Having competed in four Olympic Games as a biathlete, the Slovenian is now embarking on an exciting new career: the 38-year-old, who achieved fourth place in the Olympics, has helped develop new roller skis with brakes for skating.

Many have wanted this feature, as skiing downhill without brakes can be dangerous.

Klemen Bauer is enthusiastic when he talks about his new role at the Slovenian company Proga, which he runs alongside Ivan Andres Arnšek, an opera star in Ljubljana. This unusual partnership is driving the innovation in roller ski technology.

They have patented a new model with a brake that activates when you lift your foot, shifting weight onto the rear wheel where the brake is located. This allows for controlled braking, unlike previous models that placed brakes near the calves, often leading to unwanted stops.

“The first impression after going down a steep hill was unique. I could hardly imagine safely descending several kilometers,” says Klemen Bauer.

Press the heel down and lift the foot

The brakes work by pressing the heel down, lifting the plate under the front part of the foot where the binding sits.

“The mechanism operates on a drum brake principle, where the brake pad presses against the inner, stainless-steel coated wheel. This design provides superior grip and reliability even in wet conditions and works progressively,” says Ivan Andres Arnšek, also a co-owner of the new company.

“This is all new for us. We’re not used to running a business, but we believe in the system,” says Klemen Bauer.

“We showcased the skis at the Vasaloppet this year and immediately received several orders, though we had to cancel these as the skis weren’t fully tested. Now, they’re ready and available on the market.”

You can see how to brake here.

Close to an Olympic Medal

Klemen Bauer is the face of the company and the one who has tested the roller skis and brakes. With a decade of high-level competition and around 400 World Cup starts, he came close to the podium, placing fourth in the sprint event at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, just 3.4 seconds off the bronze medal taken by Jakov Fak for Croatia.

Proga’s co-founder, Ivan Andres Arnšek, also has an interesting background. Born in Argentina, he later moved to Slovenia, becoming a professional opera singer. Always active in sports like cross-country skiing and roller skating, he realized the need for brakes on downhill sections, and his creativity led to the new braking system. Arnšek co-owns the company with Sergej Smrkolj, who has experience with Skitti.

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