2022-03-08
A ski is not just any ski. Take a look at the day in a life of a ski tester
Stefan “Gus” Thöni and Ivo Zihlmann make up Stöckli’s test team and are an essential component of the Stöckli Racing Team. It is their expertise that sometimes decides the hundredths of seconds needed to claim a World Cup race victory.
Because not every ski is as fast as the other. Various factors such as for example snow quality, ski base prep, and the proper wax or finish all play vital roles. The search for the fastest ski is what Gus and Ivo do.
7 a.m., Jaun Pass: A total of 20 pairs of skis are ready to go. On the schedule is testing speed skis for Marco Odermatt and Jasmina Suter. Specifically, this ski test will analyze performance on groomed runs with installed timing devices, collecting times for various sections. The skiers will reach up to 100 kph during the 18-second descent.
Two test skiers will each ski a series of four runs. Meaning, every ski will be tested three times during a series. Resulting in 12 runs per series per skier. Indispensable for efficient testing is of course the support of snowmobiles to bring the skier up to the start.
After the test runs, ski clothing will be changed out for work clothing. Then, the series will be put together and prepped for the next few days in the ski area.
After mid-day comes logging and analyzing all the data, and the next day gets planned.
All this precision, perfection and passion is how we find the fastest skis for every condition.
