The story of Lucendro
The story of Lucendro
A ski wax passed on for more than 60 years.
From Alois Russi in Andermatt to Max Gisler and the Gisler family in Arosa — linked by workshop practice, skiing and racing.
Andermatt · The beginning
Lucendro begins with Alois Russi in a difficult period.
Alois Russi was facing financial difficulty in Andermatt at the time. In this specific situation, he began developing and producing his own ski wax.
No one could know then what it would become. Lucendro grew gradually — through use, through customers and through personal recommendations.
Passed from hand to hand
Lucendro did not become known through large campaigns. Customers and workshops discovered the wax in daily use. Those who valued it recommended it to others.
Gisler Sport was also one of Alois Russi’s customers. Lucendro therefore remained present for years — not as a mass-market product, but as an insider’s tip.
People did not know Lucendro from advertising. They knew it through those who worked with it.
2000 · The handover
Alois Russi wanted to entrust Lucendro to Max Gisler.
When Alois Russi began looking for a successor, Gisler Sport was already a customer and knew Lucendro from practical use. Alois expressly wanted to pass the wax on to Max Gisler.
This was not simply a sale. It was a handover to a particular person Alois trusted. Max Gisler took over Lucendro in 2000, and production moved from Andermatt to Arosa.
The second chapter
Lucendro continues in Arosa.
With the handover, Lucendro became part of everyday life at Gisler Sport: in the workshop, on skis and in the snow. Production continued, and the wax evolved with experience from daily practical use.
Arosa therefore became more than a new location. It became the second chapter of a story that had started in Andermatt.
A documentary view
A design that endured.
The red Lucendro packaging with its crown, shield and lettering dates back to Alois Russi and has remained largely unchanged over the decades. When Max Gisler took over, his name was added to the packaging — Lucendro’s distinctive appearance remained.
Part of the family
Lucendro was already there.
Marco and Mirjam Gisler grew up with Lucendro. Both raced on skis, and the wax had been part of the family since their childhood.
Lucendro was simply there when skis were waxed, races were prepared for and workshop work was done. It was one of the many details that had to be right before race day — part of their own preparation.
Lucendro was not a new product that arrived in the family one day. It was already there.
Stories from ski racing
What people say about Lucendro
Stories from ski racing have surrounded Lucendro for decades. One reaches as far as the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo: skis belonging to Swiss racers are said to have been prepared with Lucendro. This has not been verified.
Little has changed in race service to this day. Good wax blends are rarely disclosed. Service technicians still say very little about what they actually use to prepare a ski.
That is exactly why many stories about Lucendro remain hard to prove. Red bases and noticeable traces were mentioned time and again — perhaps clues, but not evidence.
What we do see directly is that parents of young athletes order Lucendro from us and tell us that they have relied on it for years.
We do not know whether Lucendro is still used in the World Cup today. It is possible — but in race service, the best blends often stay where they are created: at the waxing bench.
Lucendro today
What defines Lucendro has remained.
Today, the Gisler family continues Lucendro in Arosa. The packaging’s core design has remained; Max Gisler’s name was added after the handover. Its close connection to skis, workshop practice and practical use has also remained.
Lucendro is still not a loud mass-market product. It remains an uncomplicated ski wax with a history — and an insider’s tip for people who know it and recommend it to others.
Passed on by people
From Andermatt to Arosa — from Alois Russi to Max Gisler and on to the next generation.
Lucendro — the insider’s ski wax from Arosa.