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May 23, 2008
Vol 1 Issue 7 |
BNS News |
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Summer is when skiers are made. This edition of BNS News has some training tips, info about our upcoming camps, a few of the cool projects we're tackling over the summer. Next issue will tackle the latest test results on the new products for 2008-2009. |
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Ski Testing and Selection |
| by Nathan Schultz |
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Magic Skis, New Gear and testing, testing, testing 
We finished up a busy spring of testing new gear with Zach Caldwell dropping in for a four-day trip to Boulder. I went up to BC and joined Zach to wrap up discussions and check out the US Ski Team Camp at the Callaghan Valley Olympic venue the following week. We had a great week of testing, looking at a lot of really good skis and a few very special skis on the flex bench, on the snow and on a real-time pressure mat borrowed from Andy Gerlach of the Factory Team (Thanks, Andy). Zach wrote a nice summary of our testing on caldwellsport.com.
Spring is a great time to do testing like this as we were able to take skis from athletes, measure them on the flex bench, ski them on snow and use the pressure mat to get real time pictures of the skiers on the skis. The athletes were excited to talk with us since this time of year is pretty low-key, so we were able to get a lot of their perceptions and conclusions about their race skis in a broad range of conditions. This allowed us to clearly correlate all of the data and perceptions into meaningful ideas on what makes skis truly exceptional. This not only helps us feel more confident about picking skis, but also that all of this extra work we're doing is meaningful. We tested some average skis compared to the best skis and the differences in speed and climbing feel were stunning.
Ski Selection starts in June - Get on the List Now
We begin selecting skis at suppliers' warehouses in June and will go through the end of the summer to select skis for customers and our general inventory. Now is the best time to get on the ski selection list as it increases the chances that we will happen across that magic pair of skis that fits you. We pick skis based on inventory peaks at the warehouses and once those peaks are finished, it often takes a long time to find the right pair from what is left. We will not be carrying large inventories of Madshus, Atomic or Salomon skis this season, so it is especially important to get those brands selected early to ensure that we can find skis for you.
Fischer 902's and other special skis
The Fischer classic 902 mold (S-Track) is a unique ski that we have had a lot of good luck with both as racers and as retailers. The 902 has a slightly higher and more aggressive camber than the standard 812 RCS mold with a rounded tip/forebody that results in significant tip splay. The more active camber makes these skis fast and snappy when fit and waxed properly, which is why most World Cup Fischer racers are on the 902 often. The tip splay makes the ski a little less stable than the standard 812, and they require an impulsive, quick kick, but any reasonably fit and technically adept skier will like these skis, especially in warmer conditions such as binder and wet klister.
We had a great batch of 902's last year that came out of the race room and had an unbelivably supple, soft finish but maintained speed with the higher camber. We have a few left from that batch and we have the opportunity to get more this year, but they stop making them in June and they are only available by pre-order. So if you need a fast Fischer classic ski to complement an existing 812, get on it now before you miss the boat.
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Camp/Clinic Schedule for 2008-2009 |
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June on-snow in Crested Butte, Swedish Vasaloppet and more!
· Crested Butte, Colorado June 5-8, 2008
· Snow Farm, New Zealand July 20-Aug 1 and Aug 4-14, 2008
· Snow Mountain Ranch, Colorado November 28-30, 2008
· Mora, Sweden (Vasaloppet) February 24-March 2, 2009
Crested Butte on Snow Camp June 5th-8th Boulder Nordic Sport, Western State College and the Crested Butte Nordic Center will host a 4-day on-snow camp for all ages June 5-8, 2008 in Crested Butte, Colorado. The snow continues to pile up in Crested Butte and we look forward to 5km of Pisten Bully-groomed trails for a fun-filled 4 days of skiing and dryland training at the peak of spring in the Colorado High Country.
The four-day camp will be led by Western State College Coach Jesse Crandall and Boulder Nordic Sport owner Nathan Schultz. The camp provides intermediate to advanced skiers with technique coaching, video analysis, and information about a wide range of training, technique and other skiing topics. The itinerary includes skiing in the morning on all three days with afternoon dryland sessions and evening discussion topics and social events. Skiers will be grouped by ability with no more than eight skiers per coach to provide the best coaching experience possible.
Physiology testing is available at Western State College as an add-on to the camp. VO2 Max and Lactate Testing are available with consultations from the Western State Exercise Physiologist and tests can be done rollerskiing on WSC's new state-of-the-art treadmill, running or cycling.
Cost: The fee for the three-day camp is $100 for juniors and $360 for adults, which includes grooming fees and coaching. Add $50 after May 28. Space is limited.
Contact: See bouldernordic.com for details and registration or call 720.227.9400.
Lodging: Nordic Inn (970.349.5542) offers a discounted rate: $80 for 2 people in room with 2 beds, $90 4 people sharing 2 beds. Substantial continental breakfast included.
