Fraunhofer MicroTribology Center

An Interview with Matthias Scherge: Helping FIS Jump the Fluoro-Free Hurdle

Jason AlbertAugust 3, 2020

Matthias Scherge is the director of the Fraunhofer Microtribology Center in Germany. As one of the major European research institutes specializing in industrial lubricants, Scherge and his colleagues have a hand in the ski wax game. Currently, Scherge is assisting the International Ski Federation (FIS) to implement its fluoro-free policy. Specifically, they are determining the thresholds at which a positive or a negative test will be triggered when testing a ski base for fluoros. Scherge...

News Resources Waxing

Are Fluorinated Ski Waxes Really the non plus ultra?

FasterSkierJuly 27, 2020

Last November, the International Ski Federation announced in a press release the banning of fluorinated waxes starting with the 2020-2021 race season. FIS states, “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.” Behind the scenes, the transition to fluoro free racing has begun both in Europe where the majority of World Cups are held, and...