Peter Riedel GmbH becomes a complete hill outfitter

ZAKOPANE – When Peter Riedel described his job in recent years, the word “ski jumping hill start track builder” often came up. Such a monstrous word is not only hard to understand, but has now even become a thing of the past: Peter Riedel GmbH has gradually expanded its product portfolio in recent years. Whenever the team installed a start track worldwide or supervised during a competition, clients and organizers approached the company with problems or challenges. Thus, over the years, the specialist for start tracks became a specialist for complete hill solutions. The first completely retrofitted hill is now in Zakopane, Poland and was praised in early December as “a modern system and an excellent solution” in the inspection report of the Skiing World Association FIS.

Zakopane with an individual signature

Promptly after the inspection, today Tuesday the one-on-one training with the successful Polish team under coach Stefan Horngacher can take place. The former Austrian ski jumper is on-site with the A- and B-team and looks forward to the quality of the new hills. The next test will be on the second Christmas holiday when at the Polish Championships the country’s best jumpers compete for places.

In Zakopane, Peter Riedel GmbH was responsible for the entire construction planning, as the individual components had to be adapted to the new FIS rules. In addition to the start track, Peter Riedel GmbH installed, among other things, custom side cladding solutions, the gate system with dual stairs, or the belt system. “Additionally, cost optimization was important for this project. By having architects, truss designers and us as the contractor work together as a unit, we could offer first-class conditions. What would have led to much higher costs in a German-type single award could be accomplished in Zakopane in a cooperation between us and a Polish company with only two specialists,” says Peter Riedel. “While the Poles thereby optimized their costs, we are particularly proud that this individual planning created a distinct signature. I see myself not only as an engineer, but it is important to create a certain appearance for the clients,” says Peter Riedel.

Listening and finding solutions

Already in 2015, the company began offering complete hill solutions alongside the production of start track systems – from design planning to providing all necessary components to event support. What began in Kandersteg with cladding and fencing has since expanded, among other things, to providing ice mills, rollers, substructures or side coverings (first installed in Oberwiesenthal). Starter track systems or platforms for the fastening and gear control are further components that are becoming increasingly important in hill equipment and are covered by the team in the Ore Mountains, from Raschau.

“In everything we do, it is most important to us to preserve our functionality, availability and professionalism and not to grow too quickly. We do not need to do everything at any cost! The current status was reached cautiously and naturally because we listened to what athletes, associations and organizers needed and developed solutions for it,” says Peter Riedel.