You probably saw a lot of yellow skis in the World Cups and Ski Classics. What are they? They are the new family of Speedmax skis with some interesting and effective variations. The workhorse for a range of conditions is the Speedmax with the proven 610 Mold. This is what men’s and women’s overall champions at the 2022 Tour de Ski relied on for most of the events.
The Speedmax wins in any given track condition. The yellow version has a lower and lighter tip for faster turnover and better climbing. The ski is available in either a Plus or Cold version with the Plus being the better choice for universal conditions. The Speedmax relies on Cold Base bonding with Air Core construction and High Modulus Carbon laminates to be fast and light.
The Speedmax 61K was sent to a few dealers and elite racers earlier this year with the traditional graphics. It was meant as a soft track-specific ski and it definitely is for the racing public. However, Fischer’s accomplished athletes started using the 61K on tracks that were not at all soft. With the well-developed technique, elite racers were able to maintain stability on firm tracks with the 61K and garner glide that is grand and heroic.
What is the 61K? Fischer uses two primary molds for its skating skis: the 115 and the 610. Skis with the 115 have a long wheelbase with extended contact zones that dissipate the skier’s weight. Skis with the 610 mold have a shorter wheelbase with relatively short contact zones. The 61K takes the 610 mold and shortens the wheelbase more which creates rather soft tips and tails.
Who benefits? Some stability is sacrificed by this flex pattern; however, it makes the glide of the 61K extremely fast. Advanced skiers who can maintain high-tempo V2’s on less-than-ideal tracks will love the 61K. The flex pattern makes this ski controllable and fast in soft track conditions regardless of the skier’s abilities.
Next up is the Helium. The lightest racing ski on the market. Unfortunately, the Helium will be available in limited numbers. The goal with the Helium was to make an ultra-light ski that did not sacrifice durability, speed or stability. The first step in achieving that goal was to create a new core for the ski. Fischer came up with the Bi-directional Air Core which takes Air Core material, runs it perpendicular to the core, and have it make up most of the sidewall. This is far lighter than traditional construction and provides for a beautiful flex pattern and outstanding durability.
The second step for the Helium was creating the Helium Shield. Fischer engineers created a unique weave of High Modulus Carbon intertwined with Fiberglass for a light sheet that keeps the Speedmax strong and provides great torsional rigidity for effective stability.
Fischer will have these skis available to test and try out at the post-Birkie demo.
