New RS:11 Plays Key Role In Operation Donnerschlage
by Rick Halling, Nordic Director for Atomic USA September 11, 2005
“Last year, Atomic Marathon Team skiers spanked the other skiers like the naughty Russian girl spanks a rich German businessman,” beamed Atomic’s International Race Director, Peter Juric. “It was not pretty. But racing is not about pretty, racing is about winning. Our boy Rezac took overall title for World Loppet, Martina Glagow was overall World Champion for Biathlon, we took Gold at World Championships and even in USA Atomic won every men’s and every women’s Nordic event at NCAA National’s. We are in perfect position to pursue what we call Operation Donnerschlage.”
International Race Director, Peter Juric (right) and his faithful assistant Roman.
The plan announced by Juric, Operation Donnerschlage, is a two part strategy by Atomic to bring home more Gold medals and more overall medals than any other ski company at the Torino Olympics. Part one of the strategy is to provide the Atomic athletes with skis that have significant advantages over the competition. “The race skis have new profile and shape, this makes for better flex pattern and ride. The new RS:11’s are super fast, super stable,” declares Juric. “Maybe more important than new design is new BI 5000 base. This new base is not like any base ever used before by anybody. Watch videos of World Loppets or Vasaloppet. You can see Atomic skiers just pull away from other skiers. The better base stands out on the gentle downhills.”
Norway’s best. Members of the Norwegian Ski Team test early versions of the BI 5000 base.
The base described by Juric was introduced in January of 2005. Atomic has exclusive rights to this base for two years and they wish to take unfair advantage of it while they can. The BI 5000 base uses unique petroleum based derivatives along with a glycerin compound. The graphite content of the BI 5000 base is similar to traditional bases. The new base has proven to be superior in glide, durability and wax retention over traditional polyethylene/graphite bases.
2005 World Champion, Martina Glagow
Part two of Operation Donnerschlage is to recruit the top athletes on the Norwegian, German, Swedish, Russian and US ski teams. “We already had Ella Gjoemle and Anders Aukland of Norwegian team on our skis. Their team mates try the skis and they very impressed. Now we have ten of the best Norwegians on Atomic,” claimed Juric. “Roman, our main technician, has been busy boy. We send him up to Sweden with test skis and now we got seven top Swede boys and girls on Atomic. We are very excited about Lina Andersson, she was so fast when she won medals at World Championships. She be fast again at Torino. Roman do the same with German and Russian teams. He get a couple of very fast men and women on the skis and then team mates want Atomic too. And I tell you this too. Few years ago German team was not so fast, now they are about as good as Norway. Same thing is going to happen with US Ski Team. The Americans are going to surprise many people and ski fast real soon. Atomic got the American skiers with the best potential. It is going to be fun when they go to podium.
