The ban on fluoride creams will be very expensive for the Ski Association, which is already in financial difficulties. Ski maintenance has been promised full resources for the entire season.
This season, the complete ban on fluoride creams, which finally came into force in the international operations of both the International Ski Federation FIS and the International Biathlon Union IBU, has produced very special results since the beginning of the season, as the ski maintenance teams get used to the new ways of working. In skiing, fluorine creams, which were completely superior in their properties, were mainly used for about 35 years.
For example, at the World Cup in Trondheim last weekend Iivo Niskanen lost to a different Finnish teammate on both days of cross-country skiing, which is extremely rare. Quartermaster Heikki Tonteri did not hide that there were difficulties.
Ski maintenance coordinator, previously also worked as maintenance manager and head coach Matti Haavisto says that the already high ski maintenance costs will literally explode during this season:
– The transition from fluoride creams to fluoride-free products costs us a lot. Almost 150,000 euros will be added to it during this season. In terms of creams, of course, we started from scratch, when the use of fluoride creams as competition creams ended like a wall. On top of that, the purchase of all new maintenance tools, the purchase of a fluoride detector, a complete cleaning of the maintenance truck, hours of work, and so on.
Even a critical expense
An expense of this size is even critical in the Ski Association’s very difficult financial situation. Recently was reported, that the Ski Federation was not able to reduce the partial payment of its debt inherited from the 2017 World Championships to the city of Lahti as agreed. It had to ask the city government for more payment time and got it.
Haavisto says that he is confident from the point of view of ski maintenance that the season can be carried out with appropriate resources.
– This is how it has been promised that maintenance resources are guaranteed. Maintenance is by no means over-resourced. We operate with this number of skiers at the minimum level if international success is sought. The fur cap version would then be to send a couple of men around the games in a van loaded with skis and make the athletes fully responsible for their skis. It would suddenly show in the results.
Haavisto admits that the Finnish results of the early season haven’t inspired anyone to rush to the market, so to speak, and the coaching management hasn’t ignored the fact that the maintenance has occasionally fumbled with the equipment. Haavisto defends its troops:
– Differences between skis were smoothed out with fluoride creams, but now the importance of choosing the right ski is emphasized to the utmost. For example, in Trondheim on Sunday, Iivo (Niskanen) and Perttu (Nice one) chose the wrong height skis from their nest, so to speak, and admitted it. In the anointing itself, I don’t see us failing, but it’s only part of the whole.
According to Haavisto, maintenance crews are also not surprised with their pants in knots:
– The members of the maintenance team have already tested fluoride-free creams in the spring and summer of 2022 and, of course, last spring as well. This reality has therefore been prepared for, but almost all creams available now were not available then.
A seller’s market
Fluoride creams and especially powders were considered very expensive products, but now we live in a seller’s market with fluorine-free products as well.
– Some of the products cost at least as much as the fluorinated ones. I bet that the product development costs are reflected in the price. In the past, the product development of fluorine-free creams was hardly very intensive, because they were not used in competitions in elite skiing.
The Finnish national team was only able to test some of the now only allowed victories right before the World Cup in November. No team fails to buy expensive novelty products when searching for the philosopher’s stone.
– Nothing new, of course, like getting a pig in a sack. They are purchased in small quantities, and if the product turns out to be a ringing game, so to speak, then a larger quantity is purchased.
In order to speed up the transition to the new normal in cross-country skiing, Haavisto would like only one cream standard for Finnish competitive skiing in the future. Now, for example, in practically all of them in national competitions can use fluoride creams. In the control countries, i.e. Sweden and Norway, the attitude has been different. A national ban is being planned in Finland only for a season 2024-2025.
– It would be good if competitive skiing as a whole moved to a fluoride-free culture as quickly as possible. But in the name of legal protection, it is not possible until the matter can also be monitored credibly and equitably.