Ski Racing 2010-2011 Buyer’s Guide
Kalle Palander in 2008.
Fischer
The RC4 World Cup series and World Cup Pro series deliver sandwich sidewall construction and a 0.8 mm shell made of
double titanal (an alloy with huge tensile strength); woodcore models are also available. The race stock skis all sport the hole in
the tip and use a lightweight “air carbon” material in the sandwich to cut weight while maintaining strength.
$1590 (RC4 World Cup GS Race)
$1275 (RC4 World Cup RC Pro)
$1050 (RC4 Super Race SC)
Juniors: Fisher claims its junior skis are the only models out there with “authentic World Cup construction” — sandwich sidewall,
titanal shell, vertically laminated woodcore and racing plates affixed ($575).
fischerskis.com
SKIS
Feeling Good at the Fischer Factory
RIED IM INNKREIS, AUSTRIA — The head of Fischer’s race department, Siegi Voglreiter, can’t
wait for the World Cup to begin. He has signed Tanja Poutiainen and Sanni Leinonen of Finland. Fischer skier Julien Cousineau of Canada, whom Voglreiter has known for several years,
seems poised for a breakout. “Now he is ready and he is one of the fastest slalom skiers in the
world at the moment for sure,” says Voglreiter. “On the right race and the right day he will be
on the podium for sure.”
And after almost two years away because of injuries, Finnish (and Fischer) star Kalle Palander
is ready to race again. “We are all very excited as to what will happen,” says Voglreiter of Palander. “He is so motivated, he will come back.”
Voglreiter is confident that Palander’s skis will provide an ideal platform. “There are small details, small things that we are changing,” he says of the skis, “but we have his old set up there,
his winning skis from Alta Badia so he can try with this ski, find the feeling and then all the others are ready for him. In slalom it is our regular ski that most people are using: it is the same ski
that people have been using for two years.”
Other Fischer race talent includes 2009 GS World Cup winner Manfred Moelgg from Italy, Ivica
Kostelic from Croatia and Val Gardena winner Steve Nyman.
Most Fischer slalom skiers, says Voglreiter, train at European indoor centers with consistent
snow conditions in the off season. “For the GS skis and the speed skis we need the southern
hemisphere or some good days on the glacier,” he says. “But it is more and more, especially
on the Fischer side, that we try to find out in the winter season the material for the next season.
The most development we do in the winter.”
Are all of their skis very similar or are they each individually crafted? About 85 percent of
Fischer racers use the “regular” skis, says Voglreiter. “Especially the young athletes — the C
and D team racers but also most of the A and B team racers,” he explains. “Then there are
some special guys: they have a different style. Kostelic for example, he skis with a load of feeling, carving more. Marc Gini, he is more of the strong guy, he is pushing and more powerful and
for sure he needs a little bit of a different set up. But this is not only just with the ski, it is also
on the boot side that they need a different set up. Kostelic likes soft, soft, soft: Skis soft, boots
soft and liner soft, whatever soft so he is on the soft side. Marc Gini he wants just the stiff ones.
Sometimes it is not so easy to build the so stiff material.”
Voglreiter says he believes that the young racer of tomorrow should spend more time “skiing,
skiing, skiing.”
“Skiing is not complicated, skiing is easy,” says Voglreiter. “It is playing with all the different
components that makes the sport difficult.” — Neil McQuoid
