SkiPost Newsletter

Dear SkiPost;

I am confused about ski flex.

For very cold weather, what kind of flex? And very warm/humid weather what kind of flex? How about new powder snow, what kind of flex??

Thanks

Hello,

Ski flex is most often an extension of how firm the snow is that you are skiing on. The base type (warm or cold), wax, and grind will be used to assist different snow temps. In cold weather the snow is often very firm, and you would want a stiff ski. A stiff ski will minimize the contact with snow, and will also give you more camber to aid your push. When the snow is soft a ski that is softer will help you stay on top of the soft snow - a more aggressive grind may be in order.

If the snow is warm but still firm you will want a warm ski that is stiffer - the same principals apply to this as with the cold, firm snow. Basically, with soft snow you want a soft ski, with firm snow a stiff ski will be best.

This is a crash course in ski flex, but it is perhaps at least a point to start from. Thank you for your question, and please look for future articles from the Factory Team wax team.

Birkie Fever

By Patrick Weaver

Fourteen years ago I drove into Hayward Wisconsin to compete in my first American Birkebeiner. I was only 24 and my marathon experience was limited at best. Growing up in New England, I was not very familiar with the race. I knew it was a 50 km marathon. I knew thousands of people from all over the world traveled to compete in the race, and I had heard rumors of it being the greatest race in America! I was certainly excited to be there and to have the opportunity to compete in a race of this magnitude. Shortly after we arrived I had confirmed that this was no ordinary race. Seeing the banners, the sculptures, the people, and the snow on Main Street, I realized that I was in for quite an experience! There was certain energy in the air.

A couple of days before the race I ran into an old teammate of mine out on the trail. He greeted me with "Hey Weave… You got the fever yet?" I remember thinking then that this was a real bummer. Really, was there a fever going around and so soon before the big race? I was glad that I had not been hit with this fever and decided that I would be on a mission to stay clear of anyone who had it. I would do anything to stay healthy! I had come all this way, trained all year, and there was no way I was going to get that fever!

Fortunately, I made it to the night before the race and had not become a victim of the fever. I am fairly certain that my temperature remained in 98.6 range the entire time. I had not even run into anyone who had this mysterious fever that sounded so widespread. I heard plenty of worries about the wax, what to wear, should I bring food with me, what time should we get there, 6th wave, 8th wave, 1st wave… what’s the wax again? There were plenty of questions, lots of nervous concerns, and even some slight panic, but no one with a fever.

Saturday came. I remember the busses at the start line, hundreds of people, the foreign skiers, fighting for my spot to the front line, standing there for an eternity in the cold, the national anthem and then the gun! I skied 50km of undulating terrain, heard the people and cheers at 00, caught a glimpse of the helicopter in the sky, suffered up heart break hill, and wondered when the endless stretch across the lake would end. After a few more turns I skied my heart out up Main Street. I remember the crowd, the bell, and the finish line. I was exhausted, but elated.
I had just finished the greatest ski race in America, and I had luckily avoided "The Birkie Fever" entirely. Looking back, perhaps I had it the entire time.

Birkie Wax Report

PERFORMANCE WAVES 1-5
Base Race Glide Wax: Apply one layer of Swix LF6. Iron in, let cool 20 minutes. Scrape and brush with Swix Fine Steel Brush (T0192). Race Glide Wax: Apply two layers Swix LF7. Let cool 20 minutes, scrape & brush out using Swix Fine Steel Brush (T0192) and finish polish with Blue Nylon (T0160).

PERFORMANCE WAVES 6-10
Base Race Glide Wax: Apply one layer of Swix LF7. Iron in, let cool 20 minutes.
Scrape and brush with Swix Fine Steel Brush (T0192). Race Glide Wax: Apply two layers Swix LF7. Let cool 20 minutes, scrape & brush out using Swix Fine Steel Brush (T0192) and finish polish with Blue Nylon (T0160).

SPEED-AT-ALL-COST WAVES Elite & 1-5

Base Race Glide Wax: Apply two layers of Swix HF6BD. Scrape and brush with Swix Fine Steel Brush (T0192). Race Glide Wax: Apply Swix FC7 Cera F Powder. Iron in with one pass w/ iron temperature at 155C. Pass should take 5-7 seconds. Let cool 20 minutes. Brush up powder using Swix Black Nylon brush (T0160). Iron second time as above. Let cool 20 minutes. Brush out with Wild Boar Brush (T0164) and finish polish with Blue Nylon (T0160).

