Ingenious Innovation for Off-piste Skiing

Welcome to the first automatic cross-country skis: just like the automatic gear change mechanism for a car, this innovative climbing aid designed by Riskprotect automatically adjusts to the steepness of the slope. The advantages of the self-adjusting binding for off-piste skiing are obvious: no need for cumbersome bending to adjust the binding by hand, no unnecessary expenditure of muscle power and, most importantly, no security risk caused by awkward manoeuvres on steep hills.

“Without exaggeration, this was one of the great unsolved mysteries dominating the thinking of all manufacturers of ski bindings. My team and I succeeded, after months of painstaking work, in presenting a solution which not only makes off-piste skiing more agreeable, but also less strenuous and, above all, much safer”, explains Ulrich Schwingshackl, managing director of Riskprotect: The revolutionary feature of the climbing aid is an oil-cushioned ball which adjusts the climbing aid according to the steepness of the slope. At the same time, this mechanism prevents the climbing aid from suddenly snapping back into the wrong position when going over rough terrain.

There is much else to be admired in this ski binding: we also designed an innovative ski crampon. This is a device made from metal which is attached to the binding of the cross-country skis. In order to reduce excessive effort, the new ski crampon only grips the snow when movement has ceased. The binding itself is made of carbon fibre. This material has so far never been used for such a purpose: it weighs less than aluminium, the metal typically used in bindings, but is twice as strong.

The prototype for this innovative binding has already secured Riskprotect its place amongst the finalists for the “ISPO BrandNew Award 2010“. ISPO is the largest trade fair in the world for sports articles and sports fashion and is held annually in Munich in the month of February. The BrandNew Award, which is presented as part of this trade fair, is considered to be the barometer of future trends in this area.

Riskprotect is a technological company which has been operating within the TIS innovation park in Bolzano since February 2009. The company deals with various aspects of sport as well as with safety at the work place. “Much as a biotope provides an ideal habitat for plants and animals, the Centre for Technology Companies within the TIS innovation park provides the ideal location for innovative, technologically oriented companies. The example of Riskprotect clearly indicates that grouping together similarly oriented enterprises is extremely productive“, according to Hubert Hofer, CEO of the TIS innovation park.