CROSS-COUNTRY SKIS, WITH CHIPS AND APP
Madshus eMpower XC, www.madshus.com
For years, many people thought of the cross-country skier as either a solitary tree hugger out in the woods, icicles hanging from a frozen beard, or perhaps as a perfect human specimen struggling across the finish line of a long race in Finland and promptly vomiting onto the snow.
While those images may endure, the sport has experienced a renaissance of sorts among millions of health-conscious Americans. Now it's entering the digital age, particularly with the Madshus eMpower XC series of smart skis.
Madshus has mostly eliminated the guesswork about which ski to buy, using a microchip embedded in each ski. An optimum experience for the skier depends on skis with the correct flexibility, length and stiffness.
At the factory, a radio-frequency identification chip with near-field communication, or NFC, capability is inserted in the skis. Then, when the skis are delivered to retail outlets, sales personnel and customers can build a profile using an Acer tablet and custom software.
The software calls for entering the skier's height and weight, and level of ability, ski style (classical or skate) and experience. Customers are immediately pointed to a selection of skis in store inventory that fit the profile.
The free Madshus smartphone app, on iOS or Android, offers additional resources. Skiers enter their personal details into the app and pair it with their skis. Before they hit the trails, they can also enter information about the weather and snow conditions. The app then recommends the best wax and the optimum places on the ski to apply it.
During time on the trails, the app will catalog a skier's performance. After a day on the trails, the app allows that information to be shared across social media.
For now, the eMpower technology is available only on 10 classical and skate skis in the Madshus Redline ($760), Nanosonic ($655) and Hypersonic ($475) lines.
