For many skiers, changing ski brands is a major decision. They have a collection of skis they’ve tested and become familiar with over time, each with different grinds, constructions, and characteristics. A typical ski fleet for a cross-country skier who competes in both freestyle and classic disciplines usually consists of at least 20-30 pairs of skis. Some have even more.

Athletes have developed relationships with service personnel and product developers whom they trust and have a bond with. Now they must start anew, build new relationships, and get to know everything and everyone from scratch.

Nevertheless, they choose to switch ski brands, sometimes even before championship seasons. So, what does it really mean to change ski brands?

Compared to breaking up “It has been the absolutely toughest and most difficult decision in my career so far. It almost feels like breaking up,” says Edvin Anger, who recently left Madshus for Rossignol.

The 22-year-old Swede has been skiing on Norwegian skis throughout his upbringing and entire active career. He particularly points to his relationship with racing service staff, who are invaluable resources for their athletes, and it almost feels like a betrayal.

Anger is one of several top athletes who have switched ski brands this spring. Others include French Klæbo rivals Richard Jouve and Jules Chappaz. They are now moving to Fischer and Madshus, respectively, after years with Salomon.

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Paying a high price for the ski switch: “A simple choice”

For Chappaz, who won bronze in the World Championship sprint in Planica last year and his first World Cup podium this winter, the feelings about changing skis are completely different from Anger’s. For the Frenchman, the decision was straightforward.

After nearly ten years with Salomon, Chappaz is parting ways with the ski manufacturer located just 20 minutes from his home. Now the factory and service team are based in Biri, and the battle for spots on the team for the World Championships in Trondheim is only a few months away.

And since Chappaz still had two years left on his contract with Salomon, the ski switch comes at an extra cost. But the 24-year-old is convinced that this drastic step is the right one.

So, you’re throwing out everything you know about skis, just months before the World Championships, and despite having to pay dearly to buy out of your existing contract? Was it a difficult decision to change ski brands?

“No. Absolutely not. I feel that I have lost races several times due to the skis. I can’t ski on equipment that I don’t feel I can trust 100 percent,” says Chappaz to Langrenn.com, and continues:

“We have several years ahead of us with major championships. I’m still young and can have a long career ahead. So, this is a perfect time to change ski brands.”

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But what happens now, after such an equipment change: How do you proceed when establishing an entirely new ski fleet?

“You have to test a lot. And you have to test in all types of conditions. But it’s also very much about establishing a good dialogue with the racing service personnel at the manufacturer, making sure they understand what you need to leverage your strengths, and that they can find skis with characteristics that suit your technique and the way you ski. It’s very individual,” explains Chappaz.

Biathlete Jacquelin agrees. He emphasizes that testing is not just about finding skis that glide the fastest and longest.

“Building a ski fleet is much more than just testing which skis have the best glide. It’s about the feel of the ski, how it behaves at different speeds, if it feels easy to control, if you have command, and if you can translate the power you put into the push into propulsion,” he tells Langrenn.com.

Specifically, how do you approach testing brand-new skis, and work with racing service personnel in that process?

“We did quite a bit of testing at Sjusjøen in April, and that’s where I established a very good relationship with the manufacturer’s service guys. They will continue to test for me throughout the summer and autumn, while I will test more during our snow gatherings. There are also the team wax technicians. They are the ones primarily in charge of my ski fleet, and both they and I are in dialogue with the manufacturer. We work as a team. So, by November, I feel confident that I’ll have a very good ski fleet,” says Chappaz.

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Having control over the ski fleets of various athletes is definitely a massive job. It’s something that the wax chief for the Norwegian cross-country ski team, Tord Hegdahl, knows more about than most.

For the athletes who DO NOT change equipment suppliers, there is an extensive amount of work to be done between April and November.

“We are responsible for enormous numbers of skis, so it’s about gaining an overview, sorting through them, and reducing each skier’s ski fleet to a manageable number,” Hegdahl tells Langrenn.com.

Every year in April, the waxing team has a real effort in the warehouse.

“I didn’t count the number of skis, but I think we filled almost a van full of skis that needed to go back to the suppliers. For some athletes, it was probably 25 percent or more of their ski fleet that was discarded,” says Hegdahl.

Once that job is done, preparations for the upcoming season begin.

“All athletes must have skis that cover all types of snow conditions, temperatures, and situations, but not too many pairs. And we need extremely good control. We need to know which pairs we should pull out when we start testing for the various competitions throughout the season,” says Hegdahl.

Of course, this job is more extensive for athletes who have to build an entirely new ski fleet.

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Need up to 50 pairs of skis

For Edvin Anger, a full ski fleet counts to 50 pairs of skis. It’s a solid task to pick them out, especially this year when he starts with zero ski pairs.

“I usually have 40-50 pairs of skis when I enter a season. Now I may not have filled up my ski fleet completely by the start of this season, but the goal is to have everything in place for the World Championships. However, it’s not just about how many ski pairs you have, but that you have some very, very good pairs,” Anger tells Längd.se, elaborating:

“It’s a lot of work, absolutely. And I’ll probably take some extra trips to the ski tunnel in Torsby. But I have wax technicians on the national team who do a fantastic job for me. They have been testing intensively for me at Sognefjellet, initially to find a core set of skate skis.”

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