Salomon: Products by Athletes, for Athletes

Kilian Jornet, born on October 27, 1987 in Sabadell (Spain), now lives in Norway with Swedish ultrarunner Emelie Forsberg. When he isn’t setting records for speed ascents, among them on the Matterhorn, Montblanc, and Denali (Mount McKinley), he runs races in various disciplines with immense success.

In an interview, he explains how it felt to overcome Mount Everest without artificial oxygen in a record time of just 26 hours, and what challenges he had to fight. 

When Kilian Jornet ascended the summit of the tallest mountain in the world twice within one week in 2017, his first attempt to reach the summit from basecamp ran into trouble. Everything ran like clockwork up until 7,600 meters, when Kilian was confronted with incipient stomach pain. He continued on his way, always keeping his eye on the weather conditions.

At 8,000 meters, it became clear to Kilian that he was having serious stomach problems. Now he had to balance the pros and cons. Should he cancel the ascent, or could he defy his body and still make it to his goal? Since he couldn’t sense any other physical issues, he decided to keep going unless it actually became too dangerous. His intuition evidently helped him along here.

But Kilian’s team, who waited unknowing for hour upon hour in basecamp , was incredibly worried, as there was no reliable method of communication. It was an immense test for everybody involved to wait for 20 hours without hearing anything from Kilian. For the athlete, on the other hand, the special challenge was being completely on his own and to having to make lonely decisions.

Moving at an altitude of 8,000 meters is an ongoing, maximum load that requires excellent fitness. Up high everything goes a little slower, each movement costs more power. And it’s difficult to make rational decisions at that altitude. But that’s exactly what Kilian had been training for months to do, and he finally made it to the top – the reward for a lot of exertion.

“From here on out, it’s all just downhill!” even if this is another distance not to be underestimated, where a lot can still happen Experiencing a sunset at 8,700 meters and knowing that he would have these mountains to himself all night long is a feeling that Kilian Jornet will probably remember for a lifetime.

Salomon has been a sponsorship partner with Kilian Jornet for a good 16 years now, and he only just recently extended the partnership. For him, the partnership is no ordinary one: It’s much more like a family that’s been by his side for years.

Kilian has gotten to know the philosophy and the people behind Salomon, and is happy to know he has the whole Salomon family behind him. He’s also involved in the development process of new Salomon products, and repeatedly encourages the development teams to throw old ways of thinking overboard and think three times around the corner: for example, when it comes to developing a completely new type of shoe.

Kilian himself works on prototypes, testing out various materials and cuts, to create the perfect shoes for his requirements. One example of this is the “S/LAB Sense 6.”

 The goal was to model a shoe to specially perform on fast running passages. Kilian wore the prototype on the Western States Endurance Run, and just a short time after that it became a highly popular running shoe in the Salomon product range.

In addition to an international team of renowned athletes, Salomon also supports several promising young German talents. For example:

Date of birth: March 21, 1997
Place of birth: Duderstadt
Residence: Hannover/Duderstadt
Sport(s): Tennis, soccer, and water jogging (if I can’t run)
My greatest achievement: Several-time national/North German champion, German Road Race Cup winner in 2014 and 2015, four Top 10 places, German Annual Best List
What drives me: Passion, great ambition, will, and that incredible feeling after a successful run/competition
Favorite track: 20 km+

Date of birth: July 4, 1997
Place of birth: Berchtesgaden
Residence: Bischofswiesen
Sport(s): Ski mountaineering, running, cycling, climbing
Website: www.stefan-knopf.de
My greatest achievement: Vice world champion in Vertical Junior Ski Mountaineering, 3rd place Limone Skyrace
What drives me: The solitude in nature and the mountains
Favorite track: Untersberg

Date of birth: February 19, 1996
Place of birth: Heilbronn
Residence: Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Sport(s):  Ski mountaineering, running, cycling
My greatest achievement: European champion in Juniors Mountain Run 2013, 1st place in Rennsteiglauf Supermarathon 2017 
What drives me: The love of nature and the feeling of freedom when I run
Favorite track: Don’t have one, because I love every trail over hedge and ditch

Opening the race of new products is the highlight of the summer 2018 trail running collection, namely the “Sense Ride” running shoe, which has received the best feedback from athletes and testers. The shoe’s ample cushioning makes it ideal for long units through the toughest terrain. Those who run from obstacle to obstacle through the urban jungle of the big city will have to stow their smartphone, car keys, and other odd and ends as securely as possible.

The newly designed, lightweight “Agile 2” backpack is perfect for fast-paced units through the city. Thanks to its modern “powermesh” pocket, it also has space for a drinking system.

The lightweight Trail Runner Twinskin Shorts were developed for runners for whom comfort is paramount. Full freedom of movement through first-class fit and its breathable inner lining ensures optimum ventilation on warm days. The Twinskin® construction developed by Salomon prevents chafing while running. Comfort and maximum performance were the specifications for the new collection.

If you want to experience Salomon up close, it’s best to register directly here for one of the popular workshop dates taking place all over Germany. Salomon was able to get 2,932 runners excited about runs off the asphalt with a total of 173 workshops all over Germany last year.

This year, too, four workshops are once again being planned at a total of 22 hotspots. These workshops are meant to show the beauty and accessibility of trail running. Trail running can take place just outside your own doorstep, and thus fits perfectly into the trend of micro-adventures, the adventures that you can still experience after work.

Participants learn the techniques of tail running and learn more about the necessary equipment. In the varied terrain, you can test the latest footwear model Sense Ride, as well as running backpacks and belts on different routes ranging between 5 and 15 kilometers.

Exclusive contest for ISPO.com readers!

Get yourself a pair of SALOMON XA Elevate trail running shoes now.

We are raffling a women’s and a men’s model! This elite shoe will improve your trail running performance and give you the perfect companion, even for demanding trails!

Just join in and win!

Simply register by September 15 at https://salomon.win-in-sports.com/trailrunning-gewinnspiel/

And you’re already there!