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Back to fishscales; hot wax in some graphite, hot scrape, let cool, brush aggressively. I find it a lot easier to brush initially from one side to the other, then finish brushing the right way. Helps remove the excess wax that you can't really remove by scraping.
Wax the rest with some sweet ch7.
Or.. just use spray wax and buff.
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let's get it started!
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FKNA!
x2! [emoji3][emoji106]
I always cork kick wax into the scale pattern appropriate for the coldest conditions I will encounter. Wax that’s harder (for colder snow) than conditions just grips less acting more like glide wax, while soft wax on cold snow is no bueno aka freezes snow balls to the bases.
If you’re putting it on thin and corking it in you shouldn’t have to dig it out of the scale pattern. I typically take a couple cans and a cork, maybe a scraper if there’s a lot of variability.
This forum used to have a ton of seasoned Nordic skiers that recommended this technique. Only recently with more scaled skis and carpeted kick zones has wax wizardry been lost.
I usually do the same with BC skis if there’s any low angle groomed or track set in the approach. At times it has been mission critical to not spending hours on skins and skipping transitions.
The newer skin skis basically making fish scales obsolete. They glide that much better. The only advantage of fish scales is that you can find them for $20 at the thrift store.
Kicked off the season in sw Mt today. Nice xc out and back. Nice way to stretch the legs
I have a couple these Swix liquid wax dispensers that were being dumped for a few bucks each at an REI garage sale: https://www.amazon.com/Swix-Temperat.../dp/B00P06SAC4
I just rub that on the scales and then buff it a bit with the felt. I'm no nordic pro, but it seems to work well enough and takes almost no time. I'm not trying for any speed records if I am on classic skis, just don't want the snow to stick.
When that eventually runs out, I might consider some toko/swix spray.
However, for those of us in dry/cold climates, wax trumps skins by a long ways. So $20 can still be a pretty good investment. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Blaster
Agreed for skis with an actual wax pocket, but skins beat single camber fishscales in almost any conditions.Quote:
Originally Posted by 3PinGrin
Agreed - my skin skis replaced klister.
Because fuck klister.
I wasn’t comparing skins to fish scales. Wax trumps skins on any ski for rolling terrain under dry/cold conditions in fresh snow. I waxed single camber Tua Wilderness skis for years. Skins were only for when it got steep enough that neither wax or waxless would climb effectively.Quote:
Originally Posted by teledad
My earlier point was that waxable nordic skis can still be found for $20 at thrift stores, and those types of skis are a bargain and also trump skins. But I haven’t owned any single camber waxless skis.
Agreed, and that’s kind of how I feel about waxless skis, lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by LHutz Esq
Bzzzzzz, bzzzzzz, bzzzzzz…..
But I have one pair of waxless Fischers that cost me $15 for sloppy warm conditions.
LolQuote:
Originally Posted by 3PinGrin
it's called Dorkin' for a reason ....
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that's it until the next storm cycle
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Beautiful thing about bullshit xc skiing. Only need a bit to get out. Enjoy the woods etc. Good times.
training for Alaska, bro ....
you go girl
Training for Alaska https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b552f4da50.jpg
Nice job fastfred and romeo. Agree with byates, fresh crisp air and gliding on the mother of all blankets, ahhhh…
dorked 5 miles of figure 8s through the campground/scenic overlook
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have fun with those leg blasters!
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Sherman Pass?Quote:
Originally Posted by romeo tango
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yepper
deer ck. summit is too far of a drive for marginal conditions, although.I do prefer it.
that's all the snow we have around here ......
for now
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Planning on getting back on XC sticks this winter, partly to mitigate my profound anxiety about the Wasatch shit show but also to tow the baby around in the Thule Chariot. Can't really take her touring, I figure XC is a good way to get out on snow and get her used to the beauties of winter. Plus I need the fitness since I can't imagine I'll stick to my usual 50+ days of touring per season.
Been out of the game for many years, used to race nordic combined way back in the day but haven't been on skinny sticks in 20+ years. I am completely inept when it comes to classic, literally can't do it due to lack of coordination, so it's all going to be skating for me. Can anyone recommend a proper ski for this? I don't need race sticks, something a bit shorter and more stable to get back into things without having it be too heinous. Buddy recommended some Salomon RS8, I figure I'd check with the collective before doing extensive homework. I'm 5'11" 170 lbs, reasonably fit, formerly pretty good at the stuff. Thoughts on appropriate gear to get back into things?
Failed edit double post.
Any good Nordic shop will recommend a proper skate ski for you. It’s all done by your weight and partially your ability. Frankly, the only time I recommend the shorter ski is if it’s for example a 180 pound woman who is 5 feet four then I’ll recommend the shorter one. I mean there’s only six or seven companies that make skate skates so any of the models in your price range will work fine.
I’ll add that at our shop (which is a Rossignol shop), we really carry three of the Rossi skate skis: the Delta sport, Delta comp and XIUM. It’s not much of a price jump to go from Sport to the Comp, so we recommend that a lot, but it’s a bigger $ jump to buy an XIUM. If you could afford it though, it’s lighter, and more reactive, which in general, is better.
