Pro-Ski rollerskis have been around for quite some time. The first rollerskis that were used extensively were developed in Italy in the 1930’s. When dedicated Nordic skiers first started to experiment with rollerskis they were homemade or limited production training tools that were not ideal. By the 1970’s most serious athletes, both juniors and national team level skiers in Europe, were on rollers in the summer. As the training tools evolved, became lighter and had more of a “ski feel” some versions were too fast and did not provide enough resistance load for effective training. While junior skiers were training more hours, they were not more fit or faster. The Swedish Ski Team, along with clubs, and universities worked together to develop rollerskis with the proper speed wheels to more closely simulate skiing in the summer and allow for specific strength and technique training to be conducted with a more appropriate resistance.
Since that time Pro-Ski Rollerskis, a Swedish product, have been in use by top level athletes. This year there is a new model from the respected Swedish company. Known as the C2 Flex classic rollerski, it is a truly new idea using high strength spring steel to create a rollerski that feels and performs more like a snow ski than previous models.
The ski looks familiar to other Pro-Ski models at first glance, but the C2 Flex is made from hydro-formed SSAB high tensile spring steel. Hydro-forming is a process of stretching the steel in a way that allows a reduction in weight, increase in strength/weight and decrease in thickness at a cost that is less than other high strength materials. The C2 Flex classic ski was recently nominated as a finalist in a Swedish Steel Prize contest of industrial design. The technology comes to the rollerskis from extensive development in aeronautics and automobile applications.
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/05/C2-Flex-AA.jpg" "The C2 Flex")
The ski has a stainless steel camber rod that can be adjusted to increase the stiffness of the kick zone for heavier skiers. The flexibility of the shaft also allows athletes to turn the rollerskis like a snow ski, something that was much more difficult with stiffer models. The steel forks are welded to the shaft. From front to back the C2 Flex is 790cm long. It weighs 2.1kg / pair without bindings and uses the familiar C2 (or C3) wheels. Swedish ski champion Thobias Frederiksson says:
“New PRO-SKI C2 Flex is the best classic roller sk, I have trained on. It is characterized by stability and is very easy to handle, and it is precisely those qualities that are important when you are sprint training on roller skis. “
Thobias Fredriksson
World Champion Individual Sprint gold, Olympic Team Sprint gold
WebSkis.com, the US importer of the Pro-Ski, now has the C2 Flex classic rollerskis in stock. Testing is ongoing and we will provide test results when they are completed.
