SkiPost,

What is the best way to take care of my skis for the summer months? I'm fairly new to skis with kick wax, and I was curious if there needs to be any special treatment for the kick part of the ski? Should I leave anything on that part of the ski?

Thank you.

Hello,

There are some good things to do with the base of your ski before the summer months. The summer can be hard on a ski if they are not maintained. A good place to start is by getting your skis clean.

SKATE
A clean skate ski is fairly easy to attain. What you will need to do is iron a warm layer of wax down, and then scrape it off before it has cooled to a solid on your base. You should do this once, and then allow the base to cool completely. Once the base is cool you can take a medium steel brush, and get the remaining wax off of the base. After all of this is complete you should then put on a generous layer of warm wax (SWIX CH8 or SWIX BP - base prep). You are now ready to put the skis in a place with fairly constant temperatures. A room in your home is most desirable.

CLASSIC
Classic skis should not have any kick wax left on them over the summer. (You really should remove all kick wax as soon as you can after classic skiing.) Make sure the classic zone has been cleaned before cleaning the glide zones.

Glide zones should be treated the same way as skate skis. The skis may have picked up some dirt over the last time or two on the spring snow, so it is going to be important to remove all of the dirt by hot-scraping the ski. This is done in the same way as above - iron wax, scrape before it is cool, let base cool completely, brush, apply summer layer of SWIX CH 8 or BP.

Always remember that you can really not wax your skis too often. When you get the urge you should not be discouraged from waxing and scraping your skis through the summer. They will naturally get faster when you are able to ski on them often, but you can avoid dry bases when the fall snow arrives by having waxed them many times.

Happy Spring!

In the past there have been articles in SkiPost that relate to the use of ski poles during your dry land training. There are some SkiPost readers who enjoy cross-country skiing, but are not terribly race oriented. We're always excited to share stories and new ideas with this group of people, and we hope this article will get your attention.

Peter Edwards (owner/founder/coach) says:

"I love the outdoors. Hiking, running and skiing with my family has always been #1 on my personal fun factor. When my kids were little they traveled in a back-pack during hikes, were pushed in the jogging stroller on long runs and pulled in the pulk-sled while we cross country skied. And now, thanks to the hottest fitness craze to ever hit Finland, my NEW #1 outdoor activity is SKI WALKING. Over 760,000 fitness conscience Finns are Ski Walking everyday. They are basically walking with special Ski Walking poles - no snow, no skis required and they are burning up to 40% more calories than regular walking.

"As a running and ski coach I have incorporated Ski Walking into my workout plans. We often warm-up with at least a one mile Ski Walk. Short jogs and sprints with Ski Walking poles have also been added to many workouts. For athletes with minor aches, pains and pulls, their entire workout may involve Ski Walking exclusively due to the impressive aerobic benefits and yet minimal impact on these athletes' joints, shins and typical sore spots. Athletes with runners knee and/or killer shin splints can comfortably Ski Walk for hours - the poles absorb the shock, stress and pounding. Folks with knee, hip and/or back problems LOVE my Ski Walking poles.

"For over 20 years I've been coaching athletes that vary from recreational to All-State, All-American and even an occasional Jr. National champion. I have found that Ski Walking benefits ALL my athletes as they pursue new personal records and provides them with a FUN, low impact way to improve their aerobic capacity, regardless of their fitness level. Fans of SKIWALKING.COM fitness poles include individuals from 6 years old to great-grandparents. I have hosted 100's of Ski Walking Clinics from California's Lake Tahoe to the Green Mountains of Vermont this year and everyone has loved the way the poles automatically encourage us to walk taller with a super straight back, the way the arms are so actively engaged and how the pounding to the shins, knees, hips and back is radically reduced."

This concept is a wonderful mix of what elite athletes have been using for years, and what outdoor enthusiasts are graciously welcoming into their recreational experiences.

SKIWALKING.COM is dedicated to encouraging Americans to initiate their own personal fitness programs by providing a proven, low-impact, high calorie burn fitness activity that will result in the adoption of healthier lifestyles and increased use of and appreciation for our bike paths, hiking trails, parks and recreational areas.

The Athlete Force is an athlete sponsorship and marketing pipeline that provides its athletes the marketing power of America’s best cross-country skiers. The Athlete Force recruits, trains, manages and promotes athletes in a way that will allow them to endorse, make popular, and win on its clients' products. It provides dedicated and proven athletes a priceless partnership with our sponsors as they attempt to make history!

Go to http://www.dreamofit.com/athleteforce to get a pdf file with an application and selection criteria.

Part of what makes ski racing an enjoyable activity is the time you can spend outside. It is like biking in that with a strong pace, and calculated effort you can be out for hours. In some of the late winter months it enjoyable for the racing crowd to take a step back and enjoy being outside for what it is - a peaceful retreat.

Our bodies thank us each time we get outside. Our mind is clear, Our lungs take in crisp air, and our hearts thank us greatly. If we want to do everything we can for our bodies we also need to consider what foods we are taking in to help keep everything strong.

We have shown you several articles over the course of the last two years that relate to good energy foods for workouts, and you have no-doubt found many foods that agree with your personal approach. One food that has seemed to escape us is fish.

Two long-term Harvard studies reported in the New England journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association (one among 84,688 women and another among 22,000 men) indicate that several weekly helpings of fish—a prime source of omega 3 fatty acids—appear to protect men and women from heart disease.

While the exact cause of this apparent link between increased consumption of omega 3 fatty acids and reduced occurance of coronary heart disease is not yet decided, the bottom line is that an increasing amount of evidence suggests that adding omega 3 fatty acids in the diet helps prevent heart disease in all people and, at increased consumption levels may dramatically cut the mortality rate in heart attack survivors.

A distinction worthy of pointing out is one that has particular relevance to Conservation Salmon, one of the Subaru Factory Team's Signature Sponsors. This distinction is:

Omega 3 oil is not as concentrated in farmed salmon. These oils have been scientifically proven to have the highest concentrations in Wild Alaskan King Salmon, and is also prominent is Wild Sockeye & Coho. The Alaskan salmon runs are fish that live as nature intended them to live - in cold, deep water, returning every year to the pristine rivers in Alaska's remote wilderness to spawn.

As we mention, the exact science surrounding the health benefits of salmon is expanding rapidly. However, there has been a great deal of evidence to suggest that salmon can help the health of your heart. The very engine that keeps us all happy and healthy winter enthusiasts. Take a moment to visit Conservation Salmon.

Stay well,
Justin Easter
Subaru Factory Team - SkiPost Editor

Make sure to get rewarded!
Why not let your passion for fun get you free Subaru Factory Team merchandise? The Subaru Factory Team's enjoy winter-rewards program is designed to thank you for purchasing our Subaru Factory Team partner's products.

For more information on Subaru's technically advanced all-wheel drive vehicles check out www.subaru.com

"Think. Feel. Drive."

SkiPost is a cross-country skiing informational, educational and motivational service, brought to you through a partnership with the Subaru Factory Team and the Salomon Athlete & Event Force.

The goal of SkiPost is to make the sport of cross-country skiing easier and more enjoyable for all who choose to participate. If you have questions on Cross-country Skiing see www.SkiPost.com or email us at mailto:weanswer@skipost.com

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Enjoy Winter,
Justin Easter

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