News today from the International Ski Federation’s Autumn Meeting in Constance, Germany will disrupt modern race-ski prep methodology. The Committee for Competition Equipment which is tasked with defining the technical specifications of all equipment used across the spectrum of FIS sanctioned snow sports: Cross-country skiing, nordic combined, ski jumping, alpine, snowboard, freestyle, and freeski, is calling for a ban on the use of all fluorinated ski waxes for the 2020/2021 season.
“The use of fluorinated ski waxes, which have been shown to have a negative environmental and health impact were banned for all FIS disciplines from the 2020/2021 season,” read a FIS press release today. “A specialist FIS Working Group led by FIS Experts Atle Skaardal (Alpine Skiing) and Pierre Mignerey (Cross-Country) including the ski and wax industry will be formed to establish the regulations and control procedures.”
The nascent working group will have a monumental task bringing a diverse group of disciplines and nations into compliance.
“Overall, the world is moving in a direction that is positive. I’m sure we’ll figure out how to make this the positive thing that it’s meant to be,” said Canadian national team coach Erik Bråten, before a meeting about waxing plans. “I was very surprised that it went before Beijing. I was pretty sure they were going to do something like this, effective from after the next Olympics, but they just went for it. It is kind of cool, I like that they are making decisions, that we are going this way. Let’s wait and see. Let’s stay optimistic until failure has come.”
– Gerry Furseth contributed
