Goldstream Sports Fairbanks Alaska

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Now is a great time to start classic skiing.  Remember to use your rock skis.  Conditions are still pretty crappy for good skis, but perfect for those not so expensive skis.

So, prepare your classic skis the same way you would the skate skis – with brushing out the bases, applying a base wax, scraping and brushing that out and then applying a colder wax for conditions.  Be sure to scrape the surface wax off and brush out the bases and polish them with a softer brush.

The only difference between waxing skate and classic skis is the kick zone.  This is the area that you will gain propulsion from.  You will need to have a clearly marked kick zone which will define the ‘pocket’ in which you will apply kick wax.  You don’t want to have glide wax in this area, as it will make it harder for the kick wax to adhere.

So, to prepare the kick zone make sure the kick zone is clearly marked. If you do not know where you kick zone is, or are unsure if it is correct, bring your skis in and we will be happy to mark them for you on our ski test table.

Once you have a clearly marked kick zone, make sure that area is clean.  You can use a base cleaner from Swix or Toko.  Avoid any really caustic cleaners which could do permanent damage to your bases.

Now you are ready to apply kick wax!  BUT, before you run and grab your favorite coloured wax, take a look at the temperature of snow where you plan to ski.  Often time the air temperature is different to the snow temperature   If in doubt, check the Goldstream Sports Wax recommendation page!  Joel and Tyson ski every day and will regularly update the recommendations page.

If you are a recreational skier and don’t want to tote around 12 different kick waxes, check out the Toko Sportline waxes.  I call them the KISS waxes.  We also have the Gunde Pack (named after great Swedish skier Gunde Svan) so you can ski like a Swedish National Champion as well!  Actually, we modified the original Gunde Pack to reflect the Fairbanks Temperatures, and for $34.99 you will get 4 great Swix waxes (which cover just about any condition) and an application cork!

Once you have chosen your wax of the day, you want to make every application last as long as possible.  So, before heading out for a ski, iron in a Base Binder Wax before you apply your surface kick wax.  This will make your kick wax last a lot longer.  The reason we do this is that every time you push off from your propelling ski, you will leave a little bit of your kick wax on the snow.  With the base binder, your surface wax will adhere much more strongly to the binder and leave less on the snow, still giving you a great kick – just for a much longer time!!!  Imagine a perfect world where you apply kick wax just once per ski day – well this base binder will make it almost perfect!

In my perfect world all waxes would have a delicious smell!  I imagine blueberry scented Toko Blue, apple scented Start Green, Lemon scented Swix CH10, and a delicious raspberry smelling Toko Red.  Imagine how many more people would wax their skis regularly!!!  Maybe I need to whisper in Toko’s ear…..

 First race

1. Owen Hanley 11:34 2. Wayne Peppler 11:42 3. Mike Kramer 12:00 4. Dave Arvey 12:27 5. Peter Fix 13:10 6. Joel Buth 13:14 7. Bob Baker 13:31* First Master 8. Dave Edic 13:44 9. Julia Pierson 13:59* First Woman 10. Davya Flaharty 14:46 11. Byron Broda 15:27 12. Joel Pierson 15:33 13. Kari Lovett 15:40 14. Mike Hajdukovich 16:10 15. Jane LeBlond 16:50 16. Adam Knoll 20:00   Race Distance 4.2 km Next Race is next Wednesday 11/10 and will be freestyle.

Once you know your anaerobic threshold, you can use great training tools like Training Peaks which helps you keep track of your workouts, resting, and even suggests training levels for you in order to achieve your goals. Knowing you threshold is necessary in planning you training for specific events.

Tyson has been using Training Peaks since January, and it has been a great way for him to see his training plan and monitor his training log.

Joel is offering this service for athletes who are interested in creating a more structured workout program to reach their training and racing goals.

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Now, those of you saying “I know how to wax, I just wish it was more fun,” or “I wish waxing was easier, and I wish there was a way to enjoy it more,” we have a solution for you!  For the ladies we have a Wine and Cheese Waxing Clinic set for Friday November 12th at 7pm here at Goldstream Sports. If you are a guy and feel this is sexist, please feel free to dress like a woman, including make-up and such, and we will let you join us.

