Goldstream Sports Ski

Welcome to another Goldstream Sports Newsletter! Once again we have lots of useful information, tech tips, sale items and some communication with one of Fairbanks' top ski racers. We enjoyed having Team Night to help support the ski teams in the Greater Fairbanks Area. We had a great turnout and thank you all for coming out to support us.

This week we are celebrating our new expansion. Read on to learn more about the goings on at Goldstream Sports!

Goldstream Sports Open House and 10% Store-wide Sale - Nov 16-17

We are having a 2-day party to celebrate our new remodel and expansion. Take a look at our schedule of events and come down and have fun watching, learning, laughing and saving.

Watch an amazing slide show by Ken Tape. Ken is a local photographer who has joined local skiers and mushers on thrilling adventures into the Brooks Range and other parts of Alaska. Ken has also started ski-mushing. Watch Brett Biebuyk as he tells his story of bicycle trekking through Iceland this past summer.

Learn how to wax skis, from simple waxing for recreational skiers who want to do the quickest and most effective waxing, to a more advanced look at what it takes to wax for performance. Learn also what it takes to start skijoring with your dog. Two experienced skijorers talk about how they got started.

Laugh hysterically as kids and full grown adults race around the store showroom on Trek Trikes. Not only is this going to be fun, the winner walks away with a free Trek BMX!!

Save 10% on all merchandise store wide (excluding 2008 bike inventory).

Schedule of events for November 16 and 17:

Friday 5pm	Ski waxing made totally simple - everyone is welcome.
Friday 6pm	Skiing in the Brooks Range - Amazing story and images by Ken Tape.
Saturday 10am	Waxing clinic - A more technical look at waxing for racing and performance.
Saturday 12pm	Bike Winterization clinic, everyone is welcome. Bring your bikes.
Saturday 1pm	Two experienced skijorers talk about what it takes to start skijoring with your dog.
Saturday 3pm	Brett Biebuyk shows photos from his Bicycle trek through Iceland this past summer.
Saturday 4pm	Trike Races - Winner takes home a Trek BMX

Sale Item - Select Salomon boots, all Craft clothing, Karhu Skis

We have some Salomon skate and classic boots from 30% off. Sizes are limited so come in quick to get them while they last.

All of our current Craft clothing is 40% off. This includes pants, jackets and base layers. These items are great for yourself or a wonderful gift for someone you like, or even love!

All of our Karhu skis are on sale with up to 50% off. We have a great selection of recreational and racing skis, so come in for some great savings.

Tech Tip - Stone Grinding

Ski base care is an important factor in the life of your skis from the time of purchase all the way through to their retirement. To keep your ski bases healthy we recommend stone grinding. This is for a few reasons:

When new skis are purchased they have a factory structure cut into the bases for a 25F climate; very different to our own. A cold structure is needed for skis used in the interior, this is for the handling of moisture created between the ski and the cold, coarse snow.

When skis are manufactured they have a projective layer added to the bases to protect them from oxidation. By the time the skis arrive at a retail store the protective coating has begun to wear off subjecting the bases to oxidation, which in turn reduces the absorbence of wax into the ski base pores. Stone grinding takes the bases back to the fresh wax absorbing layer, giving you more ski time between waxing and better health for your skis.

When we use our skis we put a lot of pressure just behind the heel area when we push off the ski whether that is skating or classic. We notice a beveling of the ski base up to an 8th of an inch from the edge of the base to the middle. Stone grinding removes this beveling back to a flat base and thus gives you a completely flat ski and more glide and control.

If you have any questions on stone grinding or would like to know more about the process come on in and speak to our ski technicians, they are more than willing to show you how it works and let you know whether your skis require it.

Feature Item - Nightpro bike lighting systems

BULLITe		Bar Mount or Hand-held. Bulletproof alloy housing, long burn time, charger included, and a light weight 2Amp/hr NiMH battery. The unit weighs only 362g.
TORCH		Helmet or handlebar mounting, 15W intermediate bulb, 4Amp/hr, 1.6hr burn time. Battery fits in water bottle holder. Total weight of unit 475g.

Correspondence from the trail - Tyson Flaharty

Here we are again at another ski season and another chance for us racers to see how fast we can go. We have put in countless hours of training during the summer months and the only way to see how it all works is to race.

For me, and many other competitors across the country, the first race of the season is scheduled for November 23rd in West Yellowstone, Montana. With close to three thousand people slated to arrive there for their first time skiing in West Yellowstone it should be a great event. These first races are the beginning of the Super Tour series. There will be a skate sprint and a 15 kilometer classic race. The Super Tour series has the highest level of competition for skiers in the United States, so the racing should be top notch. It is also the first of the races that are used to decide who gets to represent the United States at the World Cup races in Canmore, Canada in January. This is one of my goals this season. Another goal is to attend the U23 World Ski Championships for a third time. I should have a busy racing season.

Training has been going very well for me this summer and fall. I am skiing for APUNSC (Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Club) and it has been an amazing experience. I get to train with multiple Olympians, National Champions, and others who want to go just as fast. Training is tough some days to say the least. After a busy summer of working and training, I now get the chance to be a ski racer full time—It is amazing.

I have recently started my own web site, www.tysonflaharty.net. I have designed it to allow everyone to see what I am doing and where I am doing it. The goal is to keep it updated as often as possible.

Ski racing is an expensive sport and I am in a constant search for sponsors. For equipment, I am sponsored by Madshus and Swix. I have skied on Madshus skis and boots for six years now and this year’s new line is among the very best I have ever seen. I also receive Swix poles, wax, clothing and accessories. But, equipment sponsorships alone cannot get you to ski races or feed you, they just save you a little money. Traveling is always expensive, but a cost that most people do not understand is the cost of training and preparation. Some days I need to be training up to 4 hours a day and then I need to be recovering the rest of the time. When I am working I cannot recover as well and it makes being a successful ski racer much more difficult. I am very fortunate to have my wife, Davya, and all of my family be so supportive in what I am trying to accomplish. They are the ones that enable me to be a ski racer.

Recently we have been skiing very frequently at Hatcher’s Pass, just over an hour drive north of Anchorage (check out pictures on my web site). It has been very good training even though the drive gets old after heading up there five days a week. I have been hearing a lot about all the great snow on the trails up in Fairbanks and I am a bit jealous. Not many places in the world get skiing like that these days. Alaska is very fortunate to have skiable snow early in the season.

Happy trails!

*Tyson Flaharty*

November 2007 Event Schedule