Former Norwegian national team super-wax technician Geir Tufto is hired by the Swedish team. Norway’s cross country sports chief is very critical to Tufto and claiming that he is withholding important test results.
Source: Langrenn.com — Translated by Torbjorn Karlsen
Some of last year’s wax technician conflict stories posted on FasterSkier.com:
Waxing Controversy In Norway http://www.fasterskier.com/news1024.html
Norway’s New Wax Chief: Want To Be Feared http://www.fasterskier.com/news1042.html
Geir Tufto accepted a job for the Swedish team recently. The experienced waxer will now among other be responsible for Mathias Fredriksson and Emilie Ohrstig’s skis. Tufto left the Norwegian team last spring in what was viewed as a protest against cross country chief of sport Bjornar Hakensmoen’s leadership style. Hakensmoen is now claiming that Tufto who was chief of glide for the Norwegian team is taking valuable test results over to the Swedish team.
– We have tried to get hold of the test results both by calling and sending letters, but he has not been willing to give them to us, says Hakensmoen.
– Knowledge can disappear, since these test results have disappeared, adds Hakensmoen
Tufto has a different version of the case:
– I’m not giving up what’s in my head. The Ski Federation has picked up three plastic bags full of test results from me, says Tufto.
Hakensmoen says that Tufto could have just as well sent those bags to a museum.
– Those bags contained test results up until 2001, says Hakensmoen. He has not received any test results from after that year.
Tufto on the other hand claims that one bag went to the dumpster, but that test results from glide products are worthless, since they are constantly updated. He is not hiding the fact that knowledge can disappear when he is leaving Norway, but says that the damage will be limited for the Norwegian national team since everything is disclosed among the members of the Norwegian wax team.
— We have to count on the fact that people can disappear, but I’m surprised that its Geir Tufto that is heading to Sweden, says Hakensmoen.
Tufto was very skeptical when the Swedish waxer Perry Olsson came in to the Norwegian wax team two years ago. He was at that time afraid that the Swede would go back to Sweden with Norwegian knowledge.
— I hope that he will cooperate better with the Swedes now, than what he did when he worked for us, says Hakensmoen
— I have no scruples doing this, since Hakensmoen treated me so arrogantly, says Tufto
Sweden’s new head coach Norwegian Inge Braten was not very interested in commenting on the case since Tufto’s contract is not signed yet.
— I’m looking for good people, says Braten. He did not want to comment on Hakensmoen’s statements.
