Goldstream Sports Fairbanks Alaska

The new Goldstream Sports Classic Ski Trail is in great shape. I set track yesterday and skied it this morning. The 4k we added this year is a blast. It is narrow with a mix of straight and winding sections. Most has moderate grades but there are a few steep hills.

The section we built last year is 4.5 k of  trail similar to the new section but without the steep hills.

The trail head is in front of the store and heads out on a mix of privet and DNR land.  It is four feet wide  with a set track totaling 8.5 k. Ski it both directions for a total of 17 k.

I hope to get some trail maps up at the trail head and intersection in the morning. Come and enjoy. Joel

Sale Items

Come in and get 30% off all Swix nylon, horse hair, brushes.

Get 30% off select Toko Structurite tool.  Put an instant structure into the base of your ski in the comfort of your own home!

Get 30% off Toko Pocket Driver – perfect for snowboarders to tighten their bindings!

New Toko Service Boy Ski Forms in stock!

Check out the new Toko ski forms.  The Service boy is a very cool adjustable ski form that you can mount on any work bench, or wax bench.  Or, purchase the Service Boy legs and mount the ski form right on the legs!

The Service Boy (with center beam) normally $200 – On sale at $159.99
The Service Boy legs normally $133.99 – On Sale at $99.99

Don’t forget those last minute
stocking stuffer gift ideas starting at $3:

Wax kits – make a wax kit for your loved one (or we can make one for you)

Ski pants – The perfect gift for the skier in the family

Windproof Briefs – perfect for the high school skier (beats duct tape!)

Ski Hats (Toko, Swix, Wigwam, Bontrager) – Perfect stocking filler!

Toko Lobster Mits and Mittens – great for cold hands on cold days!

Bike lights – for those intrepid commuters

Ski ties – always a great gift to keep the new skis on good condition

Padded ski bag – hold everything neat and tidy and ready for skiing

Handlebar Tape – For those roadies anticipating the summer

Ski Hydration Pack – keeps you hydrated, and carry snacks on the longer ski

Water Bottle Cage – perfect for on the trainer and in summer – loads of colors

Dermatone Wind Block Stick – The big stick, great for colder days

Reflective Aardvark ankle straps – great for night visibility when riding

Facebook users click here to view in chart view on blog at http://goldstreamsports.com/blog/

Facebook users click here to view in chart view on blog at http://goldstreamsports.com/blog/

Cold new snow waxing requires bases to be very hard. Using the hardest waxes will improve glide. Most wax companies make hardeners for this purpose. Toko Nordlite X-Cold Power is Fairbanks favorite. Swix LF3 cold power also works well. They are used as and additive to waxes like LF Toko Blue or Swix CH 4. We find Toko to be much easier to scrape of you skis and glides better more often then not. Swix often does well with new snow and high humidity.

To apply cold powers you will first drip on and smooth out your base wax like Toko LF Blue, Swix CH 4 or Start Green. Then sprinkle on a layer of cold power and iron in together. You may need to tamp down the cold power on the first pass so you do not push the cold power off the ski.  Let cool 45 minutes and scrape and brush as normal. You will find a Toko Copper or Swix fine steel bush  take the hard wax off the skis much easier then a nylon brush.

What about scraping the skis warm when the wax is still softer? There are two problem with doing so. First the bases are very soft when warm and you will press out the base structure  and can easily round off you bases or scratch them if you slip.  Second the cooling process is when the skis are  soaking up the wax.

To get the wax off it is important to use a sharp plastic scraper. There are tools available to help you put a good edge on an old scraper. A block of wood as a guide and sand paper will work as well. I sharpen my scrapers allot. With CH4 I will even sharpen between skis. We used to use CH 4 bulk was in the shop because it was the cheapest cold wax available. We have switched to Toko Blue because it is so much easier to work with and save a lot of time.

Facebook users click here to view in chart view on blog at http://goldstreamsports.com/blog/

Facebook users click here to view in chart view on blog at http://goldstreamsports.com/blog/

Given the dirty snow we have, it will be important to get the skis cleaned and proper base layers applied. First the skis should be cleaned. To do this we need to first brush out the skis with a copper brush then a horse hair brush. Next perform a hot wipe. This is done by melting on a yellow wax and immediately wiping off all of the wax with a lint free paper like Toko Base Tex or Swix Fiberlene. This will clean the skis without the use of a solvent. Next the bases need to be hardened up the the cold weather that is coming by waxing with a cold wax like Toko Blue or equivalent. Now we need to apply a layer of Toko LF Moly. It will help repel dirt and improve break-a-way speed. Due to the cold and the fact that Toko LF Moly is in a base of red wax you will want to mix it with LF blue 1:1 to keep the desired hardness.

Your top coat should be cold HF wax. I will be running HF Blue Toko brushed with copper and horse hair brushes and testing Jetstream Blue roto corked as a top coat. If the Jetstream does not slow the skis it will be the way to go as it will help repel the dirt from sticking to the ski and slowing the ski over the coarse of the race. That is also why I have chosen to go with the HF wax. Clean ski are fast skis.

If you want advice or to see what we decide on in the morning check with us in the Goldstream Sports Wax Trailer in the lower parking lot.  Joel

Clean skis glide better. It is important to clean you skis after skiing in dirty conditions.If you wax dirty skis you will be helping the dirt migrate into the skis with your wax. Minimal base structure is recommended in dirty conditions to give dirt less area to get trapped.

First brush out the skis with a copper brush then a horse hair brush. Next perform a hot wipe. This is done by melting on a yellow wax and immediately wiping off all of the wax while still in liquid form using a lint free paper like Toko Base Tex or Swix Fiberlene. This will open the structure of the ski and clean the skis without the use of a solvent. When going through this process it would make sense to apply a layer of Toko Moly to improve you break-a-way speed and help repel future dirt. Next the bases need to be hardened by waxing with a cold wax like Toko Blue or equivalent. Now you can apply the wax of the day or just ski on the last layer of Blue wax.

If you do not have time to go through the whole cleaning process, brushing with a copper brush before each time you ski or wax will help.