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SkiPost
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Volume 17 Issue 34: Dec 24, 2015
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Ask us, We Answer
Do you have a Nordic training, technique, equipment, travel, or event question? Just email us at weanswer@skipost.com |
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Which side to pole?
Dear SkiPost,
I wrote to you a few years ago on how often to use V-2 in races and practice because I thought was doing mostly V-1 when I skied. You were correct in surmising that I was doing more V-2 alternate than I realized, and you encouraged me to practice V-2. I now often do one session of roller skiing a week of an hour of just V-2 and have gotten comfortable (though not highly efficient) at frequently using it on the snow as well.
My question now is a basic one, but I've gotten a lot of conflicting advice regarding it from very good cross country skiers. Which side should a person be poling on in a turn? For example, turning right should the poling be on the right side or the left? Also, when on a trail that cants to one side, should the poling action be on the downhill or uphill side? Thanks in advance for answering what should be a basic question, but is perplexing to me.
Todd
Todd,
The second question you asked is the easier, and I will answer it first. When skiing on a canted hill, pole on the uphill side. Always. Help yourself climb the hill, and let gravity aid you on the downstroke. This is why we encourage people to learn to ski with left and right leads, so that while skiing on a slanted hill, you can change leads to your benefit. Again, you need more help climbing, and should use poles on the uphill side.
As for going around a corner, this depends on your quickness, and on the sharpness of the corner, and on your technique. In general, for V2 or V2 alternate, I would tell you to pole on the inside step. So if you are turning right, pole on the right. However, there are times when if you are quick, and the corner is not too sharp, it is beneficial to pole on every step. NEVER pole on your outside step only.
Things change for V1. While doing V1 around a corner, have your "high" side to the outside. An uphill turn will invariably lead to an angled track, and just like we mentioned before, you want to be poling on the uphill side. So for a right hand turn, have your left hand "high."
I recommend you try different techniques and lead sides for yourself. See if you can feel a difference. It might be that you are so much stronger on one side that my input is moot. Until you develop proficiency left and right handed, the gain is minimal.
Have a wonderful winter,
Michael Sinnott
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Dirty Snow
My skiing is now mostly made of a handful of half and full marathons each year. As such, several of the point-to-point courses (think Noquemanon, Birkie) have road, bridge, and multi-use trail crossings and sections. After last season, I brought my skis in for stonegrinding following the Birkie. The tuning expert noted my skis were really dirty. I recalled that my skis were quite fast in the first half of the Birkie, but slowed down quite a bit after "OO" and subsequent road crossings which apparently had picked up debris particles. I'm a little confused on the use of moly or other similar products used to repel dirt. Can you help demystify the appropriate use of molybdenum products and what START offers? Would you recommend using a particular moly base wax for most marathon races to prevent dirt clinging onto skis going over road crossings and areas with trucked-in snow? Thanks! BV
Hello, Yes most people glide wax for the temp but you also need to wax for the Snow condition. Clean or dirty. One 1.2 km dirty section of snow can slow your skis for the other clean 49.5km of a 50km race.
At Start we have our BM wax line for dirty and coarse snow. BM has Molybdenum in it which is a dry lubricant that helps repel dirt it also has more than 20% Fluor which also helps repel dirt. Most artificial snow is very dirty. A 100% Fluor top coat over your chosen glider also helps keep skis clean. We also have BM series of 100% Fluor Top coats.
To wax for dirty snow especially a marathon.
Start with a cold base layer 1 -2 temp ranges colder than the given temp (We most often use Start SG10 green)
Then choose the glider slightly colder than the given temp but one for dirty snow. We use BM6-Green most often- (Perhaps apply this twice.)
Apply appropriate 100% Fluor top coat that will manage proper moisture content and it will also repel dirt. BM or FHF most often. (Perhaps apply this twice.)
Use a self-cleaning structure
I could get more complicated but this is the basics.
Let me know of you need more info.
