Will Win Gold on High-Heels
By Johan Prestvik
Translated from vg.no
Posted on 9/25/2006
Article in Norwegian w/Picture: http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=131639
VG was present when the biathlon-king tested a prototype of what could become the skiboot of the future.
Together with the equipment vendor Madshus/K2, Ole Einar Bjœrndalen was in the Torsby skitunnel testing ski equipment. Among the things Bjœrndalen tested, was a high-heeled skiboot he hoped could be used this upcoming season.
Therefore, Bjœrndalen could win Wold Championship-Gold on high-heels in Anterselva, Italy in February.
Mysterious
The boots are just as high as previous boots, but made a little differently. But there's still a little more to go through before we have a completed boot, said Bjœrndalen to VG.
Together with two engineers from his equipment vendor, Bjœrndalen works hard to improve and develop equipment for the future. To complement boot and ski development, Bjœrndalen also has a word in the production of new poles that the equipment vendor will be launching this winter.
It is very fun to be part of developing new equipment, says Bjœrndalen.
The appearance of this skiboot prototype gives the impression that the goal is to ski on the moon instead of Anterselva in February, and when VG asks boot-maker and engineer John Svensson of K2 about taking a picture of the boot, we get refused. The mysterious Norwegian-American states the reason that the boot is unfinished.
Uses more muscles
This will look a little different in about a month's time. But we have had some interesting test results, he says.
Will the high-heels pass?
The heels are one of the things we are testing, and we have found out that we get a large amount of power from the push when the heels are high, he says. We get to use large muscles on the backside, says Svensson and shows with body movement that more power will be recruited from the butt and thighs.
Racing-director Per Vik at Madshus is pleased that he has expertise like Bjœrndalen's on the test-team.
He is an expert at the details and is important for us when it is time to apply practice to theory on our products. We definitely try to stay a bit ahead, he says.
