I just went to buy my high school
aged daughter a new pair of racing poles and was surprised
at the cork topped handles of so many pricey poles. They have
a "tourist look" to me. What's up with the cork?
I haven't used cork topped poles since I was learning to ski
when I was 10 years old.
Former racer in Anchorage
Hello,
Cork remains the chosen material in grips because it does
not conduct the cold (is warmer), it is soft and light weight.
Swix cork grips are now built around a plastic sleeve that
lets you change grips or pole length without damaging the
grip. These grips are also more comfortable.
Try them,
Andy at SkiPost
www.SkiPost.com
|
|
Rob Whitney
of the Subaru
Factory Team is a recent graduate of Montana State University,
lives, works, trains, and is pursuing his flying career in
Anchorage, AK.
It’s November! Where’s the snow?
Remember years ago when it snowed on Halloween? We “hero”
skied for three hours both days that weekend, and then we
were so sore and tired on Monday that just getting through
the day was tough. We went out again every evening of the
week, tired and sore, but the “skiing was sooo good!”
If any of us are that lucky this year, let’s stop for
a minute and make a plan of attack. Let’s not overdo
it that first week and unnecessarily wear ourselves out, set
ourselves back, or detract from a winter-long activity. It’s
healthy to have that itch to get on snow, but let’s keep
things under control. A small amount of smart planning now
can help us ease into the on-snow skiing transition, keep
our bodies healthier, and also lessen the chance of an overuse
injury early in the season.
I remember my first on-snow skis quite vividly. It’s
such a refreshing experience to feel those skis under the
feet, even if they feel so long and awkward! All I wanted
to do was get out and hammer. And I paid for it when I awakened
those other muscles that I seemed to neglect over the summer.
Oh, but I was younger then. Recovery was not an issue….Or,
at least I refused to think so.
Take those first few days easy and don’t kill yourself.
Don’t be overly obsessed about keeping in your level
1 training zone, but just don’t go crazy either. Nothing
is more frustrating than really enjoying that first ski, only
to hear your heart rate monitor beeping at you to slow down!
Instead, just ski under control. Your on-snow, ski specific
muscles need time to come around.
Here’s a short list of tips and ideas that I keep in
the back of my head when I do get on snow for my first week.
Maybe some of these will work for you too:
-Ski easy and in control. Try to pick relatively flat, preferably
smooth trails. It’s always initially tricky on the skinny
skis, so why make it even harder?
-Technique, technique, technique! Start to redeveloped those
good habits (or break the bad ones). Work on skiing without
poles, gliding on a flat ski, proper upper body position,
and keeping your hips forward. The list goes on forever, and
we hear it every year, visualize, dream, adopt……
But, the bottom line remains: Think “perfect technique.”
-Balance drills. We need plenty of it to ski well, so why
not work on it early in the season! Exaggerate the glide phase,
ski downhill on one ski, bend the knees, and relax the body.
(Again, visit other ski web sites and you’ll see the
same message, different perspectives, varying drills and explanations.)
-Hold off the hard intervals that first 5 days or so. What’s
the point? Rusty technique doesn’t lend itself well to
intervals. They just hurt more! Why punish yourself? When
I do intervals, I remain in control, and only go as hard as
I can keep my technique together.
-Ski with your friends, but don’t let it turn into a
race. In fact, the best way to work on technique is to ditch
the friends for an hour. Seriously! Ski with your buds afterwards,
with your refined technique.
-While out in the woods alone, if you haven’t started
to think about and set some goals for the winter, now is a
great time to begin. Goals don’t have to be huge or glamorous.
Simply finishing your first 30 km race or training daily is
a fine goal. Be productive with whatever time you do have
available.
-If you have new skis, boots, or other gear that you are
using for the first time, really try to learn your gear and
figure it out. Experiment with the wax pockets on those new
classic skis, get your boots fitted and broken in well, and
begin to soak wax into the ski bases.
-Watch skiers who are better than you are and try to understand
what they are doing. Lots can be learned from them. Don’t
be afraid to ask them questions! Don’t be hesitant to
implement those new pointers.
Remember not to overdo the skiing that first week on snow.
I just checked my calendar and the Birkie is still over four
months away.
Our goal is the same …
Have a long, worthwhile, and enjoyable season, not one that
blows up in smoke.
** If you are thinking about skiing over Thanksgiving, consider
the West Yellowstone fall camp. It’s a great event, full
of character, and a place where one can work on all aspects
of skiing!
|
| Andy Answers Your Technical
Questions |
|
We just purchased a new pair of the Equipe 10
skate skis for my son who races on a HS team. Is the preparation
for their Zeolit base material any different than other new
skis, copper brush, warm wax, scrape, brush, cold wax, scrape
brush etc.?
