Nordic skiing: when the stars discover how their skis are made
On Wednesday 23 April, a host of top names were expected at Rossignol’s premises in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans (Isère) to take a look behind the scenes. Among them were biathletes Dorothea Wierer and Franziska Preuss, winners of the crystal globe this season, and Sweden’s Jonna Sundling, crowned world sprint champion for the third time running in Trondheim (Norway) at the World Cross-Country Skiing Championships.
They were accompanied by a number of Alpine skiers for the day, including Steven Amiez from Haut-Savoie, Swiss skiers Loïc and Mélanie Meillard and German skier Julia Scheib. Disabled skier Arthur Bauchet was also there.
It was an opportunity for representatives of the French brand to congratulate all their athletes on their performances over the season, which included 23 World Cup wins.
Discovering the construction of a ski
So it was in good spirits after an emotional year that the athletes were invited to visit the workshop behind their results. Here, everything is scrutinised down to the smallest detail, from the wood used, such as gluing and then moulding, to the heating temperature to ensure that the skis meet the precise requirements of the athletes according to the weather and sliding conditions.
Franziska Preuss, who was also world champion in the pursuit event in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) this winter, is delighted with this long-term effort. “This is the first time I’ve visited the Rossignol premises, even though it’s my third year with them. It was really cool to meet all the people who work behind the skis and the brand. It was really impressive to see how they produce the skis,” the German told
Nordic Magazine.
In this huge building, which was opened in 2008, Martin Fourcade’s trophies are stored at the entrance, a symbol of the company’s success over many years. And it’s this expertise that impresses all these top athletes.
“For me, it’s always nice to come back here. You see a ski, and it looks like it’s just a ski. But, in the end, it’s incredible to see all the work that goes into it, how many people work on it, and how many layers there are,” explains Dorothea Wierer, a regular here since the Italian has almost always competed with Rossignol.
Skis specially designed for Franziska Preuss and Jonna Sundling
After a highly successful season, the two young women received a special tribute from Rossignol, receiving unique pairs of skis in their country’s colours, engraved with their names and their respective performances this year.
“It’s important to be here, to see everything behind the scenes, and to learn. It’s important to develop the skis to come, and to choose the skis that are going to be the best,” explained Jonna Sundling, who had tried her hand at gluing the layers of wood in the wedges the day before, without much success. “There are so many stages and I’m too slow compared to them,” exasperated the 30-year-old Swede, who has been with Rossignol since 2020.
She continues: “We have lots of skis, classic skis, skate skis, and if you look at all the pairs of skis, they all look the same. But, in reality, that’s completely wrong, you get a different feel with each pair and Rossignol also has different models of skis for all conditions. And that’s so good, especially for skate skis in general. That’s one of the things that made me switch to Rossignol, I had a really good feeling with them. I’m so happy to be in this team, with all the good service, and the people who want to find the best materials for the skis. They give us the opportunity to go fast in the races, and that’s cool, I feel like part of the family. It’s amazing.”
The personalised pair of skis meant a lot to her. “It was a lovely surprise! They told me I could train with them, but I think I’d rather put them on a wall”, concluded the 2022 Olympic sprint skate champion.
The day ended with a signing session and photo opportunity with the men and women who have worked on the premises throughout the year. It was a fitting end to the 2024/2025 season, which means that we can already focus on the next year, and the Olympic one at that.
[Loïc Padovani, in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans]
