Do My Skis Fit Me?

I have a pair of waxable light touring skis.  I think I wax pretty well.  I have read a lot and I am a pretty good skier classic kick and glide. I still find I slip when trying to kick and glide when I do not see other skiers doing this. I got my skis online from a pretty good place. They have asked me many questions to get them to fit to me. Maybe its the snow in wetter icier patches or my ski style not quite correct. Not sure. Just thought you might have some idea to help..  perhaps the skis are too much for me ? and I  need a slightly wider more stable ski ? I used to downhill so i don't like to "walk"..I ski groomed tracks but sometimes light powder.. thanks

Please try the one hand two hand test. Hold the skis together base to base with your hands. Press them together just behind the bindings with one and then two hands. With one hand you should not be able to get the two bases to touch under the bindings but with two hands you should be able to get them to close.  If you cannot get the two bases to close with two hands then the skis are most likely to stiff. While this is a very rudimentary test it works very well to let you know if your skis are likely too soft, likely to stiff or likely in the ball park.

Start has been offering a complete pole line for 5 years now.  Start poles are developed for minimum swing weight and maximum durability.  "They achieve this from Black Ops Carbon and Precision Robotic Manufacturing plus 17mm-8mm taper."

The pole you saw on the podium at U.S. Nationals by Michael Sinnott and also selected by Bryan Cook, Maria Stuber, the SiSu ski team and a few others is the Start SD3.  It is made in Finland with Precision 3-D robotic winding process with individual Black Ops HM Carbon filaments.  This allows each pole to be manufactured with no weak spots. They are strong where most poles are weak-down by the aero baskets- and stiff where most poles are soft, in the midshaft.  Other race poles in the line are Race - 100% Black Ops HM Carbon Fiber, Winner - 100% Black Ops HS Carbon Fiber, Loppet - 70% BO Carbon Fiber 30% Fiberglass.

Start encourages you to do the Start Swing Weight Test. Visit a Start Race Service Retailer and test any Start pole against any other brand and swing them in your hand. Start is confident that if you compare poles at same price (same length) you will find the Start pole has the lighter swing, and if you compare swing weight Start will win on price.  Over time Start is confident their poles will also win on durability.  Try them you like them.

VBT Cross Country Ski Vacations

Winter greetings from Salzburg!

There are few better places in the world to experience the winter holidays than Salzburg, Austria. Steeped in holiday tradition, "Mozart City" is especially famous for its Christkindl Market, which attracts travelers from across Europe. And as you browse the bazaar, you can warm up with a glass of gluhwein (mulled wine) or a toasty kaiserschmarrn dessert, a caramelized pancake served with whipped cream and topped with roasted nuts and warm apple sauce.

Salzburg is also where the Christmas classic, Silent Night by Franz Gruber, was originally composed.  While the city may be silent on Christmas Eve, save for the chime of a few church bells, it explodes with the sound of fireworks on New Year's. In fact, if it's clear, you can catch glimpses of fireworks displays atop the looming peaks of the surrounding Alps.

Though the Alps may appear to be far off, the groomed Nordic trails and Alpine slopes of Flachau and Werfen are a mere thirty-minute train trip away. I was able to head into the mountains on several occasions over the holidays and even just two weeks after the Winter Solstice, the snow is deep, the sun is bright and every kind of winter activity is readily available. The highlight for me was a gondola ride to the top of Werfenweng, as paragliders buzzed the lift towers. After a big hamburger (yes, gotta have one of those) and plate of French fries, we rented classic Austrian rodel sleds to cruise down the 6km trail to the valley.

Our first group of VBT Ski Vacation travelers arrives in Salzburg tomorrow and we're excited to get going! We'll head deep into the Alps to the town of Obertilliach where 100km of groomed trails, sledding hills, alpine vistas and a few apple strudels await us. Interested in joining? We've still got a couple of spots available on our final departure in March. Click here to learn more!

Waxing advice

I discovered a waxing app called Perfect Skiing the other day.  Are there any other ones? wax geek.

Race Day Waxing Suggestions

This weekends wax suggestions

TD Bank Kids Day at Great Glen, Pinkham Notch, NH

Stowe Mini Marathon, Stowe Nordic Center, Stowe, VT

Race to the Cabin, Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, VT

TD Bank Kids Day Strafford, VT

TD Bank Eastern Cup Weekend at Mountain To, Chittenden, VT

King Boreas, Phalen Golf Course, St. Paul, MN

Giants Ridge Mesabi Invite Weekend Giants Ridge , Biwabik, MN

Sisu Ski Fest, ABR Ski Trails, Ironwood, MI

Pre Loppett, Theo Wirth Park, Minneapolis, MN

Dammen Nordic Race, JC Hormel Center, Austin, MN

Seeley Hills Classic, Birkie Trail, Seeley, WI

Snekkevik, Wausau, WI

Frosty Freestyle & Krazy Klassic, Huron Meadows, Brighton, MI

 Mountain Store Citizens Series, Crested Butte Nordic Center, CO

Steamboat Stampede, Ski Touring Center, Steamboat Springs, CO

NCAA RMISA CU Invite, Steamboat Springs, CO 

Glacier Glide, Glacier Nordic Center, Whitefish, MT

Teton Ridge Classic, Tetonia, ID

U23/Jr. World Nordic Championship &

U18/J1 Scando Cup Teams Named

NNF funds $93,000 in trip costs minimizing athlete expenses.

Congratulations to all the athletes named to represent the USA at the U23 and World Junior Nordic Championships and the U18/J1 Scando Cup. Their hard work, dedication, and outstanding performance earned them the right to compete against the best skiers their age in the world while representing our country and our American Nordic community.

The NNF is contributing $93,000 in support of these trips ($81,000 XC, and $12,000 NC). Thanks to the support of this American Nordic community  and  the NNF's Drive for 25 fundraising efforts we are sending these athletes to go up against the World's best at a significantly reduced cost them. This ensures the athletes can afford to go and have the coaching support that is necessary to succeed. We thank all the NNF supporters for making this happen. Stay tuned to see how our young athletes do.

To see who made the teams and how NNF is minimizing their expenses link here.

Save 30% off SkiTrax with SkiPost Special Offer

Check out these great articles in our current issue: Jessie Diggins Interview, US/Can Loppets 2013, Nordic Fashion Guide and much more....

SkiTrax Magazine is the #1 Nordic ski publication in North America and is the official magazine of Cross Country Canada and the United States Ski and Snowboard Association. Read columns by the sport's top stars * Kikkan Randall * Alex Harvey * Chandra Crawford * Andy Newell.

Each issue is packed with news, top-rated national and international race coverage, product reviews, columns on training, technique, waxing and the most extensive calendar listing of events in the marketplace.