Ski touring skis · Test magazine 2020
Tech talk with Stefan Baumgartner, SALOMON
Sports Marketing Manager Winter Germany & Austria · Print page 35
Who is Stefan Baumgartner? Sports Marketing Manager Winter at SALOMON
Stefan Baumgartner appears in the BACKLINE 2020 test magazine as SALOMON’s Sports Marketing Manager Winter for Germany and Austria. He is a state-certified coach (C-level), state-certified ski instructor and ski guide. Until 2018, he worked as a ski guide in Lech/Zürs am Arlberg. In the ski touring skis interview, he discusses developments in backcountry skis and the requirements for venturing into off-piste terrain.
Baumgartner identifies weight reduction with almost unchanged stability and performance as a key development. In his view, versatile all-mountain models, with the right equipment, can cover almost 80 percent of winter conditions, including powder, tracked terrain, occasional piste days and tours with around 1,000 vertical metres of ascent. Specialisation becomes more important as the number of ski days and demands increase. He cites SALOMON’s C/FX technology, a blend of carbon and flax fibre, as an example of combining low weight with stability.
In the interview, Baumgartner expects further growth in backcountry skiing but stresses the importance of snow conditions. He advises beginners to have suitable equipment, physical preparation, the necessary safety equipment and a guide. This applies both to first freeride experiences within a ski area and to starting out in the backcountry, to establish a sound grounding in safety.
Backcountry ski models have differentiated very dynamically in recent years. Looking back, which developments do you regard as trend-setting?
Every ski company has thought hard about this differentiation in recent years. In the end it is important to cover all relevant areas of backcountry skiing and to make choosing the right ski as easy as possible for the consumer. Striking and pleasing for end users has been the rapid development in ski weight with almost unchanged stability and performance. The trend in recent years has been towards versatility. A versatile all-mountain model – one ski for all conditions. With the right equipment, a backcountry-oriented skier covers almost 80 % of all winter conditions: powder, tree runs, tracked snow, the odd piste day and tours of up to around 1,000 vertical metres. Once the number of ski days per season rises and the demands of your winter adventures grow, specialisation naturally becomes more relevant.
Do you expect further growth in backcountry skiing, or is the market already saturated?
The market will keep growing. Since freedom, individuality and adventure are still communicated very strongly by the sports industry and by tourism, I expect further growth. Of course winter always has the last word. If the snow comes everywhere, plenty of new customers will again dip into freeriding and touring. In hotspots such as the Arlberg, Sölden or Sportgastein the trend will continue as before. If the big snow stays away, the only option left is the piste.
Which technologies and trends will we see in backcountry ski models in the future?
It is still all about weight and performance: which materials are used in which combination and construction in order to reduce weight and still guarantee optimum performance for the intended use. At Salomon we have been using C/FX for several years – a mix of carbon and flax fibre. This technology offers a great deal of stability while saving weight.
What is your recommendation for beginners?
Anyone taking their first steps into the backcountry should consider a few things: the right equipment, plenty of sport to prepare the body for winter, the necessary safety equipment and a guide – whether freeriding in a ski area or starting out in the backcountry – in order to get a solid introduction to the subject of safety.
