If you understand what the glide wax is trying to accomplish, much of the mystery of waxing and selecting the appropriate glide wax goes away. Below I try to explain why a multitude of waxes exist.

A glide wax has two objectives - Snow Crystal Management and Moisture Management

Snow Crystal Management
The most important factor in having the ideal glide wax is selecting the wax that best manages the snow crystals that you will be skiing over. The newer the snow and the colder the snow, the sharper the snow crystals. New sharp crystals do not roll and do not allow anything to roll over them easily (man-made snow is similar). Their sharp crystals fight each other and the ski base as it tries to glide. To fend off these cold sharp crystals you need a very hard glide wax that resists the crystals penetration into the ski base by flaking off when the sharp crystals hit it. The warmer the snow and the older the snow, the rounder the snow crystals.(Think ball bearings) These warm, round snow crystals tumble together and allow a ski to glide but require a soft wax to enhance the tumbling and glide.

Most wax companies product lines follow the same principles. We reference Swix because this is what we, the Subaru Factory Team, use exclusively. Swix provides six hardness' of glide wax (10, 8, 7, 6, 4 and 3) to match and manage the various degrees of snow crystal hardness. 10 is the softest Swix glide wax and is designed to manage the very soft and round snow crystals. 3 is the hardest grade of Swix glide wax and is made primarily to resist the penetration of the new cold and very sharp snow crystals into the ski base. Between these two extremes are four other hardness' of glide wax created to manage all types (degrees of sharpness) of snow crystals.

Moisture Management
After the sharpness of the snow crystal the other important factor in glide wax performance is moisture management. In all but the most extreme cold and low humidity conditions the heat developed by skiing over snow creates a small layer of water that the ski base rides on. Managing this water layer has a definite impact of ski speed. To manage the moisture we use fluorocarbon waxes. When there is very little moisture (< 33% humidity or you can blow snow of your windshield) you can use the CH line of waxes at the appropriate hardness. When there is low moisture snow (33%-66% humidity) (if you can make a snowball with a lot of effort or you can scrape your windshield easily) you need a little amount of moisture management and the LF (Low Flouro) glide waxes. When there is a lot of moisture (66%-100) (you can have a great snowball fight but need to work hard to scrape you cars windshield clean) you need a lot of moisture management and you should go with HF(High Fluoro) wax and most likely straight Cera F on top.

I hope this helps explain what the various glide waxes are trying to accomplish.
While my explanation sounds complicated selecting the appropriate wax is as simple as looking at temperature and humidity.

Andy at SkiPost

Gleukos, the sport drink, was formulated on the premise that its main ingredient, dextrose, is the most rapidly assimilated carbohydrate known. Originally created for distance runners (marathon), Gleukos provides energy in the form of carbohydrate that the body can nearly instantaneously absorb. We wanted an ingredient that did not have a negative metabolic cost, meaning something that did not take time and energy to digest and absorb (longer chain carbs must be dismantled prior to entering the body's energy cycles).

Gleukos does not contain sucrose (table sugar), which is well known for multiple adverse health effects; in addition sucrose is much sweeter tasting than dextrose -- hence, its use in so many junk foods, etc.

While the utilization of complex carbs is important for endurance, we believe they are best obtained through the diet, while simple carbs provide the greatest direct benefit to exercising athletes, all of which is well documented in the scientific literature.

We believe these formulas represent the ultimate in cutting edge sports supplementation/nutrition.

Jason Barker, ND
Research & Formulation
Gleukos Laboratories

Gleukos is the official Sport Drink Sponsor of the Subaru Factory Team. For more information on Gleukos please visit www.gleukos.com

3" of new snow in West Yellowstone!


Rendezvous ski trails, 11-17-05

Make your plans now to attend,

The Yellowstone Ski Festival
November 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26, 2005
West Yellowstone, Montana

The weatherman said the weather was going to be really nice this week in West Yellowstone - that explains why it is STILL SNOWING!!! It's been years since we had such terrific early season snow - we're talking machine-groomed powder, K's and K's of corduroy - can you stand to stay away?

West Yellowstone, Montana is the only place to start your Nordic ski season. The Yellowstone Ski Festival includes:

Fall Camp Clinics
Try It and Buy It Gear Demo
Indoor Ski Show
XC Supertour
And much more…

If you have any questions or if you would like more information about the Yellowstone Ski Festival, visit www.yellowstoneskifestival.com or contact:

Jamie Greene, Yellowstone Ski Festival Coordinator
The West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 458
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-9427
info@yellowstoneskifestival.com

Start your ski season in West Yellowstone, Montana!

When traveling to West Yellowstone the Subaru Factory Team recommends staying at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort. www.doyellowstone.com

_______________________________________________________

XC Academy Clinic
When: December 3, 2005
Where: Billings, MT-Billings Deaconess Hospital
Time:2pm
Cost: FREE!

Justin Easter and Tim Weston of the Subaru Factory Team will lead a clinic (probably dryland, but dependent on conditions) in Billings on December 3rd. For more information, contact Justin at: justine@endurance-enterprises.com

http://www.xcacademy.com/clinics.htm ___________________________________________________________

Steamboat Springs Early Winter Nordic Camp
December 17, 18, 2005

Sponsored by:
Ski Haus, The Nordic Link, Steamboat Touring Center, and LakeCatamount.

Participants can sign up for one or two days of skate or classic instruction. All abilities welcome. Never-evers to advanced.

$125 for Saturday and Sunday (sign up before December1)
$135 for two days after December 1.
$75 for one day (either Saturday or Sunday)

Price includes:
Two clinics per day.
Trail Passes (Saturday will be at Lake Catamount, Sunday will be at the
Steamboat Touring Center.
Complimentary Demo of Salomon's new skis and boots.
Professional instruction
Lunch
Saturday Happy Hour
Industry reps on hand
On Snow video analysis (Sunday only)
Free Swag and Prizes

For more information or to register go to www.thenordiclink.com
_______________________________________________________

Lone Mountain Ranch
Women's Camps Winter 2005 - 2006

Do you want to improve your downhill control on all trails? Do you want to progress to the next level in your skiing? Are you interested in participating in a positive and supportive learning environment that will boost your confidence? Are you interested in camaraderie with women who share similar interests? If so, then join us for our Women's Camp, in the spectacular setting of Lone Mountain Ranch and Yellowstone National Park.

http://www.lmranch.com/lmr_content/winter/xc/womenscamp.htm

_______________________________________________________

24 Hours of Telemark!

The 24 Hours of Telemark is a cross-country ski relay race with teams of one to six members competing against each other in different age divisions and categories. The team, or individual, in each category that completes the most laps in 24 hours is the winner.

Held each winter since 2002, this x-c race is fun for cross-country skiers of all abilities. The race course is a short but challenging loop immediately adjacent to Telemark Lodge. With the course right out the door of the lodge, it's just a few short steps from skiing to warm rooms and changes of clothes, as well as Telemark's outstanding hospitality.

The 24 Hours of Telemark has grown in size and class each year. The prize list for 2006 (donated by our generous sponsors) looks to be huge... and much of it will be given away as door prizes. Maybe you should join us this year?

Please visit www.24hoursoftelemark.com for more info.

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

If you wish to be removed email nordic-unsubscribe@mailman.montana.com
If you wish to receive SkiPost email nordic-subscribe@mailman.montana.com

Enjoy Winter,
Justin Easter

If your email is not set up to view html images, please click here to visit this page on the web. Thank you.