Cross country ski maker Madshus is to incorporate NFC chips into its 2014/15 Redline and Champion range skis, enabling retailers to select the ideal set of skis for customers more quickly.

The NFC chips will be used to store each ski's unique signature, including its flex profile, target skier weight, optimal waxing properties and camber profile. Retailers will then be able to scan the chips in-store so they can quickly identify the right skis for their customer.

A companion MyMadshus consumer app is also being introduced in autumn 2014, enabling skiers to log each of their ski's unique "DNA" as well as track snow conditions, wax history and recent workout data.

"Individual skis vary in many ways," global brand manager Chris McCullough told NFC World. "Because cross country skis are designed for specific snow conditions and user weights, the overall camber, flex, length and base of a ski varies significantly from one to the next. By making fine adjustments to the ski presses during production, we can target key properties of their final design and so design skis that meet targeted needs in the market.

"The importance of having an internal NFC chip that stores all of the ski's DNA is a huge added value to the retailer. Rather than having to take a pair of skis into a back room to manually use a ski flexer to designate the correct wax pocket for the consumer, the retailer can now scan the ski and get the necessary info in a matter of seconds.

"The next step is then empowering the consumer with this same info through our upcoming MyMadshus app. This will enable them to gain on-the-go info on their skis to make up to the minute wax adjustments as the weather shifts."