At Schneestern in Durach, Germany, everything is about action sports – from absolute beginners to the other end of the extreme. As spectacular as the pump tracks and skate and snow parks are, the tools of the trade have to be just as sophisticated. Therefore, Festool cordless tools are always to hand in the workshop, out on the mountain or on any other construction site.
Schneestern has a knack for giving a thrill. Everything that the Durach-based company does delivers a kick and an adrenaline rush. The specialities of the company from the Allgäu region of Bavaria are pump tracks and skate and snow parks. "Faster, higher, further" is therefore not an empty promise – action sports are ingrained in the DNA of Schneestern, which produces action sports for everyone: From absolute beginners to top athletes. The specialists take on everything themselves, since the construction sites are often located high up on the mountain or deep in the forest. Infrastructure? – no chance! But if there is no electricity socket nearby, or if even the longest extension lead can't help, you can – and must – rely on cordless tools. Dirk Scheumann, founder and Managing Director of Schneestern knows that this is something to be appreciated: "The enormous progress in the development of cordless tools over the past years is and has been extremely valuable for us."
Nonetheless, a penchant for thrills alone is not enough. Anyone building Schneestern ramps, jumps and obstacles for skaters, wakeboarders and bikers most importantly must have craftsmanship in the blood and know what they are doing. Before the action kicks off, quality and safety in particular are the top priority. In a freestyling world, no one is allowed margin for error – not in terms of engineering, the craftsmanship and the sport.
Wherever you work with wood, there are also bound to be chips
Schneestern was founded in 1999. Since then, every day has been different and every project is unique in itself. But wherever you work with wood, there are also bound to be chips. For the Allgäu action sport specialists, Festool tools are responsible there. The HK 85 EB circular saw, the OF 1010 router and the OF 1400 EBQ Plus router are in constant use. No one at Schneestern wants to – or even could – do without them. Production manager Max Rieder says: "We use the circular saws everywhere – on assembly sites and in workshops. It provides universal options when it comes to application possibilities." What's more, the routers are versatile. "For round edges, grooves and rebates. We use them almost every day and they are one of our most important tools."
All projects are planned and prepared in Durach. Small components are built in the factory hall, while the larger project elements are executed on site. Incidentally, trained carpenter and construction technician Dirk Scheumann would have liked to have seen facilities like the ones Schneestern constructs during his time as a professional freeskier. "Back then, there weren't any sophisticated snow parks," he explains. So he set out to design and build the first local snow park in the region. "That got the snowball rolling, so to speak." As well as providing kicks for adrenaline junkies, Schneestern has customers which increasingly include municipalities. For them, the Allgäu company builds facilities for children, young people and all recreational skaters – and here, the priority is for action sports to be fun and safe. "We've been applying our expertise for 20 years for that purpose – that's why we go to the office, the workshop, the mountain or the construction site every day," explains Dirk Scheumann.
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