Up above, solitude, humility, and icy silence reign. The wind whistles mercilessly, quickly revealing whether it is friend or foe. The gaze is focused, the breath steady. Only the beating of the heart is audible, and the adrenaline rush makes the biting cold momentarily forgotten. Below: a deafening roar from some 25,000 enthusiastic people. Cheers, horns, cowbells, a colorful sea of flags, and high expectations. Tunnel vision: the focus is initially on only one small flag. When the coach waves it, it's no longer about the external conditions, but what you make of them. A powerful push off the board, acceleration to 90 km/h, and, as always, catching the perfect jump. Then it's about enjoying 10 seconds of wind-carried bliss that fly by, and finally, all that matters is a safe landing. Relief, a smile, a feeling of having arrived as if in the arms of family. The fans frenetically cheered the long jump at the start of the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf, Bavaria.
The tranquil town in the Allgäu region is known as a venue for many international winter sports events, but especially for ski jumping and ski flying. Just a stone's throw from the ski jump, at Weststraße 7, lies another crowd-pleaser with a special appeal. Stahlwaren Wagner (Wagner Steelware) was founded in 1992 by Rosemarie and Robert Wagner and has been run by Lorenz Tauscher and his wife Sandra since 2015. Their product range focuses primarily on household goods, kitchen knives, and pocket knives. The emphasis is always on providing customers with needs-based advice, which can sometimes be more critical than that of a ski jumping judge. But there's no need to worry. Thanks to the owners' extensive expertise, they regularly receive top marks of 20. This is no coincidence, as Lorenz Tauscher's passion for knives was ignited by his father when he received his first knife as a child.
Wagner Steelware stands for the highest quality, which is why only select manufacturers are included in the product range. Böker has maintained a close business relationship with the company since its founding, one that has always been characterized by great respect and mutual appreciation. The owner recalls: " After taking over the business, the first appointment with the Böker sales representative was scheduled. Funnily enough, we had already met him by chance the evening before at the hotel, where we were invited to a conference, and we had a pleasant chat ."
The Böker Plus Frelon is also ever-present in Lorenz Tauscher's memory: " Unfortunately, I lost it once while hiking. Luckily, I found it again the next day when retracing my steps. I'm impressed by the knife's outstanding craftsmanship, timeless design, and practical size, which allows it to fit in any trouser pocket."
And the best part: A visit to Stahlwaren Wagner eliminates the nerve-wracking preparation phase at the ski jump and begins directly with a clean telemark landing in the store, complete with beaming faces.
Wagner steelware
Weststrasse 7
D-87561 Oberstdorf
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