Andy at SkiPost/Start
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Knee Brace
I am a master nordic ski racer. I was trying to kick myself out of a situation in my kitchen and really did a great deal of damage to my kdee that ended up involving the whole leg. I took last winter off from sking, but want to get back in the game, this winter. The leg is very much better, but I am interested in finding a knee brace that will give me maximum support and flexability. Does anybody out there have any suggestions?
Thanks!
Sara
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Start Wax Recs?
Where do you post Start Wax Rec for races? Love the wax now I need your suggestions.
This week we feature:
Andy at SkiPost/STart
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So Cal skiing?
I am from the Northeast and traveling to Southern California for work in January. I'm staying over a weekend and will be free to ski. I am training for marathons (classic) and so would really like to get in some good skiing. I see Rim Nordic as a close-by option but am not finding reviews for Rim, plus not sure they will have snow. Any suggestions on good classic skiing in So Cal? I'm willing to drive 3-4 hours or more if necessary. Thanks for any advice you can offer.
California has not had much if any skiable snow the past 3 winters. But the Truckee area has received snow this winter and now has skiing.
Here we have a excellent cross country ski center { Tamarack Cross Country Ski Center }. Although it is 300+ Miles from S.C. depending where you are in S.C. There is good classic skiing at this time. Tamarack will be your best bet for getting good snow. For more info. call me at 760.924-8566.
Brian Ellison
A couple of other places to pass along for skiing within reasonable
driving distance from SoCal on the west side of the Sierra are in
Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks:
respectively. Montecito-Sequoia has nice groomed trails and there's
backcountry skiing in the area. Yosemite's Badger Pass ski area
has good trails, including the 34K round trip out to Glacier Point,
which is well worth the views.
Gene
Andy at SkiPost
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Wedge
Are others seeing an advantage to a wedge under the binding (lifting the toe)? I bought a set, easy to swap out and test with the new NNN plates. Maybe testing will make it obvious, but I have heard that they allow better or more dynamic glide in certain conditions... namely they work for skate skis in soft snow. They may be harder to control in icy or hard pack, and not useful for classic?
SS
Scott,
Salomon came up with this concept back at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and now it is standard in Salomon's Skate bindings and a click in in NNN. It puts your ankles/lower leg in a more powerful position. Most people either prefer it, or find it indifferent but few to none do not like it. It is like how a wet bar of soap slips forward out of your hands. No, do not us it in classic.
Andy at SkiPost
Andy,
Hey just read SkiPost. I was going to tell you that NNN has a slightly wedged classic binding that I'm in love with. It's new for this season. It frees up the kick zone without compromising kick.
Evan Pengelly
Nordic Racing Manager
Group Rossignol North America
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One Lens?
Dear SkiPost,
Does Bliz offer a Photohromatic lens that actually works in winter? Mine gets dark and then never changes back in the cold.
Yes, Bliz introduced the BLIZ ULS lens last spring after a winter of testing by World Cup Nordic stars. It filters light at the largest spectrum of any Photochromatic made form 15-89% so it is clear inside yet can block 89% of the light sunniest of days. Best of all it is fog free. Blow on the inner lens and no flog develops. This is why it is the overwhelming choice of World Cup stars including the uber dominant World Cup star Martin Johnsrud Sundby.
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Sun Valley Ski Academy
Visits Minneapolis
will host a Q-and-A presentation on Monday, January 11 at 5 p.m. in the Chalet Fireplace Room at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis.
Special guest speakers include:
Elite cross-country skier, Middlebury Ski Team & SVSA alumna and Olympic Hopeful Annie Pokorny '11;
Head of Community School and native Minnesotan Ben Pettit; SVSA parent, Armstrong High School alumnus & MN State High School Honoree in Cross-Country Skiing Mike Wolter;
Community School science teacher, SVSA alumnus and Dartmouth Cross-Country Ski Team alumnus Hannes Thum '03.