SPEED-AT-ALL-COST WAVES 6-10
Base Race Glide Wax: Apply two layers of Swix HF7BD. Scrape and brush with Swix Fine Steel Brush (T0192). Race Glide Wax: Apply Swix FC07 Cera F Powder. Iron in with one pass w/ iron temperature at 155C. Pass should take 5-7 seconds. Let cool 20 minutes. Brush up powder using Swix Black Nylon brush (T0160). Iron second time as above. Let cool 20 minute

KICK WAX APPLICATION

KICK ZONE PREP
Remove old kick wax and clean base with Swix wax remover and Swix fiberlene. Let base dry. Use 80-100 grit sandpaper and sand kick zone in a manner parallel to the ski base, not cross hatching. The new Swix T0011 Cork & Sandpaper combi tool works great for this!

BASE KICK WAX
Make sure kick zone is clean and sanded as per above. Apply a layer Swix VG35 Base Wax. Rub on generous layer. Iron in, 110C. Let cool. Lightly cork smooth (2-3 strokes). Apply two layers of Swix V40 Blue Extra. Cork very smooth between each layer. Let cool. You are now ready to apply final race wax.

RACE KICK WAX
Waves Elite & 1-5: Apply 6-8 thin layers of Swix VR40/VR45 HardWax. Alternate layers and end with VR40. Waves 6-10: Apply 6-8 thin layers of Swix VR45/50 HardWax. Alternate layers and end with VR45. Cork smooth after each layer. Do not “drag” all the wax down or up the kick zone. Cork in both directions... pulling up from the heel & down from the high point. Build the wax
in the middle of the kick zone which is directly under the ball of your foot.

Featured Product

This premium Blizzak has already proven its versatility, performing in wet, icy, snowy and dry conditions. The directional studless tread pattern with 3D and zigzag sipes, silica-based tread stock, and UNI-T technology give you the powerful grip needed in freezing conditions. Yet, it’s solid on dry roads and wonderfully quiet. Switch to Blizzak LM-25 4x4 tires for your high performance SUV/CUV and enjoy winter driving – whether the plow has cleared the way or not.

Events/Clinics/Announcements

March 1, 2008
Beaver Creek Ski Trails
USFS/ BLM land near Lander, WY

Friends of Pete Absolon, Elemental Training Center, Gannett Peak Sports and NOLS Rocky Mountain are sponsoring a citizen race and community fun ski day. For Pete’s Sake! All funds raised from the event will go to the Pete Absolon Memorial Fund so that his daughter Avery can continue in her dad’s footsteps. For more details and registration form, go to www.landernordic.org
_______________________________________________
First Annual CXC V.I.P. Dinner at This Year’s American Birkebeiner

Join The CXC Elite Team & Other Top Athletes and Contribute to CXC’s Development of Youth Skiing. Come and share your Birkie stories with the CXC Elite Team and enjoy a nice meal at 5:00 p.m. Saturday, February 23rd, 2008 in “The Parlour Lounge” at Telemark Lodge! Tickets are $100. Availability is limited within the comfortable Parlour Lounge environment. Any remaining available tickets will be sold at the CXC Booth during the Birkie Expo at the Telemark Lodge.

Mail invitation to CXC Skiing, P.O.Box 903442, Verona, WI 53593 and make your check payable to CXC Skiing with "VIP Dinner" on the memo line. Friends may also register on-line with credit card payment as a link off of the VIP Dinner article on the CXC Home page or download printable invitation at www.cxcskiing.org
_______________________________________________
Event Name: Equinox Ski Challenge
Date: March 22-23, 2008
Location: Rendezvous Ski Trails, West Yellowstone, MT.
Event Website: www.equinoxskichallenge.com
Race Type: 6, 12, or 24 Hour / mass start / freestyle
Contact: Sam Newbury
Phone: (406)-209-3533
Email: equinoxskichallenge@gmail.com

THE EQUINOX SKI CHALLENGE: How Far Can You Go?
When else might you race in the springtime sun and then continue into the night under a full moon while on your way to skiing farther than you ever have
before. Or to tag your teamate and hang out by the all night bonfire!

