9. Rodina Slonkova a výroba lyží na Novoměstsku
THE SLONEK FAMILY AND SKI PRODUCTION IN THE NOVOMĚSTSKO REGION
A key factor of the development of skiing at Novoměstsko was the availability of a high-quality sports equipment. In the past you could buy imported Scandinavian products since the 19th century. However, it was expensive, and most ski enthusiasts could not afford it. Nevertheless, skilled local joiners and wheelwrights were able to make faithful copies based on the imported originals The production was limited by a shortage of quality wood, so the first ski enthusiasts made their skit at home, these were called “dužky”, because they were made from stave, with a strap to hold the foot.
The joiner Adolf Slonek stood out among the other first ski producers. He had a joiner’s shop at Rokytno. At the request of the publican Koska, he made the first replica of imported skis based on the original borrowed from Rudolf Gabessam of Rokytno. Adolf Slonek was a renowned maker and repairman of water wheels and gears. After the issue of the Patent of Toleration he helped make and add new pews in the new evangelical church in Nové Město na Moravě. The pews, without having to undergo any technological repairs, are still used today. Among other things, he also made the water wheels for the Ráček mill in Nové Město and for the Tichý mill in Vříšť.
By then Adolf Slonek’s workshop in Rokytno could not satisfy the increased demand, mainly for the production of skis. In 1913 Adolf Slonek bought the house no. 211 with a small joiner’s shop in Nové Město. Practically the whole family helped in the production of skis (Adolf Slonek had ten children, eight sons and two daughters).
In August 1928 the house completely burned down and new housing and production spaces were built right away. In 1933 began the construction of a new steam sawmill in the lot behind the train station. By then, the Slonek brothers employed around 70 workers and ran a seasonal chain shop in Brno. During those times, Adolf’s son, Bohuslav Slonek, proved himself to be an exceptional skier, winning the Czechoslovak Championship in the 50km cross-country race, the German and Yugoslavian championships, and he also joined the national team at the Innsbruck World Championship. In 1930, a former employee of the Slonek company, Antonín Chroust, together with an upholsterer Miroslav Rohlík started a new ski production company.
Preceding 1938 the production of skis was limited in favour of arms industry production and deliveries. After the War, which significantly affected the local ski production, local ski makers started to get back to the production like before the War.
A change came in 1948 after the rise of the communist power, which stood against entrepreneurs. On 1st August 1950, the local producers merged together (the Slonek brothers, Rohlík and Chroust, Antonín Špinar, Josef and Jan Mokrý, František Formánek and the Slonek family sawmill) and formed a national enterprise called Sport.
That marks the end of one successful chapter in the ski production history and begins a new one. This one was characterized by an increase in production, trying to implement new technologies primarily together with the usage of plastic. Another novelty came in 1956, when skis with an internationally registered ARTIS mark were produced here.
Wooden ski bases were getting replaced by plastic construction pieces, wood was replaced by glass and carbon laminates. The company also registered a World First. In 1968 a pair of cross-country skis with a laminate construction piece – ARTIS SAPPORO with a hickory and later a plastic ski base- were produced as the first in the World. In 1972 production moved to a new building near Pohledec, the construction of which started in 1963. The plan for the annual production was 250,000 pairs of skis.
Major changes occurred after 1989 with the change of the regime after the Revolution. The company became private and gave way to the foundation of the joint-stock company Sporten.
On 1st February 2019, the legal name of the company changed to KÄSTLE CZ, a.s. and the Nové Město-based company parallelly became a main production site for the legendary Austrian ski brand, KÄSTLE. SPORTEN skis are still alive in the world of skiing.
Many famous skiers raced on skis produced in Nové Město na Moravě. For example, Karel Kodeška, who won the Ski Flying World Championship, or Aleš Valenta, who won gold in freestyle skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Auhtor: LD, LS