Celebrating a Cushion’s Anniversary
For 25 years, the Streif and the finish area on the Ganslern have been protected by air fences. Some of this inflatable safety matting is transported directly from Kitzbühel via Lake Ossiach to MotoGP races worldwide.
“An Italian-made inflatable safety buffer was used for the first time ever on a World Cup racecourse at the Mausefalle section,” notes page 219 of the Hahnenkamm reference work Chronicle of a Myth. This premiere took place 25 years ago, and since then, the air cushions have become as much a fixture on the Streif as they are on many other racecourses. The safety cushions, now known as air fences, were inflated and installed at the Mausefalle on Monday, with the Lärchenschuss following on Tuesday. This year, a total of 180 air cushions are in place along the Downhill and Super-G courses as well as in the finish area on the Ganslernhang – for example, in the Steilhang, on the Hausberg, at the finish of the speed races and at virtually every TV tower.
These days, the air fences no longer come from Italy but from Steindorf am Ossiacher See. “We’ve been part of the Kitzbühel setup for over 20 years,” says Philipp Hopfgartner, Managing Director of Alpina, who always lends a hand himself during installation work on the Streif. Depending on size, an air fence can weigh up to 140 kilograms. In Kitzbühel, the 50, 70, 120 and 140 kg versions are used. After the races, the cushions don’t stay on the Hahnenkamm. “We take them all back to Steindorf am Ossiacher See for servicing. Then it’s straight on to the next ‘construction site’,” Hopfgartner explains. It’s not uncommon, then, for mats that were protecting skiers on the Streif one week to be deployed at a MotoGP race shortly afterwards. “We were recently at a Red Bull stunt event in Brazil – but we work worldwide, including at the Olympic Games.”
At best, an air fence can remain in service on the Streif for five to seven years. Made from flame-retardant PVC – a requirement drawn from motorsport – each unit comprises several air chambers. Inflation takes no more than ten minutes.
When an air fence is used, it acts much like an airbag for a fallen athlete. Each cushion has a front and rear chamber, with four spacers and air in between. On impact, the air fence yields significantly, gently absorbing kinetic energy and slowing the athlete in a controlled manner. As with all safety padding, however, one thing remains true: nobody really wants to put them to the test.
Photo © K.S.C./alpinguin