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Strength, Strength, Strength |
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The key to getting faster and feeling better on skis is strength
 Strength is by far the biggest limiting factor for most American athletes, especially juniors and masters. Cross-country skiing is a powerful sport which places large demands on core and peripheral strength. Core strength provides stability to hold correct body position while strength in the extremities (arms & legs) propels us and gives us muscular endurance to maintain speed over long distances.
Core strength is of primary importance because if the core is weak, a skier will be unable to hold technique or stabilize the body while push is applied with the arms and legs. This results in quick fatigue and reduced speed.
Summer activities tend to be leg-centric, so put some effort into maintaining that buff upper body that showed up in February this year.
We've posted several useful strength articles on bouldernordic.com for free download - just click on this link. The most useful is the BNS Strength overview which outlines strength training for cross-country skiers. This document is a reasonable overview for skiers of all levels. The other two documents came from the US Ski Team and show what elite skiers are doing month-to-month throughout the year for both general training (USST Training Plan Guidelines) and specifically for strength (USSTStrengthProgram.pdf). Remember to ease into any training program and to realize that the training outlined for the US Ski Team is probably not right for you unless you've put in 5000+ hours of training in the last 8 years. But the general periodization is interesting to see and useful for everyone.
We also have a few of the US Ski Team's Core Strength DVD's left. This 3-DVD set has 90 exercises and 9 workout routines to cover just about any muscle you can find in there. |
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Rollerskis & Poling Ergometer |
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Rollerskis from V2 and MaPlus have arrived Rollerskiing is the best way to build fitness and improve technique for skiing and BNS has a full line of skate, classic and combi rollerskis and accessories. We carry a broad selection of four V2 models and five models from MaPlus. Most of our rollerskis can be fit with brakes and/or speed reducers and there are options for any surface type from smooth to rough and even gravel.
We're especially excited about V2's new XL100R, which uses solid 100mm rubber tires on a composite shaft that provides for a more ski like feel and dampens road noise considerably. The tires are very inexpensive to replace ($12 each) and there are several speed reducers and a very lightweight brake that can be fitted to the skis to vary resistance and/or provide braking down hills. The shafts come in 3 stiffness levels to allow further customization of the ride.
We can also special order Alpina's new rollerski boots which are fantastic. These boots share the same platform as Alpina's high end TCS and SCL, but lose the outer shell and insulation as well as substitute a mesh upper material for the solid material used in the winter boots. The result is an incredibly cool and light boot that makes Rollerskiing much more enjoyable.
Drop in the shop or go on-line to check out the rollerskis and demos we have, or give us a call to chat about what we've found in our tests. Vasa Poling Ergometer
BNS is anxiously awaiting our new Vasa Poling Ergometer. This machine measures power output independently for each arm and can be used to both single and double-poling. This is a fantastic tool for training and also to provide solid testing data to compare fitness between skiers as well as monitor an individual skier's progress over time. 
BNS helped get the nordic wall-mounted model to completion and will be the first to receive the production model. We'll be setting it up and talking with US Ski Team physiologist Justin Carlstrom to see what cruel tests they invent as they play with their Ergometer. Our goal is to get one of these things in every ski clubhouse in the country and be able to provide standardized tests so skiers everywhere can compare themselves to performance standards set by elite US and International skiers of different ages and abilities.
For our first test, we plan to do 3-minute double-pole sessions while destabilized by standing on a pair of rollerskis without ratchets.
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Summer Stone Grinding |
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Summer is the best time to grind skis This is the best time of year to stone grind skis. Stone grinding exposes fresh base material, flattens the bases, and fixes most scratches, giving your skis new life and speed. Getting your skis to us now allows us to work without time pressure, which is when we do our best work. It is also less stressful for you to do it now and you get the bonus of having your skis soaking up wax for the entire summer. 
As an added incentive to get skis to us during the summer, we will be running the Heat box with LF wax at no extra charge until June 30. We will also lower the threshold for our group pricing until June 30. Our grind prices will be increasing at the end of summer, so get those skis together and get them to us.
Group grind pricing (until June 30):
- Skis must come in one shipment, one payment and one return shipment
- 15% off grinds and service work for 6-9 pairs of the same grind or 12-19 pairs total of any mix of grinds.
- 25% off for 10 of the same grind or 20+ pairs total.
We have a lot of info on our process and our grinds on bouldernordic.com.
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Free Shipping
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10% Off |
Free shipping and binding mount on all rollerskis and accessories Get free shipping on rollerskis and rollerski accessories with an order of $20 or more. Use Coupon code Roll0805 at bouldernordic.com or bring this coupon in the store for 10% off rollerskis and accessories including free binding mount.
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| Offer Expires: June 15, 2008 minimum order of $20, rollerskis and accessories only | |
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Contact Us | |
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Contact Information
phone: 720.227.9400
toll free: 877.BNS.SKIS (877.267.7547)
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