Kästle re-enters Nordic racing market

Thu, May  30, 2019 - By Mike Muha

Mid-of-April, Kästle signed an equipment deal with the Austria Ski Pool. This means that for the next four years, Kästle is official supplier to the Austrian Ski Association’s (ÖSV) Nordic competitors.

2019 has seen Kästle celebrate a comeback in the Nordic sector. With over 30 years’ expertise in the World Cup cross-country sector, the premium ski brand from Austria is back on the Nordic scene with its own race division, three lines of cross-country skis and jump skis. For the first time ever, Kästle is taking real World Cup competition skis into series production, thereby making attributes like unbeatable performance, maximum transfer of power and precision available to all athletes and anyone looking for superior speed.

There is a long history of Nordic skis at the Hohenems-based firm. Kästle made its first cross-country ski way back in 1976. Through its revolutionary technology, the list of winning cross-country skiers who skied on Kästles grew steadily. Soon, top athletes like multiple World Champion Anette Bøe, Iwan Garanin and Jörg Thoma were on the Kästle team.

Kastle RX10 Classic Cross Country Skis

Over 40 years later, and Kästle CEO Clemens Tinzl sees renewed potential in cross-country sports. “Market projections indicate greater growth in the Nordic sector than in the Alpine sector,” explains Tinzl. “For a long time, cross-country was virtually sidelined. But that’s all changed in the last few years. People are much more health conscious and attach great importance to physical fitness. Cross-country skiing fits the bill perfectly.”

Kästle’s launch into the Nordic racing scene has been in the workings for well over a year. With former World Cup athlete Martin Petrasek, and Vit Fousek, who was the ski technician for World Cup Champion Lukáš Bauer for many years, Kästle has recruited two very experienced people into the mix. Then there’s Markus Meister, the freshly crowned German Masters Champion with previous experience working together with Austria Ski Pool. Initially Kästle will concentrate on the ÖSV junior squad in Nordic Combined. They’ve already amassed some experience in ski jumping through Filip Sakala last winter. He secured a 206-metre jump on Kästle jump skis during the World Cup. In the 2018/19 season Kästle also notched up its first World Cup win with the Czech national athlete Sandra Schützová, at the World Championships in Seefeld, Austria.

At Austria Ski Pool, there’s a celebratory mood at Kästle’s comeback too. “With Kästle, an founding member of the Austria Ski Pool, we’ve been able to secure a partner that is passionate and dedicated to outstanding performance. We look forward to working together with the premium Austrian brand and wish them every sporting success”, says Reinhold Zitz, CEO of Austria Ski Pool.

There is no word on whether Kästle race skis will be sold in the United States. Their web site does not currently show any cross country ski products yet.