From ski foils for World Cup stars to cable car linings and track bands for snow groomers. Nothing runs smoothly in winter sports without Semperit. Here is why the world’s biggest manufacturers rely on quality from Wimpassing.
When you hear the name Mikaela Shiffrin, you think of consecutive World Cup victories, talent, ambition and the high-tech world of the ski industry – and less likely of Semperit. But like all ski stars in the World Cup, Mikaela Shiffrin also skis to her victories with Semperit’s rubber sheets. Atomic, the world’s largest ski manufacturer and Shiffrin’s supplier, relies on ski foils from the traditional Wimpassing-based company, as do all well-known manufacturers of skis and snowboards. “Our foil holds the ski together even when lumps of ice hit the steel edge. It absorbs vibrations and compensates for thermal expansion due to temperature differences,” says Stefan Gloggnitzer, Product and Sales Manager Mountain Applications at Semperit, explaining the key product properties. Mario König, Purchasing & Supply at Atomic, can only confirm this: “We have been relying on Semperit’s rubber sheets for many years, as they are excellent to work with in ski construction, the quality is consistently high, and we greatly appreciate the competent customer service.”
Without a slipped disk
Top athletes and recreational athletes alike not only come into contact with Semperit when they are going down the slopes, but also when they are going up the mountain. Whether it’s a cable car or T-bar drag lift, there is a high probability that cable car linings made by Semperit will play a major role. Cable car linings can be compared to human intervertebral discs. As is well known, they ensure that bones do not “wear out”. Cable car manufacturers such as Doppelmayr appreciate this important protection: “The entire cable car is attached to the supports by cable car rings. There can be no such thing as a ‘slipped disc’. That’s why reliability and experience are so important to us,” says Wolfgang Mäser from the purchasing department of the world market leader in ropeway construction. As long-standing partners, they are cooperating to meet the growing demands: “We are developing our products so that they achieve the same service life under higher loads and at higher track speeds,” says Lionel Royer, Mountain Applications at Semperit. In order to remain the market leader, about the focus is always on further development, flexibility and problem-solving expertise, says Royer: “The customer’s wishes are always our top priority. Whether it is new geometries, rope diameters or compounds that dampen noise to make it quieter near the hotels in the ski resorts – we always find a solution.” Gloggnitzer adds: “Sustainability is the big topic in the industry and therefore also our number one topic when it comes to innovation. We are currently investigating the use of sustainable mixing components in our products.”
Speaking of further development. Where there are cable cars, there are also snow groomers. Semperit thought that they could also use high-quality rubber belts for their tracks – and developed a new product. “We have bought a used snow groomer for product development and tested and further optimized our belts in a ski resort near Wimpassing for several seasons. We have now been on the market for three years and are constantly increasing our production capacities. Wherever snow groomers are in use in the world, we want to gain a foothold with our track belts,” says Royer.
No ski day without Semperit therefore also applies to the future. Lionel Royer and Stefan Gloggnitzer are looking forward to the upcoming World Cup final in Saalbach Hinterglemm and their next day on the slopes, as they say in unison: “Winter sports are a must for us in the team. Of course, we are also very happy to support our customers in this respect.”
„Winter sports are a must for us in the team."
Lionel Royer & Stefan Gloggnitzer, Mountain Applications, Semperit
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