ZAKOPANE - When Peter Riedel described his job in the last few years, the word "ski jumping in-run-track developer" was mostly used. Such a word is not only difficult to understand, but is as of now a thing of the past. The Peter Riedel GmbH has gradually expanded its product portfolio over the past few years. Whenever the team installed a in-run track somewhere in the world or supervised the hill during a competition, customers and organizers approached the company with problems or challenges. Like that, over the years, the specialists for in-run track have become a specialist for complete solutions. The first completely self-upgraded ski jumping hill now stands in Zakopane, Poland, and was highly praised as a “modern system and excellent solution” in the inspection report of the FIS World Ski Federation at the beginning of December.
Zakopane with personal handwriting
Just after the inspection, the successful Polish team was able to complete first test jumps on Tuesday, headed by coach Stefan Horngacher. The former Austrian ski jumper is in Zakopane with the A and B team and was impressed by the quality of the new tracks. The next test will take place on the 26th of December, when the best jumpers in the country compete under the Polish Championships.
In Zakopane, Peter Riedel GmbH was entrusted with the entire design planning since the individual components had to be adapted to the new rules of the FIS. In addition to the start-up track, Peter Riedel GmbH found individual solutions for the side panel, the gate system with two-sided stairs or the banding system. "In addition, cost optimization was very important for this project. By working together, architects, woodworkers and us as an engineering company, were able to offer first-class conditions. What would have resulted in far higher costs in a single allocation, as common in Germany, was achieved in Zakopane with only two specialists in a unique cooperation between us and a Polish company”, says Peter Riedel. "While the Polish have optimized their costs, we are particularly proud of the fact that this individual planning has resulted in a personal handwriting. I see myself not only as an engineer, but it is important to create a certain individual appearance for the clients”, says Riedel.
Listen and find solutions
As early as 2015, the company began to offer complete solutions for ski jumps. Next to the production of in-run track systems the offer included design planning as well as the provision of all required components or the support of events. What began in Kandersteg with the installation of the side panels and bands, meanwhile widened to the provision of ice milling, winches, substructures or side covers (as installed for the first time in Oberwiesenthal). Starting bar systems or platforms for the suit and equipment control are further components, which become more and more important for ski jumps and are covered by the team from Raschau in the Iron Mountains.
"In everything we do, the most important thing is to maintain our functionality, availability and professionalism, and not grow too quickly. We do not have to do everything, come hell or high water! The current status was achieved cautiously and naturally because we listened to what athletes, associations and organizers needed and developed solutions for those needs”, Peter Riedel explains.
