Steady ahead of the track

There is a moment in skiing that never appears on the trail – when the skis are turned upside down and the wax meets the base. A seemingly small moment – with great significance. For Bengt Nordström in Örnsköldsvik, skiing has always been a natural part of life – both privately and in his profession as a physical education teacher. And as all skiers know, waxing takes time, not least when it comes to keeping the skis steady. The bindings catch against the surface, the skis wobble, and an ordinary table is not enough. Often, you have to improvise a solution using whatever happens to be at hand. It works, but it is far from ideal. For Bengt, this sparked a desire to find something more practical.

A new grip on skis

The solution was simple: wooden blocks and anti-slip material. The homemade waxing stands were brought out when it was time to prepare the skis, put away, and taken out again before the next outing. And somewhere along the way, it struck him that they had potential beyond his own skiing – in more contexts and for more people than just himself.

Through a business support centre, the idea received its first real test. The response made it clear that the idea had more potential than he initially thought. In that context, a ski coach noticed the design and became an important part of the continued work – developing, testing and scaling the solution down to something that was easy to carry, easy to use and sufficiently stable without needing to be screwed to either a table or the floor.

The work resulted in two separate supports placed under the skis and held in position without fastening. The core principle was grip rather than fixation – stable enough for waxing, scraping, brushing and structuring. Thanks to high-friction rubber on the underside, the supports remain steady solely through the user’s own applied pressure. A smooth surface is all that is required – no clamps, no screws, and no fold-out legs.

– Waxing tables and ready-made waxing stands are often designed for permanent set-ups and take up space. Foldable versions also tend to become both cumbersome and expensive. For me, it felt natural to think in a different direction.

A foothold in the skiing world

With an initial pilot batch, Bengt brought the solution to sports shops and ski clubs. The response was consistently positive. It was light, portable and took up virtually no space in a kit bag. The solution was also appreciated by elite athletes, including long-distance skier Britta Johansson Norgren.

Over time, the design was adapted for different types of skis – racing skis, touring skis and children’s skis. Alpine skis required a slightly taller version, which therefore became a separate product.

The development journey has spanned eight to ten years. The basic idea was in place early on, while the main challenge lay in finding a viable production method. Materials, form and processes had to work both functionally and economically. The final choice was vacuum-formed rigid plastic, developed in close collaboration with a Swedish manufacturer. The base components are produced externally, while final assembly is carried out by Bengt himself, by hand. Production volumes are modest, but allow for control and close involvement throughout the entire process.

– Proximity to the factory is invaluable. If you order from far away and something goes wrong, you are stuck with it. Here, we can adjust, test and resolve issues immediately.

Simplicity by design

For Bengt, innovation is about creating something that is actually used. He is active in an ideas forum together with other inventors – a setting where experiences are shared, patents and design protection are discussed, and next steps are continually explored. And where the most important reminder is never far away.

– There is no shortage of ideas. The hard part is turning them into something real.

In Bengt’s case, this resulted in a product that is just as easy to carry as it is to use. The portable wax stand require nothing extra, take up minimal space and are there when needed – ahead of a long-distance race, a training session or in situations where a traditional waxing table is simply too large for the setting.

Tips for other innovators

  Develop a prototype to use as a basis for further development.
  Join a local inventors’ association and talk about your idea.
  Show your solution to friends and potential users – and be receptive to feedback.