a more freestyle-oriented powder design.

The current team also includes riders such as Stinius Skjotskift, Marty Schaffer and Noah Maisonet. What matters is the role they play. 4FRNT repeatedly presents athletes as testers and developers, not only as people used to demonstrate finished products. Hjorleifson's film career also links that development culture to major ski cinema, including work with Matchstick Productions. Ski design, filming and backcountry skiing therefore feed into the same product-development loop.

Salt Lake City White Room thinking meets Whistler basement prototyping

The White Room is the clearest physical symbol of 4FRNT's development philosophy. It began as a small Salt Lake City production space where the company could manufacture limited numbers of freeride skis and directly experiment with shapes. As demand increased, 4FRNT says production shifted to established factories in Canada and Slovenia, allowing the White Room concept to return toward prototyping and experimentation rather than volume manufacturing.

That development process is not confined to Utah. Hjorleifson has used his own machine-shop setup close to Whistler to move directly from ideas generated while skiing to physical prototypes. 4FRNT describes this as real-time athlete-led innovation: a skier recognizes a problem or opportunity on snow, modifies equipment, then returns to the mountain to evaluate the result.

This is particularly important for freeride skis because small geometry changes can dramatically alter how a ski releases, pivots or supports the skier in variable snow. Computer design can predict dimensions and flex targets, but the final judgment still comes from skiing. The 4FRNT White Room overview makes that iterative process one of the defining parts of the company rather than presenting innovation as a list of isolated technologies.

Aspen maple Titanal and carbon are used for different jobs

4FRNT does not use one core and reinforcement package across its current range. The MSP 99 uses a pure aspen core with Titanal reinforcement because the ski is designed around directional stability, edge control and all-mountain resort performance. Switch uses an aspen-maple core with carbon stringers, combining hardwood support with additional pop in a freestyle-oriented construction.

Devastator also uses an aspen-maple core but combines it with Multi Radius Rocker and neoprene vibration damping in the tip. Hoji and Renegade use similar hardwood principles while adding carbon stringers and touring-oriented 4-Lock compatibility. The specific geometry then changes dramatically: the current Hoji is 112 millimeters underfoot, while Renegade reaches 122 millimeters and is shaped for much deeper snow.

The brand currently backs its products with a three-year manufacturer warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship for the original purchaser under the published warranty terms. 4FRNT also offers a five-day on-snow money-back program under separate conditions. Those policies are notable for a company selling directly to skiers because they acknowledge that flex, rocker and feel can be difficult to evaluate from dimensions alone. The exact warranty and return conditions should still be checked before purchase rather than assumed from older seasons.

Choose MSP for direction Switch for freestyle and Hoji for backcountry flow

The easiest way to choose within 4FRNT is to decide how the skier wants to move through the mountain. MSP is the strongest starting point for someone who values traditional edge engagement, directional power and mixed resort conditions. The MSP 99 sits near the middle of that concept and is suitable for a skier who wants one ski for groomers, chopped snow, steeps and moderate soft snow without moving into a heavily rockered platform.

Switch is the clearer option for a skier whose mountain includes jumps, rails, side hits and switch skiing. Its 99 millimeter waist keeps it versatile enough for normal resort use while the twin-tip construction and reinforced edges and bases support freestyle use. Devastator is for riders who want more width and a looser freeride personality. Its 108 millimeter platform and Multi Radius Rocker make it more comfortable when pivoting through soft snow and natural terrain while keeping freestyle possibilities alive.

Raven, Hoji and Renegade progressively emphasize backcountry and soft-snow skiing. Raven is the touring-oriented member of the group, Hoji balances touring with broader resort and freeride use, and Renegade is the deep-snow specialist. The current 4-Lock system on these touring-compatible models gives climbing skins a dedicated attachment point through the ski tail. The current 4FRNT ski collection is therefore best read as several design philosophies rather than a simple progression from narrow to wide.

Why 4FRNT still represents the skier driven side of freeskiing

4FRNT arrived during the formative years of modern freeskiing, when professional riders increasingly wanted equipment designed around the way they actually skied rather than adaptations of race products. That history is visible in the original MSP, in the White Room, in Hjorleifson's sequence of signature shapes and in riders such as Thayne Rich building prototypes instead of waiting for an engineering department to hand them a finished ski.

The company has changed significantly since its earliest years, but the present catalog still carries that logic. MSP offers a mature directional platform. Switch keeps freestyle inside the all-mountain range. Devastator preserves the loose freeride personality associated with 4FRNT, while Raven, Hoji and Renegade form one of the brand's most distinctive backcountry design families. Production can happen at established factories, yet athletes remain directly involved in what comes next.

That combination is why 4FRNT continues to hold a recognizable position in freeski culture. It is large enough to offer a complete and technically mature ski range but still communicates like a company built around a group of skiers arguing about rocker, flex, snow and the next prototype. For riders who value equipment shaped through real freeride and touring experience, that connection between athlete and ski remains the strongest part of the 4FRNT identity.