I'd get whatever "performance" skate ski you can get a deal on, length around 185-190 depending on stiffness. Salomon RS8 or S/Max are good options, also Rossi Delta, Fischer Aerolite 60, etc.. If you have a choice and you're in between sizes I'd pick a stiffer/shorter ski if you have a lot of hills (a little easier to control on descents), softer/longer for the flats (a little more stable).
Most skate skis (except the very top end) now either come with integrated bindings or have an integrated plate that the binding slides on (i.e. no drilling). If the latter, make sure the binding matches the skis. Get a manual binding, the automatic (step in) ones are fussy and prone to icing issues.
Spend your money on good skate boots (don't be tempted by combi boots). Nowadays all the boots will work with any of the bindings (even across manufacturers); if you buy used, Salomon boots with the Pilot bindings (two bars) won't work with the current bindings (even Salomon). Poles aren't as important but make sure they're the right length (probably 162.5 or 165 for you) and have good/comfortable grips and straps.
Towing a baby will definitely get you in shape! My first kid loved getting towed around but would start crying whenever I'd stop, so it was great incentive to keep moving. Obviously make sure they're bundled up and warm, check on them periodically, etc..
a wee bit bony ....
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le tits now
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What difference does it make having a ski with the proper traditional Finnish sauna-base-wax-procedure in -22c (-7,5f) conditions! The glide was like in temps half as cold.
Not sure if this is common knowledge, but if anyone's interested and has facilities: heat up the sauna. While waiting, do a normal base prep and wax, but don't scrape. Go and enjoy the sauna. Let the seats dry for a while and put the skis in. Bases up and try to make them level. The sauna should not be that hot, 70-60c will suffice. Let the skis simmer overnight. A wood heated sauna seems to work the best as it cools down slower than an electric one. Be sure to protect the seat from the wax as some might drip. Works on alpine skis as well. The bases usually stay good for a very long time.
Classic skiing or "perinteinen" in Finnish seems like the way to go for me in the early season when there's really nothing else than 30-40cm of faceted base on the fjells. Feels like it translates okayish for ski touring, despite the more dynamic movement and ultra-lightweight classic skiing gear.
In most places I've lived in Lapland the access to the tracks is very easy, just ski from your door or walk a few hundred meters. As a person from a Nordic country I too feel slightly ashamed to have re-discovered nordic skiing in my thirties: some bad experiences in elementary school with very steep terrain and inadequately gripping classic skis. Skiing in the army was fun though.
By the way, do people in your countries respect the sanctity of the nordic ski track? We have a lot of foreign (and domestic) tourists who can't grasp the concept of not walking on the tracks. It's usually scandalous and gets some people extremely riled up. "Laturaivo" (fury on the tracks) makes national headlines at least a few times a year.
I think it depends on what part of the country you are in. Lots of "hill people" where I live and they walkQuote:
Originally Posted by OttoP
wherever they want. Dedicated, groomed touring tracks that have a user-fee will not have snow-shoes or hikers.
nice picture!
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vintage wood touring skis are scarce
scored these at a Habitat for Humanity thrift store, $5
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Same same. I don’t mind hounds on the canine-permitted tracks, don’t even mind snowshoers as long as they keep off the classic track-sets. But post hole’rs, especially in the tracks, gets the club members blood boiling. Love the word “Laturaivo”, will have to bring that to the local club’s lexicon this season. Once we finally get some snow that is.Quote:
Originally Posted by OttoP
So sauna treatment is somehow different than a hotbox that a lot of us use here in cross country land?
It’s really really rare that somebody walks in the classic track, even on the multiuse trails .
Must be nice. For some reason around here, a perfectly formed ski track is just irresistible for certain people to walk in.
Our local resort has trails that run pretty close to a bunch of vacation homes - people seem to think that just because they rented an AirBnB for the weekend that gives them the right to posthole on trails that are clearly marked as restricted to pass holders on skis (and I guarantee that none of these people has paid for a day pass). Even some of the permanent residents try to pull the "this is public land" card (yes, it's owned by the US Forest Service, who leases it to the resort for the winter). I don't even bother trying to get walkers off the trail any more, I just ask them to walk on the side (outside the classic track) rather than down the middle of the skate track.
WG season opener today!
Any wood skis at that price should be a automatic buyQuote:
Originally Posted by romeo tango
After this weekend Rosie Brennan is 2nd in the World cup and Jessie D is third. Well done ladies.
My social media was blown up with joyous pictures of Chipper and the crew living it up. I still get a secret thrill whenever they are skiing sooner than we are in Utah.Quote:
Originally Posted by SB
I've got an Indy Pass for the first time this winter. Any nordic areas on the pass that are highlights? I'm BC-based so Sovereign Lake and Nickel Plate are both on the list, but I've got a couple months free so may wander as far south as Oregon.