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 May 20, 2010: Volume 11, Number 3   

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Klister on my Glide Zones
Dear SkiPost,
 
I was lucky enough to be able to find the time and treasure to ski with some friends in this year's 2010 Birkebeiner Rennet from Rena to Lillehammer. 
 
This was my first Birkebeiner and I had not done a World Loppet race for about 6 or 7 years so did not have a wave qualifying time.  So, I was relegated to the very last wave, amongst the last 100 skiers of the 16,000+ other skiers.  The great thing about the race is that they space the waves out very well and the course is quite wide with plenty of lanes.  I never got held up in a significant way by a crowd. 
 
It was a wonderful experience, but it was a warm klister day.  I think when I started it might have been 37-38 degrees and as the day progressed and the sun emerged, it might have gotten to the mid 40's or warmer.  Most skiers were using a combination of klisters, but good old universal seemed to work for most of the crowd, and that is what the Swix wax stations had on their waxing machines at the support stations.  You just had to ski up, pull off your skis, they roll your wax zone over the klister covered rollers, and off you go.
 
After the race as we were cleaning the skis for travel home a bunch of us in the group found we had klister from tip to tail to one degree or another.  I remember seeing the silver and red spots of klister in the track around the wax and feed stations. 
 
Was I seeing the fresh klister from the skis that had just been rolled?  I assume I was picking it up as I went along, (which is why I guess I was double polling down sections of the shallow sections of the hills at the end).  
 
The question is, what, (if anything), can you do to repel picking up in your glide zones the wax left behind in the track?
 
Thanks
 
 J D
 
Jd,
 
Yes, your skis picked up Klister from the trail that was left there by the skiers before you. To minimize this Klister pick up requires using more 1) Pure Fluorocarbon glide waxes, 2) harder under layers and 3) linear structure on your glide zones. 
 
Pure fluoro waxes are not only good at repelling water, but also dirt, hardwaxes and klisters as well. The more you can apply for such situations the better. For classic marathons after burning in a layer or 2 of Cera we would often follow up with corking in a solid Cera at the start line. For the elite skiers the most klister is on the trails near the start. For the masses the most klister is on the trails after the wax zones.   
 
Another consideration is to put a slightly harder glide wax under the Fluoro than is called for by the air or snow temperature. The harder glide wax is less likely to pick up dirt and klister. 
 
We also run wide shallow linear structures that are "self cleaning". Many cross-structures pick up more dirt than linear structures.
 
When you get to the waxing zones go wide and stay wide after the zone.  Most of the klister loss (and klister pick up) will come in the first couple of km after the simple klister wax stations. The heated wax applicators put on the klister easily at these great waxing stations but the klister is still warm and soft when the skis hit the snow and the excess klister comes off soon after the zone. 
 
I hope this helps.
 
Andy at SkiPost
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Bend Oregon On-Snow Camps 
 
June 8-13 & June 18-22
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Bend Camp,
Summer on Snow XC Skiing

 
Skiing at Bend Camp is available to USSA club and divisional teams who will provide their own coaching and support and through programs like "Fire and Ice, Bend Camp 2010" run by the Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation who will provide coaching and support. 

Bend Camp will groom the trails at Mt. Bachelor for two blocks of skiing to accommodate varied school release dates.
Block 1 has skiing from June 8th - 13th with daily grooming for both classic and skating.   Teams from Sun Valley, Boise, and Steamboat are already confirmed for this period. 
Block 2 skiing is from June 18th to 22nd and will include "Fire and Ice, Bend Camp 2010" a five day all comers training camp featuring Torin Koos, Lars Flora, Kristina Strandberg, Dan Simoneau, and Tim Gibbons as coaches. 
 
