90 years since the launch of the Rimfors ski pole

By Fabian RimforsPole talk
On page seven of the newspaper Östersunds-Posten on December 28, 1934, the Rimfors ski pole was launched as “the winter’s novelty in skiing”.

Today marks exactly 90 years since my great-grandfather’s ski poles were launched in the newspaper Östersunds-Posten. The headline of the ad read, “Rimfors Poles—with elastic rubber and aluminum baskets is the winter’s novelty in skiing.” Less than two weeks earlier, he and his business partner Verner Englund had been granted a patent for a clever way to attach the basket ring to the pole.

A year prior, they had received their first pole patent approved; to use rubber bands instead of leather to attach the basket to the pole. Attaching the basket with rubber was revolutionary. Not only does the elastic rubber flex and provide a lighter basket, but it also does not absorb water like leather does. A heavy, wet leather basket dangling while you are double poling or skiing downhill is far from optimal.

Olle Rimfors’ and Verner Englund’s patent on how to mount ski pole baskets on ski poles.
Here, the illustrations from Olle Rimfors’ and Verner Englund’s patents show how to attach the baskets to a pair of ski poles. Both patents use elastic rubber band for a light and flexible basket and smooth skiing.
A ski exhibition showcasing various brands of skis, ski poles, ski waxes, ski bindings, backpacks, and Olle Rimfors’ waxing chart.
At the ski exhibition in Hällås, which was likely held in connection with the 1934 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Sollefteå, several of Olle Rimfors’ products were represented: Rimfors’ waxing chart, Rimfors ski wax, Rimfors ski binding, and of course, the Rimfors poles. In addition to these, my great-grandfather Olle also had invented the Rimfors pulk (also manufactured by Englund & Kjelsson). The Captain Rimfors’ slalom ski was not launched until the winter of 1934/1935. At this time the Rimfors poles cost 8 Swedish kroner. Click to enlarge!

Experiences from the world championships and Sweden’s first alpine ski pole

I have not been able to find exactly when the Rimfors ski pole was born. The first trace of the pole is the patent for the elastic rubber attachment from 1933. The next trace is from an exhibition in Hällås in 1934, likely in connection with the FIS World Ski Championships that Sweden hosted in Sollefteå. However, my great-grandfather was not there, as the Swedish Ski Association had not yet accepted slalom and downhill as ski disciplines. Instead, great-grandfather Olle was in St. Moritz, which, under the Swedish flag, hosted the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships where Olle competed in slalom, downhill, and combination. It was during this trip to the Alps that Olle Rimfors realized that alpine ski poles must be shorter than poles for cross-country skiing.

At the exhibition in Hällås, Rimfors poles cost 8 Swedish kronor per pair. In today’s currency, that amounts to just over 320 Swedish kronor. That wouldn’t even cover the materials I need to build poles today. I have no idea what AB Englund & Kjelsson, who manufactured the Rimfors pole in Östersund, paid for materials at that time, nor how many years they produced the Rimfors poles. What I do know, however, is that the Rimfors pole, with its innovative patents and alpine adaptation, became Sweden’s first ski pole specifically made for alpine skiing.

Five years with the new generation of Rimfors poles

It has now also been exactly five years since I made my first poles, the new generation of Rimfors poles. It started as Christmas gifts for my family and has now grown into a hobby that enriches my spare time with a bit of alpine charm. During these five years, I have developed materials and made several new friends, not least a bamboo grower, pole component manufacturers, and pole-building colleagues around the world. I have helped countless passionate skiers make their own poles, some of whom have started their own production. To assist as many as possible, I published DIY instructions on how to build alpine ski poles yourself.

When the Vasaloppet celebrated its 100th anniversary, nearly half of the participants reached out regarding old-fashioned bamboo ski poles. Some were old friends, some were former world champions and Olympic medalists, while others were “just” passionate skiers. Fortunately, the number of participants was significantly limited. Nevertheless, it was still impossible to manufacture poles for everyone who contacted me. So once again, I created do-it-yourself instructions for all those I didn’t have time to make poles for.

Winter is my source of inspiration

The past year has been the warmest ever recorded on our planet. Winters are undeniably getting warmer, and our beloved snow has fewer below freezing degrees to thrive in. So, while I find it stimulating to have a craft as a hobby, the most important driving force comes from protecting our winters. We need to think about sustainably in everything we do and share our knowledge. It is crucial that products are not only made in an eco-friendly and climate-smart way but also that they can be repaired. Bamboo ski poles are perfect for this. Just think about what American folk singer and activist Pete Seeger sang back in 1989!

“If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production.”

Don’t forget to renew your membership in Protect Our Winters!

Happy new year!
Fabian Rimfors

Patent descriptions for the Rimfors ski pole

The skier Anders Södergren, wearing a white old-fashioned ski outfit, crosses the finish line in second place in Jubileumsvasan 2022 while being cheered on by a large crowd surrounding the track towards the finish.
The cross-country ski champion and Olympic gold medalist Anders Södergren crosses the finish line in second place in Jubileumsvasan 2022, after double poling 90 kilometers with my newly made Rimfors poles, made as replicas of traditional 1930s ski poles. Photo: Vasaloppet
Alpine slalom skier Frida Hansdotter dressed in an old-fashioned ski outfit and ski gear, using Olle Rimfors bamboo ski poles, his slalom skis, leather ski boots and Olympic bib.
Before the 2014 Winter Olympics, the newspaper Aftonbladet borrowed my great-grandfather’s ski equipment to photograph slalom skier Frida Hansdotter with old-fashioned gear, including Rimfors ski poles. However, she secured the Olympic gold medal four years later. Photo: Aftonbladet
Old ski poles made of Tonkin bamboo with leather handles and baskets consisting of aluminum rings and leather straps.
When I cleared out my great-grandfather’s estate after he passed away in 1994, I managed to salvage some old equipment, including these Rimfors poles that Olle himself had kept. However, they are not the model with the spring-loaded rubber basket.
Ski pole handles made of brown leather with a strap featuring the text “Rimfors modell” embossed in the leather.
On the original Rimfors poles from the 1930s, the text “Rimfors modell” was embossed on the leather strap. Today, the text is barely visible. I recreated that on the cross-country poles I made for the skiers competing in the anniversary version of Vasaloppet.
Swedish ski magazine Åka Skidor's gear guide for ski poles, with Rimfors, Kang, BCA, Salomon and Black Diamond. All but Rimfors are telescopic poles.
Twice have the Rimfors poles been featured in the Swedish ski magazine Åka Skidor’s gear guide, most recently was before this winter. Cool to be among the industry giants.