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Bend Endurance Academy
asks for your help
Good Afternoon Ski Friends,
The Bend Endurance Academy is embarking on a campaign to gain equal access at our local ski area, Mt. Bachelor. I need your help.
Skiing is about access- access to kids, access to snow, access to funds, access to volunteers and officials, access to terrain. access to members and on and on. BEA has grown to over 600 kids over the last 7 years and we are not afforded the same access to the mountain as other local organizations with similar missions. Mt. Bachelor operates under a special use permit issued by the United States Forest Service.
The BEA board is asking you to sign a petition and write a letter of support.
I know you all care deeply about this sport. Exclusion does not serve the longevity of skiing. I appreciate your support.
Warmly,
Ben Husaby
Executive Director
Bend Endurance Academy
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Ski Camps?
Do you have suggestions for a XC ski camp for older women (61)? I am an intermediate skier who wants to improve both my diagonal and skate techniques for the sake of the techniques. I am not training to race. A five-day camp/lodging would be idea. Any and all suggestions welcome. Thanks, hs
Hi Andy - The Steamboat Nordic Camp is awesome, but it's next weekend already so maybe not ideal for the person who wrote. They do an incredible job there and have groups ranging from "never skied before" to advanced, both skate and classic. Steve and I have gone twice and had a great time, learned a lot, etc. Last year our group of friends included people in all the the ability groups and every person loved it. It's only a weekend but it is extremely well done.
Cheers....... Sonja
Gotta plug the CXC Master's program; they do a great job for all ability levels!
Lots of good info on their website.
Andy,
Methow Valley Nordic's Sun Mountain XC Ski Camp gets consistently high marks for satisfaction from adults of all ages. We have groups of all ability levels and an average student-coach ratio of around 6:1, so a good fit is practically guaranteed. It's not a 5-day camp, and it's oriented toward improving technique rather than conditioning, but the skiers find it well enough in terms of energy output over the 3 days. Staying at Sun Mountain Lodge is fun and luxurious, and it's very social, with everyone in the same place. Really, it's a celebration of XC skiing and not just a chance to improve. The camp is always a Thursday night-Sunday afternoon stretch in the middle of December. And there are the famous Mazama Store cookies, which are enjoyed every day! This year's camp is next week, 12/17-12/20.
Regards,
Scott
"Do you have suggestions for a XC ski camp for older women (61)?
My suggestion: XC Oregon Fall Camp.
I don't have any comparisons but I'm a repeat XC Oregon ski camper and an writing from Bend. I've been getting the Senior 65+ trail passes for several years. I'm a male way back of the pack race participant. At today's Classic session the two others in my group were both women but I didn't ask their ages.
Edgar
Hello
I help organize these two camps. Fantastic ski conditions and top level coaching staffs made for super positive camps this year. We just wrapped up both of these early season camps. Check them out in 2016!
Quote from 2015 participant: "Thanks for a terrific ski camp! I learned a great deal from JK, Marianne, and Bill and have lots to work on before the Birkie. I will be coming back in 2016."
Quote from a 2015 participant: "The week was very well-organized, and exceeded my expectations for improving my skiing. Good show !"
Thanks
Emily
Emily Lovett
Steamboat Nordic Camp
Hi Andy,
I�d tell this lady about the Sun Valley Nordic Center. We can set up a private set of custom clinics for the woman and we have the best snow on Earth right now! We also have an amazing density of strong master skiers here in Sun Valley, as well as the VAMPS.
Betsy
the nordic center is fabulous today!
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Supporting Tomorrow's Nordic Stars Today
National Nordic Foundation Allocates $154,280 to
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XC Trail Tracker
(improved for use on mobile devices!)
xctrailtracker.com is a free website put together by Nordic skiers for Nordic skiers. This is a place where you can post a report of your time on the trails or read other skiers' reports to help figure out where the good snow or good grooming is, if it's worth driving to the trailhead, etc. If your favorite trails are not yet on the map, you can add them. xctrailtracker.com can be used for trails anywhere in the world!