"Bend Camp is just about as good as it gets," says Torin Koos. "Back in the day I vividly remember skipping the last days of the school year and completing my education on the ski trails of Mt. Bachelor. I'm sure the attendees will learn lots, and have a hell of a good time doing it. After camp, get ready for a few of your conversations to start out, 'There was this one time at Bend Camp..."
Lars Flora adds "Growing up in Oregon, Bend Camp was a key moment in my development.  It provided great on snow training in an exciting and fun environment.  Back then a few US Olympians were around training at Mt. B and Dennis Oliphant was showing us the "Sun Country Tours Beaver Slide into the Deschutes."
"Fire and Ice, Bend Camp 2010" will feature:
�         Daily coaching and instruction
�         Five on-snow training sessions (2 Classic and 3 Skating)
�         Five dryland training sessions (bounding, roller skiing, circuit training and strength training)
�         Video technique analysis
�         Whitewater raft trip
�         Camp t-shirt
�         BBQ and fun awards
According to Dan Simoneau, Nordic Program Director at MBSEF, "This is a great coaching staff that will provide skiers with the latest and greatest training and technique as well as an environment that will be motivating and fun.  This staff has two of this country's 7 skiers with World Cup podiums.  It has the experience of seven Olympic teams, an NCAA champion and so many national and junior national titles we couldn't count them."
Fire and Ice, Bend Camp 2010 will have the following options:
�         3 day on snow only camp for skiers 8-11 for $100.
�         5 day Junior Camp for skiers 12-18 for $250.
�         5 day Masters Camp for $300.
For more information on bringing your team to Bend Camp or for information on The Fire and Ice camp contact Dan Simoneau at [email protected] or 541-350-9126. 
 
Registration forms for the Fire and Ice camp are available at   www.mbsef.org/programs/crosscountry/ or visit BendCamp on Facebook.
 
I look forward to working with you and building this into a cornerstone of US XC Skiing Development.  
 
PLEASE CALL.  I WANT THIS TO WORK FOR YOU.
Dan Simoneau
Nordic Program Director

 
Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation
563 SW 13th Ave, Suite 201
Bend, OR 97701
 
(541) 388-0002 office
(541) 350-9126 cell
[email protected]
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Coach needed at
 
Cody, WY High School

Cody High School of Cody Wyoming is looking for a head boys and girls nordic ski coach for the 2010-2011 school year.  Salary will be based on experience but will be between $5500.00 and $7500.00.  The official season runs from November 15, 2010 until February 26, 2011.
For further information please contact Tony Hult, Cody High School Activities Director at 307-587-6110 or email at [email protected]

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CXC Camps and Academy
CXC Camps 
Central Regional Elite Grop (REG) Camp (July 3rd - July 9th)
 Birkie Junior Technique Camp (July 26th - July 29th)
Birkie One-Day Junior Technique Camp - NEW! (July 26th)
Birkie Masters Open Camp (July 30th - August 1st)
CXC Woman's Camp (August 13th - August 15th)
 
CXC Academy
This season Matt Liebsch (the winner of the 2009 American Birkebeiner and Top 30 World Cup finisher) will provide a duplicate of his training log, comments, and notes that corresponds with one week of each training period.  This, along with running tips, bike workouts, and narratives by other top-level Elite athletes makes the third installment of CXC Academy better than ever!

As you might imagine, there are many different applications for this type of open-ended coaching tool.  Some people who used CXC Academy include: 32 coaches from all different levels, 31 High School skiers, 44 Citizen Racers, 5 members of the US Adaptive Ski Team, 5 Elite Skate Wave Birkie Skiers, 15 Wave 1 Skate Birkie Skiers, 43 Wave 2 Skiers, 24 Wave 3 Skiers, 25 Wave 4 Skiers, 15 Wave 5 Skiers, 12 Wave 6 Skiers, 3 Wave 7 Skiers, 1 Wave 8 Skier, and 3 Wave 9 Skiers.  As the numbers indicate, there is something for everyone in CXC Academy, and we will be posting new information throughout the entire 2010/2011 season to help you get the most out of year-round ski training. CXC Academy Info

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Cross-Country skiing's community lodge. Where knowledge and stories are shared. 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 [email protected]

Enjoy Winter,
Andrew Gerlach
Director/Editor- SkiPost

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