Wintersteiger: New Edge Technology "V-Edge" Revolutionizes Skiing On The Arlberg
The Arlberg is considered the cradle of alpine skiing: new skiing techniques, the legendary ski club, achievements in cable car technology and much more. have their roots there. WINTERSTEIGER's revolutionary "V-Edge" grinding was also extensively tested there, further developed and finally - as the first region in the world - to be introduced.
In 1885 , with the opening of the Arlberg railway tunnel, tourism began. The first skis arrived 10 years later - at the time a novelty from Scandinavia. Pastor Johann Müller from Warth ordered them by post and in order not to be seen, he allegedly tried skiing at night in his garden.
Another milestone followed in 1901 : The Arlberg Ski Club was founded in St. Anton and developed into one of the largest and most successful in the world. The first ski race took place as early as 1904 - without cable cars, lifts or groomed slopes. An Arlberg legend is the ski pioneer Hannes Schneider, who founded Austria's first ski school in 1920 and introduced the "Arlberg technique": He replaced the single-pole technique with a long brake and steering rod with 2 short ski poles. This new technique led to shorter turns and more speed and prevailed against the Norwegian technique.
Cable car technology also made history on the Arlberg: In 1937 Austria’s first drag lift and the Galzigbahn, the first cable car designed for winter operation, went into operation. The world's first heated chairlifts started in 2004 . The highlight so far: since the Flexenbahn was built in 2016 , all Arlberg communities have been connected by lifts and slopes. Ski Arlberg has developed into the largest contiguous ski area in Austria and is one of the five largest in the world. Many awards such as "World's best ski area", "5-star ski area", "Best ski area in Austria" etc. testify to the popularity and uniqueness of the region.
Another premiere will follow. In search of the perfect turn, skiers will find a new edge technology: "V-Edge", the latest grinding technology from Wintersteiger AG - world market leader in ski service machines - is moving into the Arlberg. V-Edge stands for variable ski edge and means that the edge in the front and rear part of the ski is ground at different angles. In the middle, the ski binding area, however, the angle is constant. The result: perfect edge grip and easy turning are combined and skiing becomes noticeably easier for everyone, from beginners to advanced skiers.
New technologies have to prove themselves in practice. An important partner in development for Wintersteiger was the Stanton Service Center in St. Anton, one of the largest ski service workshops in the world. Wintersteiger and the Service Center have been working together successfully for more than 10 years when it comes to equipping them with ski service machines: Over 1 million skis have been serviced with Wintersteiger machines.
The team tested the new Jupiter ski service system and the revolutionary edge technology with enthusiasm and a pioneering spirit. Conclusion: “V-Edge works great! We tried a lot, sanded different materials and got excellent feedback from the test drivers, ”reports workshop manager Stefan Schranz. V-Edge is available from leading sports shops in St. Anton. Skiers who rent their skis in St. Anton can enjoy the new edge technology and have reached the new level of skiing. Technology and the beauty of driving have been at home on the Arlberg right from the start, and V-Edge is part of this century tradition.
