You can achieve great things if you really set your mind to it. A piece of wood and a few screws are not enough here. It takes more than that. To be precise: 19,000 screws, 10.5 cubic metres of wood and 96 textured coated boards – so much material was necessary to help the two triathlon superstars, Jan Frodeno and Lionel Sanders, focus on their new cycling personal bests.
When two elite athletes go head-to-head, there's no room for error from another two pros: Schneestern and Festool. Here, they are not just a well-coordinated team, they are real doers in their trade. They know exactly what is required. For Schneestern, from Durach in Oberallgäu, can look back on many years of experience in the construction of sports facilities. City Big Air events for freestyle winter sports enthusiasts or jumps and ramps for bikers and skaters are included here, along with the "Canyon Turn" now in the Tri-Battle Royale, which offered a spectacular setting for the duel between the sports superstars.
Immensely sturdy
Professional workmanship for top athletes
Two triathlon superstars, Schneestern, the specialist in action sports, and Festool – this combo is on fire and designed to win: Cycling around the "Canyon Turn" during the Tri-Battle Royale in the Allgäu, Jan Frodeno and Lionel Sanders were competing not only against the clock, but with the support of professional tradespeople and the right tool, the Festool SYS-PowerStation, they were also aiming to smash the previous cycling record in a long-distance triathlon.
For the new world record attempt between the German Frodeno and Canadian Sanders, the best materials were essential and an entire main road had to be closed. The record attempt took place on the B19, or rather above it on the steep banked curve.
There was plenty to do before the elite athletes could meet. Six weeks before the planned event, the cycling supplier for the two triathletes contacted Schneestern and revealed its plans. Dirk Scheumann, CEO of the action sports specialists, was all for the idea and keen to get started.
"How are we going to construct this?", recalls Julian Gessenauer, Project Manager at Schneestern, at the start of the project. What are the important details and which materials will we need? Question after question, which quickly needed answers as the deadline was fast approaching.
"How are we going to construct this?", recalls Julian Gessenauer, Project Manager at Schneestern, at the start of the project. What are the important details and which materials will we need? Question after question, which quickly needed answers as the deadline was fast approaching.
Not long after the initial deliberations, sketches and plans, there was a prototype in the courtyard of the Allgäu company. "And we tested on this first", explains Gessenauer. However, it quickly became clear that we needed wooden beams to form the substructure and textured coated boards to create the running surface, as these are weatherproof and provide the necessary stability.
The final version of the "Canyon Turn" delivered just what the prototype had promised: 75 metres long, 4.5 metres high and 300 hours of construction time made it an impressive structure which should lead the two athletes to success in the summer.
"It was huge, just immense", says Julian Gessenauer too, still impressed. Construction of the steep banked curve on the approach to the closed main road presented a particular challenge. After all, it took three whole days to erect the giant wooden structure.
Although considerably quicker to dismantle and all done by the end of the same day, the components for the event were transported to site already pre-assembled and then put together there in a building block system. One thing was crucial: Everything had to sit in exactly the right place. Nothing was allowed to wobble, nothing was allowed to shift.
"It was huge, just immense", says Julian Gessenauer too, still impressed. Construction of the steep banked curve on the approach to the closed main road presented a particular challenge. After all, it took three whole days to erect the giant wooden structure.
Although considerably quicker to dismantle and all done by the end of the same day, the components for the event were transported to site already pre-assembled and then put together there in a building block system. One thing was crucial: Everything had to sit in exactly the right place. Nothing was allowed to wobble, nothing was allowed to shift.
"The right material and the right tool – that's what it's all about"
Marco Rues, Marketing Team Lead at Schneestern
What helped the thoroughbred craftsmen: The right tool! Cordless circular saws and cordless screwdrivers from Festool were just what was needed. The Festool SYS-PowerStation gave them another unparalleled advantage. Where there are no sockets and no power but a whole lot of juice is needed, this is the perfect addition with 3680 watts continuous power, up to 11,000 watts short-term power as well as the 1500 watt-hours.
Gessenauer explains how well it worked: "We used a normal circular saw for a whole day with the SYS-PowerStation. It was the perfect tool for the job. It was enough to complete our work." And although the Festool cordless tool was also available on the construction site, "the SYS-PowerStation was just what we needed".
Gessenauer explains how well it worked: "We used a normal circular saw for a whole day with the SYS-PowerStation. It was the perfect tool for the job. It was enough to complete our work." And although the Festool cordless tool was also available on the construction site, "the SYS-PowerStation was just what we needed".
