Brrrr

Riverside is done and very "skiable". I have yet to make it over. One, I am still enjoying my bike and two, it's a real short loop. Rumor has it that some local lakes are really good for skiing. I have never skied on a lake, except when the Mora Vasalopet (sp?) was held on the lake. I guess you can say I'm a "picky" skier...the real thing or nothing. I have too many other things to choose from to force marginal skiing on myself.
Well it's cold so was of the day would be "cold" wax!
Kick: Toko Mint, Rode Green, Swix Polar, etc.
Glide: Start Green.

I do hope to be out skiing soon.

It's Over!

The hiatus from this blog that is.
Yep, snow making starts today, Thursday Dec. 3rd, at Riverside park. The plan is to start this evening and push straight through for 4-5 days until it's all done.
We'll be skiing next week on the hamster wheel, but skiing nonetheless.
Sweet.
If it's like years past it will snow for real about a week after the fake snow.
I'm ok with that.
Out.

Suck Ass

Due to lack of use this blog is being put on the "retired" list. Thanks to all the ardent supporters.

Riverside, 12/11/08

I skied this morning for the first time this season. The temp was at about 5 degrees. I had not planned on skiing today so I had not done any work on my old skis. I pulled them out of the basement, brushed them, slapped on some Fast Wax SlickPro blue and was out the door. This stuff works great! I had phenomenal glide for the entire hour there on not so great conditions. The correct temp. wax would have been the teal, so I wonder how that would have worked. For about an hour ski and not much time for prep, the Fast Wax SlickPro is the way to go.
Let it Snow!

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.