There will be a 6 Hour and 12 Hour divisions in conjunction with the headlining 24 Hour race. All categories are open to both relay teams and soloists. This year the 9 kilometer course will be lit by a nearly full moon if the skies are clear, (headlamps still recommended)! Last year we saw multiple 24 Hour soloists exceed 300km and a team at just under 400km on the challenging loops. To avoid skiing on refrozen chop, we have two courses set up and will switch to the fresh course about 12 hours into the race.

The Equinox Ski Challenge will support local organizations that are keeping our
communities mentally and physically healthy by raising funds for the West Yellowstone Ski Education Foundation, a ski advocacy group, and for Manaia Youth Programs, a youth leadership and empowerment program serving Gallatin
and Park counties in Montana. Participants are encouraged to bring food donations for the West Yellowstone Food Bank. Those donating food will be entered into a special raffle.

The festivities will include a costume contest to be judged at the start of the race, a potluck with beverages on Saturday evening, and an all night bonfire near the start/finish line. Complete details and registration forms are available at www.equinoxskichallenge.com. Volunteers are warmly welcomed as well.

How far can you go?

For more information contact:
Sam Newbury
Equinox Ski Challenge
P.O. Box 184
Bozeman, MT. 59771
(406)-209-3533
equinoxskichallenge@gmail.com
_______________________________________________
Cross-Country Technique Fundamentals - CDROM
This CD lays the foundation for both Classic and Freestyle techniques on
which we can build a consistent technique program that will continue to
develop great cross-country skiers for years to come.

WAKE UP! IT'S TIME TO TRAIN - DVD
70 minutes of exclusive interviews with US National Team coaches, drills and
technique, fitness testing, sports physiology, core strength, training
volume, intensity levels, race footage, and much more.

X-COUNTRY - DVD
The inside story on one of the toughest sports around by top World Cup
racers.

NEW!!
COMPETITIVE CORE TRAINING - REAL TRAINING FOR REAL ATHLETES
Competitive Core Training provides the exercises and workouts that will help athletes of all ages, abilities, and sports develop a strong, flexible core that is essential to athletic performance and success.

Visit the CXC Store
http://cxcskiing.org/CXC%20Store/education.htm
_______________________________________________
FRIENDS OF XC SKIING

Both to commemorate the exciting results from our Nordic athletes so far this season, and in anticipation of the races next week and the pre-World Championships in Liberec in February, we're offering a program called Friends of Cross Country, which is already giving a wide range of U.S. Ski Team alumni, supporters, fans and recreational skier a way to be involved with the team, and to help to capture the momentum the athletes have as they race toward Vancouver in 2010, Sochin in 2014, and beyond.

Enthusiasts nationwide are now able to show their support of the Team as a Friend of Cross Country by giving a gift as low as $50. The Norwegian Ski Federation as operated an identical program for a number of years, and they sell 8,000 hats annually. Skiers of all ages and abilities in Norway show their support for their team by wearing their "Langrennsportens Venner" hats from the current year, and from years gone by. We've started to challenge Norway on the ski trails - surpassing them in nationwide community support is a key area to sustaining that challenge.

The results we've seen so far this season from athletes like Kikkan Randall, Andrew Newell, Kris Freeman, Bill Demong and Johnny Spillane are thanks to
the efforts of the entire U.S. skiing community including race organizers, community coaches, divisional leaders and dedicated supporters. This support has enabled athletes at all levels of our development pipeline to perform their best. Because of this, our athletes are better prepared to compete with their peers internationally. USSA has made new, high-performance investments in nordic skiing including:

· Coach, parent, club and officials education
· Greater support for elite-level development
· Investments in sport science, such as force measurement analysis tools
· State of the art roller skiing treadmill
· Nutritional, medical and performance psychology support
· 2010 Olympic venue training camps
· 2010 Whistler fast-skis project

Our athletes can achieve their goals and inspire generations of young kids to participate in this healthful, lifelong family sport.

NOTE: If you have an event you would like to have in SkiPost please send emails to weanswer@skipost.com

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Enjoy Winter,
Justin Easter
SkiPost Editor

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