What do you recommend?
Thanks!
Thank you for your purchase of Salomon skis. The Zeolit base
is unique but it requires no unique treatment.
Here is what we recommend:
1) First take a Swix Fiberlene cloth and rub down the
skis to remove any surface dirt.
2) Then take a course Stainless Steel or Bronze brush
and gently brush from tip to
tail. (This will remove any extra surface dirt and raise
loose base hairs.)
3) Then use a razor blade tool, sharp metal scraper
or medium fibertex to
cut off these loose hairs.
(You are not scraping the base but rather cutting the hairs
off.)
4) Now wax with Swix base prep or a soft wax such as
CH10.
5)cool,
6)scrape with plastic scraper,
7)brush with medium and then fine stainless steel or
bronze brush.
Repeat steps 4-7 at least 4 times.
Steps 4-7 are vital for both wax absorption and base hair
treatment. Every time you brush, scrape etc. you remove base
hairs.
After you have completed steps 4-7 at least 4 times you're
ready to wax for the current days conditions!
Remember, every time you wax, scrape, brush, etc. you make
the skis faster.
I hope this helps!
Andy at SkiPost
|
| Events/Clinics/Announcements |
|
Goldstream Sports/Salomon Ski Presentation
Thurs. Nov. 3, 2005 @ 6 PM
Fairbanks, AK- Subaru Factory Team director Andrew
Gerlach will host a Clinic highlighting Salomon's new Equipe
10 racing skis and explain what makes these skis so
special. He will introduce new Pressure Mapping technology
that will enable all
skiers to get the best skis and ski fit ever.
___________________________________________________________
The Yellowstone Ski Festival
November 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26, 2005
West Yellowstone, Montana
Rendezvous Trail Head 11/3/05
The mountains around West Yellowstone are white and we are
expecting snow in town - looks like it might be time to ski
soon! You have to love winter to live in West Yellowstone
and our winter begins with the Yellowstone Ski Festival. This
year the Yellowstone Ski Festival dates are November 22, 23,
24, 25 and 26, 2005.
Here are a few Yellowstone Ski Festival updates and announcements:
1) Welcome Beth Heiden! We are excited to announce that that
Beth Heiden, one of the most prolific athletes in US history,
will be in West Yellowstone for the Ski Festival and will
be our featured speaker at 8:30 PM, Friday, November 25 at
the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort. Beth's success as a speed
skater (1979 World All-around Champion, a Bronze medal in
the 3000m in the 1980 Olympics), cyclist (1980 World Road
Championship in Sallanches, France) and cross country skiing
(1983 NCAA Champion for the University of Vermont) means that
she's had experiences from which we can all learn. Please
help us welcome Beth Heiden to West Yellowstone!
2) Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot: The Turkey Trot will take
place at 1:30 PM on Thanksgiving Day. It will start at the
Rendezvous Ski Trailhead building, wind through town and finish
at the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center.
Total distance is just over 2 miles. This is a FREE fun run
- even more exercise to help work up an appetite before Thanksgiving
Dinner! And we can't wait to see Yellowstone Avenue full of
Nordic skiers on vacation.
3) Attention all Coaches! As we look ahead to this year's
event, we'd like to ask all of the coaches that are bringing
teams to West Yellowstone to train to please keep other trail
users in mind when you are working with your team. Please
do your best to keep trail intersections clear. Also, remember,
the farther out you ski on the trail system, the less congestion
you are likely to encounter. Please help us make the Ski Festival
enjoyable for everyone!
4) Can you say "Terrain Park"? West Yellowstone's
own Doug Edgerton, with the help and advice of Fischer's Tor
Brown, has worked incredibly hard to develop a new terrain
park just a few meters away from the new Rendezvous Trailhead
Building. A little air, anyone?
5) Supertour Participants: Fans of Nordic ski racing, need
to plan on being in West Yellowstone to watch the XC Supertour
Races. Sponsored locally by the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort
(800-646-7365), West Yellowstone's Supertour races will be
held on November 25th and 26th, 2005. Amongst the many participants
expected to race are Kris Freeman, Andy Newell, Torin Koos,
Andrew Johnson, Lars Flora, Dave Chamberlain, Leif Zimmerman,
Chad Giese, James Southam, Chris Cook, Justin Freeman, Zack
Simons, Ivan Babikov, Karin Camenisch, Rebecca Dussault, Wendy
Wagner, Lindsay Williams, Lindsey Weier and Abby Larson. How's
that for an impressive lineup?
For more information, 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
___________________________________________________________
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
|
|
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."
|
If your email is not set up to view html images, please
click
here to visit this page on the web. Thank you.
|
|