As the Tri-Battle Royale in the Allgäu involved work by one pro for another, the event was a very positive experience for all participants and all visitors. "It's still very much a hot topic of conversation", says Marco Rues from Schneestern. It is clear that the company is well-known throughout the region. The steep face was topic of conversation even on major German sports channels, despite the fact that this project was something completely different to the accomplishments of the professional tradespeople to date.
"The right material and the right tool – that's what it's all about", continues Rues. For mobility and the time factor play a crucial role. And let's not forget the passion that the action sportsmen bring to each and every project. Unusual projects can be great fun. It might take a bit of getting used to at first, but each project is always dealt with with the same professionalism.
The fact that the "Canyon Turn" was built in the Allgäu, however, had good reason. The steep face which saw Frodeno and Sanders thunder past four times was in fact constructed by Schneestern elsewhere, but the Allgäu has gained an excellent reputation in the triathlon scene. While the athletes swam 3.8 kilometres in the Großer Alpsee lake near Immenstadt, then covered 180 kilometres on their bikes and lastly ran a distance of 42.2 kilometres, the landscape is almost made for the challenge and provides exactly the right terrain for top athletes.
"The right material and the right tool – that's what it's all about", continues Rues. For mobility and the time factor play a crucial role. And let's not forget the passion that the action sportsmen bring to each and every project. Unusual projects can be great fun. It might take a bit of getting used to at first, but each project is always dealt with with the same professionalism.
The fact that the "Canyon Turn" was built in the Allgäu, however, had good reason. The steep face which saw Frodeno and Sanders thunder past four times was in fact constructed by Schneestern elsewhere, but the Allgäu has gained an excellent reputation in the triathlon scene. While the athletes swam 3.8 kilometres in the Großer Alpsee lake near Immenstadt, then covered 180 kilometres on their bikes and lastly ran a distance of 42.2 kilometres, the landscape is almost made for the challenge and provides exactly the right terrain for top athletes.
Plus: The fastest time on a bike during a long-distance triathlon was smashed in the Tri-Battle Royale by Jan Frodeno: He took 3 hours, 55 minutes and 22 seconds to complete the 180 kilometres and even significantly beat his own world record time for the triathlon over the Ironman distance. And although the weather during the event was far from optimal thanks to all that rain, at the end it was also the "Canyon Turn" that played a huge part in the result too.
More...
…about Jan Frodeno: The 40-year old German triathlete has won the Ironman in Hawaii three times, is the reigning triathlon world champion and holds the triathlon world record. Frodeno is also the only triathlete to have won the Ironman and the Olympic gold (2008 in Peking). Besides that, Frodeno inspires other athletes and helps them accomplish their goals.
…about Lionel Sanders: The 33-year old Canadian came to triathlon a little later than most. What sparked his interest: His less than healthy lifestyle during his time at university. He decided then to turn his life around and has since won multiple Ironman events and the "ITU (International Triathlon Union) Long Distance World Championships".
…about Schneestern: Schneestern GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1999 by the former professional freeskier, skilled carpenter and civil engineer Dirk Scheumann. The first snow parks were built in the vicinity of the office in Durach. Within a very short time, the company from the Oberallgäu evolved into a globally sought-after partner and specialists for pump tracks, skate and snow parks. In addition to countless successful projects, a contract for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang 2018 was a further highlight. Schneestern employs more than 100 staff. Almost half work at the headquarters in Durach. The rest are constantly on the move, often overcoming challenges under extreme conditions.
…about Lionel Sanders: The 33-year old Canadian came to triathlon a little later than most. What sparked his interest: His less than healthy lifestyle during his time at university. He decided then to turn his life around and has since won multiple Ironman events and the "ITU (International Triathlon Union) Long Distance World Championships".
…about Schneestern: Schneestern GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1999 by the former professional freeskier, skilled carpenter and civil engineer Dirk Scheumann. The first snow parks were built in the vicinity of the office in Durach. Within a very short time, the company from the Oberallgäu evolved into a globally sought-after partner and specialists for pump tracks, skate and snow parks. In addition to countless successful projects, a contract for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang 2018 was a further highlight. Schneestern employs more than 100 staff. Almost half work at the headquarters in Durach. The rest are constantly on the move, often overcoming challenges under extreme conditions.
