AUBURN, N.H. — Fischer Skis announced the launch of its new race ski, the Nordic Hole Ski. The innovative Hole Ski defies tradition by incorporating a hole in the ski tip which reduces mass, resulting in higher stride frequency and faster skating speeds.
The Fischer Nordic Hole Ski achieved World Champion status earlier this week when Helena Jonsson (SWE) won the Women’s 10 km Biathlon Pursuit in Pyeong Chang, Korea. It was the first ever gold medal in an individual World Championship race for the 24-year old Swede, who also competes in Fischer boots.
Fischer recognized that the heavier the ski tip, the more energy is required to bring the ski back again to the optimum push-off position. Its breakthrough Hole Ski design reduces mass in the ski tip by five grams and consists of a unique configuration of HM carbon laminates. By lightening the ski tip, the pendulum motion is balanced out and therefore less energy is exerted and lost. This enables greater precision in skating strides and higher stride frequency – which translates into faster skating speeds.
“Thanks to relentless research, passionate enthusiasm and intensive development work together with the world’s best athletes, Fischer has raised the bar in ski technology to continue as the global leader in Nordic skiing and racing,” said Peter Ashley, vice president, Nordic Division, Fischer Skis U.S.A.
The Nordic Hole Ski also optimizes the skating angle of each skating stride. The reduction of weight in the tip means that the angle of each skating ski is virtually identical on each skating stroke providing the best power transfer for each stride and faster speeds.
Fischer’s Nordic Hole Ski features the Worldcup sidecut, WC Plus base, and is available in lengths ranging between 177 and 192 cm. The 182 cm ski weighs only 980 g. The recommended binding for the Nordic Hole Ski is the NNN R4 Skate NIS, an innovative manual NNN binding that is easy to use and provides maximum stability and control.
The Nordic Hole Ski is a further highlight of Fischer’s exceptionally practice-oriented development work that benefits every cross country skier with every step they take. With this innovation, Fischer once again increases its lead in the race for technological supremacy.
About Fischer Sports Nordic Ski Division
Founded in Austria in 1924, Fischer Sports is the world’s preeminent Nordic ski manufacturer, with a long history of dominating the race circuit as well as recreational sales. Fischer Skis U.S.A. is the top-ranked Nordic ski brand sold in America today. The company also markets bindings, boots and poles forNordic racing, cruising, touring, jumping, backcountry and recreational skiing. For more information please visit www.fischerskis.com.
![Fischer Launches Revolutionary Nordic Hole Race Ski](http://images.fasterskier.com/2009/02/xc_hole_ski.jpg" "Fischer Launches Revolutionary Nordic Hole Race Ski")
5 comments
Andrew Lee
February 20, 2009 at 4:37 am
This should have been released April 1st…
jkirlin
February 21, 2009 at 2:06 am
I have grown up on with Fischer skis and have always enjoyed them, but I think these are kind of lame. They look like a glorified bottle opener, taken from the design of their latest alpine trend. Now the tip is extremely vulnerable to damage. How awesome are you going to feel when some else’s pole goes right through that hole in a mass start race and you not only fall on your face, but you break their pole if not your own equipment in the process? What if you’re skiing in soft snow or while in mid race, it begins to dump snow on you? Now you have a new drag coefficient because of fresh snow kicking up through your silly hole.
They are plenty of things to worry about when skiing, lets not add another by putting a stupid hole in the ski. Couldn’t the time and energy spent to develop this scheme have been better spent by thinking of better edge control, ski balance and over-all stability, and the number one thing you decide when choosing a pair of skis before a race; gliding speed?
This makes me glad to be racing on my new Atomics tomorrow.
a-ham
February 21, 2009 at 3:02 pm
If you can’t make it better, make it different, eh?
a-ham
February 21, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Also, it’s pretty ironic how the new Swix Star baskets are nearly the same shape as this silly hole. How fun will it be when the guy in front of you plants that baby straight into your fancy hole tip?
shreddir
February 25, 2009 at 3:14 am
Hmm…? Well all you guys’ objections haven’t seemed to keep Fischer athletes off the podium at the Liberec World Championships the last couple of days. 1st,2nd in mens 30k pursuit, 1st in todays mens sprint, and a complete sweep of the womens sprint?! Not that I’ll spending my hard earned dough on any soon.