The fluoro ban – what does it mean for you?

The International Ski Federation (FIS) recently imposed a total fluoro ban on all ski disciplines from the 2020/2021 season. The ban has been postponed, but we at Swix are ready for fluoro free skiing.

We know that the future is fluoro-free, which is why Swix was early to develop new fluoro-free products. The products had to deliver results as good as those of fluoro-containing products, and in several tests, the new fluoro-free products performed better than the outdated fluorine-containing products. FIS introduced a total ban on fluorine from the 20/21 season, and we at Swix feel positively about this.

 

Fluoro: A competitive product for elite skiers

The ban means that all use of fluoro-based products will be illegal in FIS competitions from the next ski season (2020/2021). This means everything from the World Cup to long-distance races such as the Vasaloppet and circuit races in Norway. But is this the end of fast skiing and a good grip?
By no means!

Fluoro was a competitive product that was first and foremost used by athletes at the highest level in cross-country skiing looking for small competitive edges. The use of fluoro products was limited and it was not used for training, even by the very best. The Norwegian Ski Federation was an early adopter of a fluoro ban for the younger categories, which was also a cost-limiting measure.


None of the kick wax or glider Swix sells contain fluorine

None of the products sold by Swix contain fluoro. The range includes old classics as well as innovations. New products that have replaced those previously containing fluorine are marked with a green snowflake and the words “Fluor free”, both on the label and on the website. Older products that have never contained fluorine, such as the classic V40 Blue Extra, are labelled with the mentioned snowflake on the website.

   

Here are two examples of labels. Blue Swix has never contained fluorine. Fluoro free Marathon was previously made fluorine-free and received the green flourine-free label.

We have launched several new lines of glide wax products and several are also available as liquid glide spray, making it easyto apply . The Pure Maraton glide wax was one of the first products with such good test results that it immediately competed with the old fluoro-containing version when it was launched.

This is also a very useful glide wax as it is temperature independent, thus suitable for most conditions.

Watch video: Join us inside our Lillehammer factory

Fluoro-free glide waxes have undergone rapid development. The safest way to ensure that all athletes have legal products under their skis is to develop fluorine-free products that outperform those containing it. Even at the World Cup level, fluoro-free products on selected skiers have won over fluoro-containing products in tests. That’s why we at Swix know that we’re on the right development track.

Prepping skis has never been easier than with some of the new products.

ProBySwix_Overview_Included_TSP_TSL_JGJ_2021_Compressed.jpgPro by Swix: A complete range of fluoro-free glide waxes for all skiers.  


Would you like to learn more about each of the products in the range above? Finally, we’d like to remind you that you can visit skisporet.no

at any time and get an overview of the freshly prepared pistes with specially tailored fluorine-free waxing tips, right where you are.   
 
Happy skiing!

Please note: Want to learn more about prepping skis? Hear our experts explain in detail how to get the most out of your skis. That's what you'll find in this episode of the Skisporet podcast.