In February 2020, we received a message from Kartus Chairs. They were preparing for the Pentathlon des Neiges in Quebec City, a grueling winter multi-sport event, and wanted to test our skis to help their athletes have a better experience on the snow.
There was just one problem: the Kartus chair's rear wheels are 26 inches, and our largest bracket at the time only fit wheels up to 22 inches.
But at Polar Skis, we believe everyone deserves the trail. So we got to work. Within weeks, we designed and fabricated a prototype XL wheel bracket specifically to accommodate those 26-inch rear wheels, because these athletes and their co-athletes weren't going to miss their event.
The verdict after the Pentathlon? "Just to let you know that the skis were great and we had a great event. The extra work is very appreciated."
That summer, Kartus came back asking us to manufacture the ski sets they'd used at the event. And just like that, the RX-XL was born.
Since then, the RX-XL has been used on wheelchairs, adaptive devices, and trailers across Canada. Kartus returned to the Pentathlon des Neiges in 2023, and the feedback remained the same: "Skis were great, we had waiting customers who were very happy with their purchase."
The RX-XL and standard RX use the exact same ski, the only difference is the size of the wheel bracket. In the images below, you'll see the RX-XL on the rear wheels and the RX on the front wheels, working together to keep athletes moving through snow.
This is why we do what we do. Because everyone deserves the trail.