von Tessa Mellinger
24 February 2019
WINTER
The King of Ski Wax: Reinhard Kronbichler
It only takes a few milliseconds to determine victory or defeat. To stand on the podium as world champion in the end, every detail must be perfect. One almost invisible, yet one of THE crucial factors: the wax. Reinhard "Reini" Kronbichler from Ebbs in Tyrol is a ski wax expert: the best athletes in Austria trust him with their cross-country skis. In the interview, he explains how he squeezes out the last decisive milliseconds from the skis.
4 decades of experience
Reini, who hails from Ebbs near Kufstein, has more experience as a "wax master" than he can share with us. He has been "waxing" cross-country skis for a proud 40 years and is also the managing director of HWK Skiwax. He has invested countless hours in perfecting the best preparation for skis, conducting thousands of tests, and continually improving the waxing technique. All of this valuable experience is now benefiting Austria's top athletes. When they strap on their skis for competition, they can trust that the wax won't be the issue that holds them back.
Reinhad "Reini" Kronbichler and colleague Andreas Fuchs in the wax truck in the service area in Seefeld
A science of its own
When Reini starts to list his work steps, it can almost make one dizzy: Those who think that just applying 1 or 2 layers of wax and some polishing is enough are mistaken. "First, the base wax is applied to the ski," Reini begins. "Then it is ironed in and allowed to cool. Afterwards, it is cleaned with a groove tool and brushed with a metal brush until the structure is revealed. After that, the fluor powder is applied and ironed in." So far, so clear, right? Reini continues: "Then the powder is scraped off and allowed to cool again. When it is cold, the wax is stripped off, and a hand structure is applied according to the respective tuning of the ski. Because each ski already has a tuning, which you can imagine like a pattern or profile on car tires. Then the wax is stripped off again and brushed out until the structure is revealed again."
A lot of work steps already - but Reini is far from finished!
"Then there are liquid waxes as well. You can apply them too. But you have to see if the ski improves or not. You really have to try it out. Liquid wax has a short lifespan. You can't ski very far with it; it wears off quickly. But often the skis perform better with it, and even if you only have a faster ski for 4 or 5 kilometers, it can make a difference in whether you win or not. Whether the other person catches up with you or not."
With tests to the best ski
Alongside preparing the skis, Reini and his team conduct extensive tests. Which products are the best? What works best on the respective snow? "For that, we have eight pairs of skis," explains Reini. "There are different products on each one. Then two cross-country skiers come to test the skis. They descend together: They lean against each other and ski at the same pace. Then they separate and see which ski performs better. After that, the two skiers switch skis and the test is repeated so that each skier tests every ski once. This way, you know which ski is better. It’s an iterative process that continues until the best ski remains."
These tests have been adopted by the professionals: "All teams at the World Championships do it this way," reveals Reini. "This is how it is determined what is best." The test results are, of course, meticulously documented: "There is a report. It includes what base wax was used, which powder succeeded, at what temperature I ironed it in, and that I waxed it. That way, I know exactly what the processing method is." Additionally, the day, date, and test time are documented: "The conditions change constantly with each hour," says Reini. This certainly affects the wax and must be taken into account. Not only is the air temperature measured, but the snow temperature also determines which wax ultimately works best.
Preparing the perfect cross-country ski is a science in itself. It’s great that there are professionals like Reini, who with decades of experience support our athletes – and bring them closer to victory almost invisibly and in the background!
More Information:
Seefeld 2019: All Info at a Glance
HWK Skiwax
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