Toko – High Performance Ski Wax Brush Developed in Parnership with smartfilaments AG
Fractions of a second in a ski race are often the decider between a victory or a defeat. Fractions of seconds which ski wax manufacturer Toko wants to win with its new intelligent brush: A key element in preparing skis for top speed is the way their surfaced gets prepared.The traditional Swiss brand Toko has helped many world class athletes to go for Olympic Gold medals in the past. The same happened also at this year's World Ski Championships for Alpine skiing in Åre (Sweden) and for Nordic ski sports in Seefeld (Austria): Toko played a role in the medal hunt. However, the names of the sportsmen and sportswomen who competed with Toko products are kept secret with discretion being part of the business.
The over 100-year-old company has been one of the leading surface specialists in ski sports for decades. In 2010, the Norwegian Swix Sport Group took over the company. The sports provider Swix is the market leader, especially for products for Nordic sports. The strength of Toko lies in the production of gliding wax for alpine and cross-country skiers. Together, the two sports brands have a market share of around 85 percent in Switzerland. The company operates internationally and works with the world’s best skiers from many countries.
Intelligent brush developed with smartfilaments AG
With the ambition to best support their athletes, Toko was approached by the Swiss filament manufacturer smartfilaments. The latter offered to develop a new “intelligent” brush in a joint effort. A series of meetings followed. During brainstorm sessions and product design workshops, a number of ideas were generated. Ski tests in the lab and on snow slopes followed. Materials were continuously improved until all stakeholders were fully satisfied with the result. The achievement – a new intelligent brush - was ready just the week before the Opening of the World Championships.Why is the brush intelligent?
The brush does not simply polish the skis like conventional models. It provides the surface of the skis with the nano-layer of an additive. The additive is the result of a secret chemical formula. It allows to adapt it to different weather and temperature conditions.
Such innovation is possible since smartfilaments’ fibers can be enriched with different kinds of additives. Each one aiming at a different application.
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