Finally, the weather today was Olympic worthy and provided fair competitions.
The downhill course was presented in a top-prepared state and offered a level playing field for all skiers. It was important for all service people who prepare the skis to provide enough edge grip for the snow conditions, but at the same time not too aggressive. The service people of the racers had already started a week ago to condition the ski bases with HF waxes in order to achieve the most deep penetration. This season so far has called mostly for hard waxes, as the weather tended to be cold. Here because of the warm weather we switched to softer waxes which have been thoroughly tested first. Fortunately, Udo Raunjak from our R&D department has provided us with a great product. In top-finish, we have been the leading nation for years, as proven by the sales figures in Alpine racing.
Today were the women’s 10k and Men’s 15k Skating races. Both the ladies and the men came from different nations on the podium resulting in 6 different countries represented! This shows the balance in cross-country field. In the morning the course was very soft despite the freezing temperatures overnight (-4 ° C). The snow felt like dry Styrofoam didn’t stick to itself (you could run your hand through it easily). The problem was that the groomer worked the snow for 11 hours (up to 4 clock am). The wet snow from Sunday wasn’t allowed to set up and bind to itself. Instead the snow dried out, lost its structure, and didn’t really stick to itself. At least after the women’s race, the course workers scattered the additive on the track resulting in a firmer track for the men. It was not firm, but better than it was for the women.
For the Toko house it was a very successful day. We are subject like all other equipment companies to the regulations of the IOC and not until after the Olympics can such success stories be related with pictures and text.
Until tomorrow then ….
Steffen
