| October 25,
2007 Vol. 8/ No. 5 |
|
If
your e-mail is not set up to view html images, please CLICK HERE to visit this page on the web. Thank you.
And also visit SkiPost.com
for a list of recent archived articles. |
 |
Hi,
I'm planning on ordering some Swix products soon, and I just wanted to ask
about any new products that your wax techs have used or would recommend.
In some of the wax reports from last season, Moly Base Prep (MB77) seemed
to be mentioned often.
Also, I frequently use HF waxes, but haven't tried the HFBD line- mainly
because of the high price. Do you feel they are worth the extra cost, and
in what conditions would they work best in?
And lastly, any new tips for wax application that worked well last season,
especially for Cera-F?
Thanks
Hello,
Thanks for the great questions. Swix has a strong history as the leading brand for ski wax, tools, and poles. In order to continue to stay at the top, Swix is constantly updating and improving their products. But, before they release new items to the public they spend many years testing and refining their products with input from scientists, Olympic athletes and wax technicians. With this said, you can be sure that anything new from Swix is the best.
Last year, Swix released 2 new base prep waxes. First, they refined the BP88 (Base Prep) wax by making it softer so that it will be more easily absorbed by the ski base during ski preparation making it the best wax to get your skis ready for a great season. This new formulation is called BP99 (Base Prep-Nordic) and is a must have for anyone buying new skis or having their skis stoneground. The second base prep wax is called MB77 (Moly Base Prep). This wax provides a great base for race waxing. MB77 is a low-fluoro wax that is about the same hardness as LF7, but it has a “black” additive. You can think of it as a LF7BD. The “black” additive is a shear lubricant which adds durability and resists dirt. This wax can be used as a great “all-conditions” training wax and can be used for racing on older, dirty and/or man-made snow in the temperature range from about 15-28 degrees.
Last season, the Factory Team used the HFBD waxes in nearly every race over the course of the season. According to the researchers at Swix, they work best in older snow, or snow with sharp crystals but we have found them to be great in nearly every condition. One of the reasons the BD waxes are working so well in so many conditions is that snow is much more polluted (dirty) than we can visibly see just looking at it. If you take a handful of snow, and melt it, you will see this dirt. That said, the HF waxes are great waxes and have been used in nearly every race on the World Cup race for the last 10 years. I would recommend experimenting with the HFBD waxes if you live in a location which frequently has older or dirtier snow, or snow with particularly sharp snow crystals (higher altitude), artificial snow, and/or higher levels of pollution. One of the questions people frequently ask is: I only have a limited budget, which waxes do I really need? If I could only have 2 of them, I would go with the HF7BD and HF8BD because these waxes are in the temperature range that is most common, and the range where you would see the greatest benefits from using these super waxes.
Proper Cera-F application has been modified over the years, but now it is dialed-in quite well. If you follow the recommendations from Swix, you will have great skis. Check out www.swixracing.us for a step-by-step guide.
I hope this all helps. Keep the great questions coming!
Kevin Johnson
Factory Team Ski Tech
|
By Justin Easter
SkiPost Editor
Head Coach of Summit Nordic Ski Club
One of the things that I have found takes people by surprise is when I refer to a team of cross country skiers, and say, "these are smart kids!"
The Factory Team has seen its share of dedicated athletes who go on to do everything from fly commercial airplanes to coach the US Ski Team to be doctors and lawyers. What drives them to success in so many arenas of their lives? It is, I believe, the very dedication that makes them good at an individual sport.
Many of you who love this sport are perhaps reading this in your office before you do something that has undoubtedly taken years to perfect. Grit, determination, hard work - these are all virtues that lead to success.
What I really want to write about is balance between sport and life, and sport within itself. A successful training plan has a balance of hard work, volume, and rest. A productive work day might have a balance of careful thought, goal setting, and execution. I am constantly amazed at how many athletes, regardless of age, will embark on a training day without purpose - thus negotiating their overall balance.
I am a firm believer that when everything is said and done, and we are looking back on our lives we will be content if we can say we were happy. Balance has always made me happy. A balance in friendships, work, school, sport, and every other part of life. If my ultimate goal is happiness, then I need to imagine that I am really after the perfect balances that will lead to that eventual outcome.
