Last week, Sweden's cross-country skiing head coach Anders Svanebo presented his new organization with four new waxers. Among other things, star waxer Perry Olsson is being replaced, who surprisingly was not offered a new contract after last season.
Several skiers have lost their personal waxers, which for them often means as much as their coach.
Jonna Sundling describes her relationship with Perry Olsson:
He has been a very important piece of the puzzle and helped me on the track in a way that no one else has done before.
Building a relationship
Jonna Sundling tells us that she was disappointed when Olsson quit. Now she is starting her collaboration with her new waxer, Karl Edenroth.
We'll meet in two weeks in Torsby to test skis, check the ski park, check my technique, see how we'll wax and how he'll put on the bindings. I've landed in feeling safe with it, says Sundling.
Frida Karlsson and Linn Svahn will get their third waxer in three years after Mats Eklund and Larry Poromaa. Now Mattias Berglund will wax their skis.
Svahn says it's an adjustment:
It's always tough when waxers quit, especially when it's my third waxer in three years. It's tough to switch and get in sync with each other.
Opening up
How do you move forward in that work?
It's not like someone has died. You have to have that perspective. But you're very close with your waxer, says Svahn and acknowledges that much will depend on her own efforts to make the collaboration with the new waxer work:
What I can influence is to open up and give the part I need for us to get a good relationship and good collaboration. I'm very confident that it will be good.
Linn Svahn emphasizes that the new waxing organization faces challenges:
There's a lot of new things for them with the fluoride-free and it's new for us that it can swing a lot. It's about being sharp and being able to make some bold decisions sometimes. I've tried to be pretty cool and go with the flow.
