Hightech-Ski
Developer reveals: Downhill skiers like Marco Odermatt wear these skis on their feet
When descending, riders must be able to rely on their skis. A developer reveals what’s important – and how well normal riders would get along on these fast boards.
This time, too, the Winter Olympics start with a highlight. On Saturday, February 7th, the men’s downhill run starts in Bormio, on the Stelvio, a slope that is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. The favorite for gold is the Swiss Marco Odermatt. The man who builds the skis for him is called Mathieu Fauve, 51, and is the chief developer of the Stöckli brand. How should a ski be built that can carry a racer at 150 km/h over glassy ice with a gradient of up to 63 percent?
The construction of a high-tech ski
“The men’s downhill skis measure around 2.20 meters. Boards of this length run smoothly at 150 km/h, especially on uneven slopes. There is a lot of vibration, and we try to dampen it as well as possible so that the rider can find the right line. Vibration can cause the ski to lose direction. Then hundredths or even tenths of a second are lost. Sometimes a centimeter brings more smoothness and therefore a better time.
A driver has memorized an ideal line in his head. If he misses this line due to bumps, he will lose the race. As a viewer, you will recognize this because he suddenly slides to the side and then some snow dusts up. He leaves time there. So we do everything we can to ensure that he can hold the line.
The ski that a downhill skier like Marco Odermatt has on his feet has a radius of around 50 meters. In comparison: the ski that you ski on normal slopes has an average radius of 15 meters. If you’re an experienced skier, it’s fun on a wide, groomed and deserted piste where you can push the pace. If you have the space, it’s exciting to try. You drive very long curves with it. And have to work.
The ski that you can buy in the store still has about 60 to 70 percent of the properties of a ski that is only used by top athletes. We will incorporate some of these features, such as certain technologies, into the production skis a few years later.”
Fauve prefers to keep to himself what exactly a ski of this class is made of – a trade secret. Every outfitter seems to have their own formula. A high-tech ski still contains up to 90 percent wood, usually poplar, beech or ash.
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