Fake Snow

Elm Creek is in full blown snow making mode. I am there, if they are open, on Thanksgiving. I cannot wait! The hoses for STC snowmaking are being delivered today.
SWEET!

Up in the UP

Kris and Kyia went up to the U.P. to ski and it looks great. I'm jealous. For an early season wax report go here.

Base Prepping...

I love waxing skis. I prefer the one time through and that's it. Doing a "good" base prep, especially on new skis, takes a lot of time and can become tedious. The use of a Hot Box, and not the one I new about in college, has become the trend to saturate the base of skis with wax. While I agree you would gain a lot of time by doing so but something about it doesn't seem right. The artistic side of waxing is lost. Nonetheless, we will have a hot box sometime this season, and I will use it.

I started the process of base prepping my new Rossignol Xium skis. If you don't care don't read but here's what I am doing to them.

1.) Open the base with a Swix purple fibertex pad and nylon brush.
2.) Hot scrape the skis once to remove any garbage in the skis.
3.) Brush with nylon brush and Swix purple fibertex pad to get the "little hairs" to stand up. (Back and forth motion)
4.) Apply warm weather wax of base prep wax. 4-5 times!
5.) Brush with Toko copper brush, nylon brush, Swix white fibertex.
6.) Move up in temperature range to red (I use Toko), 2 times.
7.) Always brushing.
8.) Toko blue, 2 layers. Cold wax helps the "little hairs" stand up and therefore become easier to remove while scrapping.
9.) Toko nylon brush.
10.) I stop here for my own skis. I am not sure on the weather and the snow for the time I hope to use the skis. I will wait till that time gets closer and adjust the wax appropriately.

They got snow out in South Dakota and the have just received a bunch of snow up in the U.P. So we are surrounded by snow. Hopefully we get some soon. Snow making has begun at Elm Creek and should begin here in St. Cloud after Thanksgiving...if it stays cool.

The picture on top is during our Team Day this past Saturday. Luke Skinner was kind enough to give two waxing clinics during the day.

Skis and Snow

So we have received our first accumulating snow. I have not heard any reports of people sneaking onto area golf courses. More snow predicted later this week. It's all too early but it is still fun to see. Hopefully cool weather continues and freezes the ground. Snow making begins the end of this month. If we are lucky we will not need it again this year. It's nice to know there will be a bailout option...just like Wall Street.
My new Rossi X-ium Skate skis showed up today, about 2 weeks earlier than I thought! This means I really need to get my railing put up on our steps at home. A deals a deal!

Maybe?

We may see some snow tonight or this weekend. If we do I am sure there will be some die hards out skiing...but not me. I will ski when I know I will be able to continue skiing for the duration of the season. Maybe it is because I do not want to get disappointed if it melts and no more comes. As usually the case has been. I did order up some X-ium NIS II skate skis the other day. I have officially become excited for snow and skiing. If it does snow this weekend I will be MTB for sure. That is always a fun time.
Rumor has it there may be some sausage from far off lands ready to be sizzled up over the coals of a sauna. All in attempts to appease the snow gods. What ever happened to sacrificing a virgin?