Original text by Johan Trygg, English text by Teemu Virtanen, Picture by Team Engcon

Olympic skiers Jens Burman, Åsarna IK, and Oskar Svensson, Falun Borlänge SK, become part of Jerry Ahrlin’s Team Engcon. For both, the main focus still stays on traditional skiing and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing, but this coming spring they are fortifying the ranks of Team Engcon on the final stages of the Visma Ski Classics season.

As part of Team Engcon, the duo will also get the opportunity to educate themselves for a possible job at the title sponsor company Engcon.

“This provides security for the future. It feels very good,” both Burman and Svensson told Längd.se.

The other day, Jerry Ahrlin revealed that he had recruited Norwegian Didrik Tønseth to Team Engcon. As with Jens Burman and Oskar Svensson, Tønseth has this winter’s Olympics as his big goal, but the Norwegian is outside of the national team and faces a tough challenge to get into the Olympic team.

For Burman and Svensson, things look different. Both are already qualified for the Beijing Olympics. This pre-selection, of course, provides some “peace and quiet” time and security in the build-up to the Olympics. Now, however, these two skiers have been offered a long-term security with their new team. As a part of Jerry Ahrlin’s long-distance ski team Team Engcon, they are now able to learn all the tricks of the trade, both in long distance skiing and their potential future employment.

“It will be very interesting and exciting to have a foot in the door right now. Even though I still have a long way to go before retiring from skiing, this gives me a peace of mind,” says Jens Burman.

What kind of work do you see in front of you in the future?

 “I don’t really know that, but that’s what feels good about this. The fact that you can get to know the different parts of the business that our sponsor does. I’m interested in technology, so something like that could be in the cards,” Burman says.

“This feels like a very good arrangement and a bit unique. It will be fun to try out and to get to know the company much better,” says Oskar Svensson, who studied technology at high school and then undertook some economics courses at the university level.

Oskar Svensson is one of the world’s best sprinters, but he also likes long-distance races. Although this winter, it is likely that he can only start in some of the last races of the season in Visma Ski Classics, but there may be a chance for more long distance races in the future.

“When it’s not a championship season, there can be more starts and a focus on Vasaloppet. What Jerry has done with team impresses me a lot,” says Svensson.

This spring, Jens Burman tried his wings at Vålådalsrennet where he had a big lead for a while, but a flat finish and a broken pole ruined his chances to win.  

“Long races on flats with a lot of double-poling do not attract me, but races with tough climbs and a challenging terrain can be fun, says Burman.

Reistadløpet should certainly suit Burman as it is perhaps the most challenging course in Pro Tour.

It goes without saying that Jerry Ahrlin is pleased with his new recruits, even if they won’t be able to represent the team until the end of the season.

“I’m glad I managed to get Jens and Oskar on board. I like to  think outside the box. This will be good for all three parties; the team gets talented skiers, Engcon connects with ambitious goal-oriented people and the skiers get the opportunity to have security for the future. For me, it feels important to be able to give skiers good conditions both during and after their careers. I know how it feels to be standing there when your career is over and not really knowing where to go or what to do,” says Ahrlin.

Engcon, founded in 1990, is the world’s leading manufacturer of tiltrotators (excavator wrist) and associated tools that increase excavator flexibility, precision and safety. The company consists of the parent company Engcon Holding AB with its registered office in Strömsund, Sweden, and in addition, 9 sales companies are responsible for sales in their respective markets Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands and North America (USA and Canada) and for other markets. In 2017, the Engcon group had sales of approximately 100 million euros with about 250 employees.