135cm Liljedahl Aluminum Cross-Country Racing Poles - Early 1970s - VM Staven - RARE Blue Baskets

RARE blue baskets - Liljedahl aluminum racing poles from the early 1970s. Light and fast. Unique triangle-shaped basket. Solid colour orange shaft. The discoloration in one of the pole shafts could be from a variety of factors - sun exposure; different production lot, etc; regardless this pair is a matched set. The handles are in great shape and the straps are a beautiful white dyed leather. The poles have had limited use over their lifetime.

The flagship of the "VM Staven" line ("verdensmestere staven" in Norwegian means "world champion ski pole"); Liljedahl aluminum poles were the top-of-the-line racing poles of their era.

These would look great on display, or better, out on the trails! I ski with a similar pair on a regular basis, and aside from still being a high-performing pole, they light up the faces of people who remember the poles from their younger days.

Liljedahl was based in Lillehammer, Norway. Swix, and its various parent companies, were of Swedish origin. Swix' purchase of Liljedahl in 1974 was used as as a way to expand its product line and establish a Norway-headquartered company. Liljedahl, as the leading maker of racing poles, experimented with different materials and pole features to make the highest-performing poles available.

In the early 80s Swix retired the Liljedahl brand, but its legacy lives on in Swix-branded ski poles.

Size: 135cm
Material: leather, aluminum, plastic
Baskets: blue plastic
Weight (pair): 400gm
Mfg date: early 1970s
Manufacturer: Liljedahl, Lillehammer NO