In 2019, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) decided on a total fluor ban at all sanctioned competitions. The decision had been postponed several times as reliable test equipment was unavailable. 

But the ban is being implemented for this season, and in Sweden, the Swedish biathlon premiere is the first to have fluor tests.

The Swedish Biathlon Union was on site on Thursday and Friday to offer clubs and skiers the opportunity to test skis, mostly to ensure the fluor cleaning process worked.

Also Read – Fluor ban: How to clean skis and equipment.

It is important to point out that during this weekend’s Swedish competitions, the clubs are responsible for waxing the skis. For the national waxing team, it is two weeks until the competitive season premiere during the World Cup in Östersund.

The national team’s waxing truck has about 800 pairs of skis; these have been cleaned (the fluor has been removed).

“It’s a job you obviously don’t do from one day to the next. In addition, we have tested many new products,” says waxing manager Kent Norell to Langd.se.

In the truck, there is the same test equipment that both the IBU and FIS will use at this winter’s World Cup (and also at this weekend’s Swedish biathlon premiere):

“It’s about ensuring the quality of our work. This means that we will test all the skis we compete on in the winter before we take them to the IBU’s tests.”

The test setup 

Each ski must be delivered for testing 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. Then, the skis are marked with the skier’s bib number.

The test equipment tests each ski in three randomly selected places:

“The machine makes a spectrometry where an infrared beam makes a reflection of the coating; then a signal is sent back into the equipment. Then you get a signal value; if it is below 1.0, it is a green light” (read more below about what happens if the test shows higher values), says Norell.

The test takes about two minutes.

In the World Cup, all skis are also tested after the finish. During the Swedish premiere, it is stated that “Random tests can be carried out after the finish. If a ski then turns out to be red, it means disqualified (DSQ).”

Do the new rules mean that there will be extra tension for you in the Swedish waxing team?

“We will not release any skis from our truck before it is “green.” But what there is tension about is that we work in a competitive and results-oriented reality. We have worked very systematically in this new challenge with fluor-free. But it is only when we compare ourselves to other nations that we get the measure of how good it is. But I hope the other nations will chase us because we have fast skis,” says Norell.

Test value

• 0-1.1 Green value
• 1.1 – 1.8 Yellow value (remeasure without moving the measuring equipment once)
• >1.81 Red value (remeasure without moving the measuring equipment once)

• Green value = ok to race with the skis
• Yellow value = ok to race with the skis. Warning to skier + club
• Red value = not ok to race with the skis. Allowed to submit a new pair of skis for testing. 

Read More: Norwegian fluor-free guide becomes an international standard.