Fischer RC4: Crazy Canucks’ Winning Ski
The Crazy Canucks’ Winning Tip? Donuts, What Else?
Ken Read and Steve Podborski were the first Canadians to race on Fischer RC4 skis. The distinctive ‘donut’ hole lowered the mass in the tip so as to reduce vibrations and help the ski maintain its grip on snow and ice.
“While the tips worked, there were problems,” Steve explained. “We’d go off jumps and land so hard that the tip would bend and dig into the snow.” Ouch! Added Steve, “They were better in some ways, worse in others. The reason the company made mistakes was that they were trying so hard. Fischer had a robust testing process. They knew how fast each individual pair of skis was. One pair was better here, not as good there, depending on the humidity, temperature, all kinds of stuff.”
Initially, the Canadians got slower skis that they had to tune and wax themselves. As their fortunes improved, so did their skis. Fischer would later provide a technician and an in-factory advocate, so the Crazy Canucks would have the fastest skis. Said Ken, “No question. Fischer had the best equipment in speed.”