At the clinic we will watch the professionals demonstrate the easiest, and best techniques for waxing skis.  We will also learn which waxes to use when and for what conditions.  My big question is when do I use cold powder?

Please sign up for the wax clinic by calling 455 6520.  Space is limited, and we need to get enough wine and cheese for everyone!  Register by November 11th to secure your place!

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/

It is time to dust off those skis and get them ready to play. So, I will give you a few useful hints for ski preparation.

If you were on top of it last season and are always planning ahead, you would have stored your skis with a protective layer of a warm wax. For those who did this, all you need to do is scrape that wax off and apply a cooler layer for the conditions on top.  Good job! You are ready to ski!

Now, for those of you, like me, who did not diligently wax their skis before you put them away – we have some work to do!

The reason why we suggest that you put a layer of a warm wax on your skis for storage is to protect the bases from air.  The air oxidizes the bases, drying them out and leaving them pretty unhappy.  They will also absorb much less wax.  So, the first thing you will need to do is see how dry your bases are.

Take a copper brush, and start at the front of the ski and brush in short strokes to the rear of the ski.  Take a look at what comes off the ski, and also what the bases look like.  If there is a lot of white dust coming off the ski but the bases are black, keep brushing till there is no more dust.  This could just be some left over wax.

Now, if you brush and you get white dust, but are greyish then you have some oxidization happening. The grey color of the base is the oxidized P-Tex, and your skis may need to stone ground. Sometimes the grey will brush away, but often times it will not.

Hot wiping

If you have brushed your bases and they are black, you may want to perform a deep clean of the bases.  To do this take a warm wax, like Toko yellow or Swix CH10, melt and iron on the wax like normal.  But, quickly and before the wax sets, take a piece of cloth or Fiberlene or Base Tex and wipe that wax off quickly.  This takes a little skill, but what it does is take all of the dirt, dog poo and other nasties out of the pores.

Glide Waxing

Now that we have clean bases we are ready to wax.  Remember that when we apply a glide wax, we are heating the wax up to melt onto base.  We don’t want to burn the wax or scorch the ski bases, so have the iron hot enough just to melt the wax, but not so cool that it takes an hour to melt it.  Don’t let the iron smoke – no, not cigarettes silly.  You don’t want the iron to smoke as it means that wax is burning, and is WAY too hot for your bases..  If you put a really hot iron, or really hot wax on your skis you will sear the bases. For anyone who has ever seared a base, you will know that gut wrenching feeling of watching $300-$500 go down the drain.  Ironically, it is the people who are overcautious who tend to do the most damage.  Once a base is seared, there is very little we can do to remedy the situation.

Always do anything to your skis from tip to tail. Start with the base wax.  For this you can use a warmer wax like a Toko yellow, or a CH10, or if you want to get a little fancier and keep your bases cleaner – use a molybdenum base wax which will repel dirt.

Drip the wax on the ski moving down the ski as you go.  Place the hot iron on the wax on the ski and move the iron down the ski.  Take about 10 seconds to move down the ski on each pass.  Do around 2 – 3 passes and then let the ski cool down.  Cooling down takes around 45 minutes.  Don’t rush this.  If you scrape the ski when the bases are hot, you have a pretty good chance of slipping and slicing through the base.  Another expensive mistake.  One good way to avoid this is to have a few sets of skis to wax.  By the time you have waxed the 3rd set, the first set is ready to scrape!

When you have scraped the base layer off, brush it out with a copper brush, and then apply your top wax.  Determine the snow temperature of where you plan to ski (hint:  Check out the Goldstream Sports Wax Recommendations website).  Let the surface wax cool and scrape.  Once the surface wax is scraped, brush it out really well using a copper brush.  Once all the extra wax is removed, used a horse hair or soft nylon brush to polish the base.  Now you are ready to hit the trails!

Friday and Saturday 22nd, 23rd Only!

All Skis and Poles 20% off
All Madshus Boots 20% off

Friday and Saturday ONLY!