Obviously, this type of site needs a critical mass to make it effective, so please join in!
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LungPlus
"warm the cold"
"I have exercised induced asthma and Lungplus has definitely helped my performance as an athlete. When I saw this product I was a bit doubtful at first, I thought it might be hard to breathe through; now that I've tried it I would give this product 5 out of 5 stars. You can breathe very easily through it and it warms the cold air amazingly well. This is a great product for both athletes with asthma and without." http://lungplususa.com/
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Start is the low swing weight and high durability
pole choice of CXC
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This Bliz
Bliz for winter are now in stores.
Check out the This Bliz video from Bliz World Cup stars including Charlotte Kalla, Marcus Hellner, and Robin Bryntesson.
Andy at SkiPost/Bliz
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Salomon Nordic
Check out a Peter Schlickenrieder Ski Camp!
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We are excited to announce that the eighth annual SkiTrax FIS Fantasy Tour de Ski 2016 Contest is coming soon for contestants.
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PSIA Academy
Big news, the PSIA nordic team, composed of Megan Spurkland of Homer Women's Nordic fame & renown XC author, Scotty McGee, 3 term PSIA nordic team member and 2 term nordic team coach and me (David Lawrence) are hosting a cross country specific, 3 day clinic for PSIA members from around the country.
Details below...
PSIA Cross Country Academy 2016
February 2-4, 2016
Day 1 @ Copper Mountain (in conjunction with SIA Nordic Demo)
Day 2 @ Frisco Nordic
Day 3 @ Breckenridge Nordic
Deadline to Register: Jan 2, 2015 (four weeks prior)
OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS, ALL DIVISIONS! ATTENDING FROM ANOTHER DIVISION THAN ROCKY MOUNTAIN? NO PROBLEM, PLEASE CONTACT THE RM DIVISON AT (970) 879-8335
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Galena Lodge
10-week Cross Country Skiing Master's Training Group for Men
with Micheal Sinnott
Mondays at 9am
will be an "intensity" day at Lake Creek Trailhead, featuring various hard workouts, .
Thursdays at 4pm will be distance and technique focused, based at the Prairie Creek Trailhead..
The program will feature a ten week progression with periodized training, video technique analysis, homework, goals, and race preparation. It is open to men who would like to stay fit, learn to cross country ski better, and motivate each other throughout the winter.
The Group will be lead by Michael Sinnott, former World Cup ski racer. He will draw on his wealth of experience as an elite racer and junior coach to improve your cross country skiing.
The Quick Details:
Mondays at 9:00 am and/or Thursdays at 4:00 pm
10 weeks
$35/session
$300 for 1 session for 10 weeks
$500 for all sessions for 10 weeks
Sessions begin December 14th.
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NOQ
1-23-16
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Saturday, February 6, 2016
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Don't Miss Out on the
Greatest Show on Snow!
Birkie.com
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Tahoe Rim Tour & Race
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Tahoe XC - Tahoe City, CA to Northstar XC - Truckee, CA).
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2016 Great Bear Chase!
Registration is now open for the 36th annual UP Health System Portage Great Bear Chase. The race will take place on Saturday, March 5th, 2016 at the beautiful Swedetown Trails in Calumet, Michigan.
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2016 Sisu Ski Fest!
Always the 2nd Saturday of the New Year
January 9th, 2016.
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Copper Country Ski Tigers Head Coach Devo Program
Snow Mountain Ranch/YMCA of the Rockies, Granby Nordic Groomer info here
Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation Assistant Nordic Coach dan@MBSEF.org
Agamenticus Ski Club Assistant HS Coach & Assistant MS Coach
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About SkiPost
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 email us weanswer@SkiPost.com and visit SkiPost.com
Enjoy Winter,
Andrew Gerlach
Director/Editor- SkiPost
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