The paint protection film (PPF) industry is evolving and expanding, and so are its training options. Hosted at the all-new, 7,500 square-foot Wiz Castle in Orlando, Fla., Tinter Battles 2024 provided attendees with a comprehensive training program built to propel their skills upward.
Training in the Sunshine State
“I had two people who were dedicated to learning for three days straight,” shares Autobahn Territory Manager and Trainer Tony Kiger, a Film Trainer at the event. “They came back every day, asking questions and wanting to get their hands on film. One of them had zero PPF experience at all, but was intrigued and wanted to learn more. He picked up and retained all of the information.”
During the three-day event, Kiger trained more than 10 industry professionals on the ins and outs of PPF.
“I have their numbers and we are all friends on Facebook,” Kiger says of the two dedicated trainees. “I’m always there for support, whether they use our products or not. Why not help each other?”
Education with ‘No Limits’
Tinter Battles 2024 trainees worked their way through an assortment of Autobahn PPF products, including three rolls of Autobahn Incognito PPF; One roll of Autobahn Stärke Matte PPF; 25 feet of Autobahn Carbon PPF; 10 feet of Autobahn Blak PPF; and 20 feet of Autobahn Smōk PPF.
“The requests to learn and test out the film just keep on coming,” Kiger shared after day two. “Wait, you said training time was over? Nah, we haven’t gone through all the film just yet.”
Autobahn Territory Manager Billy ‘Frickin’ Murray commented on Kiger’s passion for passing on knowledge.
“I’ve never met anyone quite as meticulous and detail-oriented as this guy,” Murray shared. “He bleeds passion for PPF, ceramic coatings, and paint polishing. Having him on the team and as someone to call with questions is priceless.”
Meeting a Need
“Training was nonstop,” says Kiger, whose company, Autobahn, co-sponsored Tinter Battles 2024’s Heat Shrink Battles. “Sessions were technically from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m., but people continued asking questions. I just kept going. You’re looking at roughly six to seven hours of nonstop training. There’s always a place for learning.”
PPF veteran Kiger is widely respected throughout industry circles. His first PPF training session was a stark contrast from the most effective instructional route.
“The first time I was trained through a brand, it wasn’t actual training,” Shares Kiger, who travels domestically and internationally for outbound training sessions. “It was more, ‘Here’s some film and a squeegee. Play with it.’ I did not learn very much, and it was difficult to continue. The first two cars I ever worked on were Porsches, and they were full-body installations. That’s not the norm for anyone getting into this game. It’s normally a partial hood or a partial front end.”
Trainees practiced on Nissan Altima’s at Tinter Battles 2024. Coverage included: full hood, fenders, and mirrors.
“These were bulk installations focused on stretching, squeegee techniques, and knife skills,” Kiger adds.
Touching on Technicalities
“I’m in the middle of creating an explanation video on PPF slip solutions,” Kiger shares. “That was a topic that came up many times—using tap water versus distilled water.”
On the first day of the event, Kiger brought three gallons of distilled water to demonstrate the difference between the two.
“Once everyone used all of the distilled water, all we had was tap water,” he says. “You could see how sticking the film to the panels went from easy to difficult.”