“I had an insight when I was out training fifteen years ago. I took up the idea again about a year ago, and now the pole with the completely innovative handle is finally out for sale,” says Östberg about the new pole called Modd.

Mikael Östberg was among the world’s best cross-country skiing sprinters for many years. In 2002, he won the World Cup competition in Linz, Austria, and raced in the World Championships and the Olympics for Sweden. His best result was a 9th place at the World Championships in Val di Fiemme 2003.

Already during his active time, Östberg experimented by developing equipment. During the Olympics in Italy in 2006, he skied the sprint with a binding built in the same way as the one on which speed skating is based.

Before the upcoming ski season, Östberg’s new competition pole makes its “debut” on the market.

“The background comes from a training I did fifteen years ago. Then, I had an insight that you would get a higher ratio in the pole grip if you attach your hand to a plastic rail with a hinge on the pole. I made a prototype, and on the double poling intervals I used to run, I reduced my time by five seconds on the three-minute intervals. I stopped being active in 2011 but have been figuring this out since then, and during last year, I have been working on developing a completely new pole,” says Östberg to Langd.se.

What is the idea behind the new pole?

“Because the hand is attached to a rail in a hinge on the pole’s handle, the shift becomes at least five centimeters longer per stroke. This means you get an additional five centimeters to “push away” the pole, which is an advantage above all on flat terrain or easy downhills. But this can be used in all parts of skiing, and both classic and skating.”

What are the benefits of this technology?

“The pole grip is longer, which means you “have time” to pole more on flat or easy-to-ski terrain. Then, the pole is lighter than all other poles on the market. The weight is approximately 30 percent lighter than all other competition poles. And weight is a factor; you must carry the poles for up to 90km if you race Vasaloppet, for example.”

What are the challenges of breaking into the pole market as a new player with a new product?

“It has been a challenge to get elite skiers to test, as they did not want to get used to a new product because it is not available on the market. Then it is, for me, just like for everyone else when it comes to poles, the durability. You want a stiff pole that can stand a hit. But if you get a certain type of hit from the side, “all” poles break, so it’s about finding the right level. A pole as light as possible, but which also maintains the stiffness and durability you are looking for,” says developer Östberg.

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