Prepping skis for Olympics is art and science
By Julie Brown, Powder
For the world’s most elite ski racers, when a win on the World Cup is a matter of hundredths of seconds, the right tune can make or break a competition.
Which is why every ski racer has a person whose job it is to make sure the skis are tuned to be as fast as possible. Lindsey Vonn’s ski technician is World Cup wax room veteran Heinz Haemmerle. Ted Ligety works with Austrian Alex Martin. Last winter, Travis Ganong brought rookie Lukas Rottinger onboard.
The tune is in the details. It is as much about matching notes on time to temperatures and measurements as it is a feeling of what works, what does not, and most importantly, what the racer wants.