For however general this may come off sounding, I think it will hold a point for everyone. If a workout calls for 2.5 hours, and you are going to miss sitting down for dinner with a friend it's probably better to go 2 hours. If your body is telling you there is something amiss in training, and you aren't as sharp as you would like it's probably time to reconsider the balance of your program.
Find the balance that makes you happy, and work in a way that will control that best for you. There will be times of discomfort in our lives, but if we see them as building a knowledge to help determine our perfect balance we can certainly persevere.
Balance brings will it some of the greatest challenges in life. Find a way to be balanced in your training, and in your life and you'll find yourself savoring each workout. We never know when we will be looking back on our lives in reflection. So, start today with your understanding of your own personal balance. Bring as many people into your goals as possible. Find a full and meaningful balance, and success will be on your doorstep before you know.
Train smart, rest well, and find your balance. |
NATHAN
Thinsulate® insulation wrapped around a horizontal bottle holster plus zippered entry from either side equals the perfect pak for an hour of cross-country skiing, running, snowshoeing, or snowboarding. In extreme cold, leave both ends of the holster zipped tightly until you need to drink. In moderately cold temperatures, open either end of the holster to provide faster fluid access. Twin waistbelt pockets let you carry ski wax, snacks or sunscreen within easy reach.
|
| Events/Clinics/Announcements |
West Yellowstone Ski Festival
West Yellowstone, Montana
November 20-24, 2007
www.yellowstoneskifestival.com
Here’s an update on the latest Ski Festival developments:
Murray Banks to speak Friday night: We are excited to announce that Murray Banks will be back in West Yellowstone and will be our featured speaker on Friday night, November 23. Murray is a successful endurance athlete and long time motivational speaker. We are looking forward to his return to West Yellowstone!
Try It and Buy It Gear Demo: Make sure you stop by the Salomon tent to try your hand at the new heel-toe camber in the Salomon Equipe 10 Classic, and the Pilot Classic binding. Each of the representatives will have their latest equipment available to try - certainly one of your best chances to see the latest in equipment in action!
SuperTour Registration: A race schedule is currently online. We have been delayed in getting our online registration up and running but are working diligently on that right now and hope that it will be available soon. The Men's and Women's Sprint races will take place on Friday, November 23rd. The Men's 15K and Women’s 10K Classic races will take place on Saturday, November 24th.
Kid’s Clinics by the Montana Outdoor Science School: The folks at MOSS have put together another amazing lineup of children’s clinics during the Ski Festival. The clinics will be based out of the Days Inn and pre-registration is required! For more information, visit the Clinics page of www.yellowstoneskifestival.com (scroll to the bottom where you will find a link to the MOSS website).
Stone Grinding by Boulder Nordic Sport and Engineered Tuning: Boulder Nordic Sport (BNS) will again bring a full-service stone-grinding ski shop to the Yellowstone Ski Festival November 19-25. Owners Nathan Schultz and Zach Caldwell will travel to the event with two Tazzari stone grinding machines (skis that are stone ground generally absorb more wax and perform better) and staff to provide professional ski service at the season-opening event.
For over 25 years, West Yellowstone, Montana has played host to cross country skiers during the month of November. There is no better place to start your ski season! For more information, visit www.yellowstoneskifestival.com.
Start your ski season in West Yellowstone, Montana!
The best way to contact Jamie Greene is via email at info@yellowstoneskifestival.com. He work on Ski Festival for an hour or so almost every morning and will respond to your email as quickly as possible. If you need to talk about something, you can leave a message at (406) 646-7097 and someone will return your call as soon as possible. See you in November!
_______________________________________________
CXC/RAINBOW RESORT Fall XC SKI Camp
Friday, October 26, 2007 -through- Sunday, October 28, 2007
At Rainbow Resort in Waubun, Minnesota
_______________________________________________
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.
Visit the CXC Store
http://cxcskiing.org/CXC%20Store/education.htm
_______________________________________________
Steamboat Springs Nordic Challenge – Race #1
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
December 9, 2007
www.steamboatxcski.org
NOTE: If you have an event you would like to have in SkiPost please send emails to weanswer@skipost.com
|
|
|
| Copyright
2007 SkiPost.com All rights reserved. |
|
