Very interesting read – the first source in particular. The description of the Europa 77 is significant (Fiberglass Sandwich, Aluminium Edges, Plastic Base, 5lb/Pair (=2.27kg/Pair). The cross section of this ski (without hollow core) is also shown. This piqued my interest. I had never heard of the Europa 77 before, but it was quite obviously the precursor of the venerable Europa 99.Capercaillie wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2023 1:56 pmThere is a photograph in Morten Lund's 1972 book The Pleasures of Cross-Country Skiing that shows several Fischer Europa model cross-sections with voids:
I had to look further and was surprised to find something direct from the horse’s mouth. The horse, in this case, being Josef Fischer, son and heir of Josef Fischer senior, founder of the factory in Ried, Austria. This is from the Fischer website (bold type to distinguish it from the rest of the post):
1970 is the year in which a very special Fischer success story begins: the ski factory in Ried starts manufacturing cross-country skis – and thus intruding into a Scandinavian domain. The scene is set for Fischer's meteoric rise to the world market leader in Nordic skiing.
"I reckoned it was an easy sport to try out, and a feasible alternative in the lowlands here, too. Kästle and Kneissl had shut production down, which gave us new opportunities. And of course I was able to implement my ideas in this field, too," Josef Fischer recalls. "I was in Scandinavia at that time to inspect various factories. But I saw no signs of development taking place there, which is why I sketched a first idea for a ski during the flight home. That was the 'Europa 77'."
At this point the "Europa 77" is really revolutionary. It consists of a laminated wooden core wrapped in fibreglass elements. The Scandinavians are fabricating all-wooden cross-country skis, which are heavier and break easily. Fischer aims to capture the cross-country ski market with modern technology. In winter 1971 the new ski is put through its first real test: Vienna to Nice, crossing the Alps – the total difference in altitude to be overcome is 85,000 metres. The members of the expedition are looking for a reliable, unbreakable ski for touring and trails. The leader of the expedition, Robert Kittel, (my note: surname misspelt, correct = Kittl) decides in favour of the "Europa 77", which passes the endurance test with flying colours. Fischer uses the experience gained on this expedition to put together the first cross-country collection for the 1971/72 season; it is presented at the ISPO in Munich in 1971.
Being a sceptic by nature, I couldn’t take this “Vienna to Nice, 85,000 altitude metres” business at face value, so I had to poke deeper. What I found was quite astonishing. Four extremely fit, competent and highly-disciplined Austrian young men, supported by a single logistic helper driving a VW van accomplished a journey of epic proportions with prototype skis, flimsy bindings and custom-made, low-cut leather shoes. Just reading the reminiscences of participant Klaus Hoi was enough to scare me shitless – and I’m no beginner to mountain ski-touring, neither alpine nor Nordic.
So there you have it: The Transnordic 66/E99/Europa 99/Europa 77 started its life as a sketch somewhere in the air between Scandinavia and Austria in 1970, took concrete form as some prototypes in the same year, and endured a decidedly brutal baptism of fire in the alps in March/April 1971 before being presented to the market in the 1971/72 winter season. The name and construction techniques/materials have been changed a few times in the intervening 52 years, but it’s still a metal-edged, Nordic-cambered, cross-country ski with a ca. 55mm waist.
This (for me) very interesting journey of historical discovery was kicked off just a few days ago when I stumbled upon a battered old ski catalogue in the cellar.
