Advanced Waxing Tips Here are some tips on preparing skis that hopefully will help you get to the next level as a ski technician. 1. When glide waxing skis for very cold conditions, it is essential to harden the base up. This is done by applying multiple layers of a very hard glide wax such as blue. These multiple layers are essential for fast skis in very cold dry aggressive snow where dry friction is a concern. This is important even for shorter races as the goal is to make the base as hard as possible. 2. When waxing with a very hard glide wax, a common mistake is to not use enough heat. This results in an air pocket between the ski and the wax. A sure sign of this air pocket is if when the skis are scraped the wax springs off the ski and goes all over the room. If the skis are ironed correctly, the wax should come off much like very fine sawdust. Another way of identifying improperly ironed cold wax is to look at the color. If the wax is dark, there is no air in there, if it is light, then there is air between the base and the wax and it needs to heated up again. Some people recommend scraping cold waxes when warm. This will result in a poorly prepared ski, although it is true that it is easier. A warm scrape takes the wax out of the most superficial layers of the ski base and also allows the scraper to dig into the soft warm base - all bad things for the long-term health and short term gliding speed of the ski. 3. It is regularly recommended in wax clinics to use mountains of fluorocarbon powders or to brush up the fluorocarbon powder after ironing for an extra good application job. After much testing and talking with wax chemists, I came to the conclusion that this must simply be an attempt to sell more expensive wax. If an appropriate amount of powder is applied and a very hot iron is used such that the necessary chemical reaction takes place, the job is done, period. There is no need to do anything else. You have certainly heard that it is not good for skis to apply fluorocarbons consecutively without multiple applications of hydrocarbon waxes in between? Why does this not apply to race day? My experience is that to apply multiple layers or a mountain of fluorocarbon powder results in more of a mess to take off the ski and polish, less disposable income and slower skis in the short term and long term. My recommendation is to simply do the job right the first time and sleep well. This recommendation is based on testing, experience, and in comparing notes with other World Cup technicians. 4. A Copper brush is a necessary element in every waxer s kit. The Copper brush is the softest brush available. It does everything that any other metal brush does (remove wax, any hardened residue on the base, and dirt) except create structure which should be done with a stonegrinder or with structure tools. If a brush is creating structure on the base, it is certainly creating lots of hairs that will slow the ski down, especially in powder snow. This isn t so important in Alpine skiing, but in Nordic skiing it is very important. The Copper brush should be used for general wax removal as well as especially after skiing and before waxing (every time), for cold wax removal (follow with nylon) and for removal of an HF wax in very dirty snow where it is critical to remove all paraffin based wax (HF waxes are paraffin based). 5. Rather than discarding old skis, specialize them. Have a pair stoneground for a particular condition such as cold and dry or for very wet. Then, when the conditions present themselves, there will be a good solution. 6. In dry climates such as the Rocky Mountains, or in especially dry conditions, aim cold when waxing. This means rather than waxing straight off the wax chart with a wax such as Red, mix Red and Blue (in especially dry snow). Wax charts are made with average humidity and climate in mind. 25F in New England produces a different type of snow than 25F in the high country of Colorado. This discrepancy needs to be accounted or when waxing. 7. In very dirty snow, the last drip on wax needs to be brushed out very well. A Copper brush is excellent for this purpose. Otherwise, the dirt will stick to the paraffin resulting in slow (and dirty) skis. 8. One condition that is especially difficult when using kick wax is when snow temperatures are around 32F and there is new snow present.
Often times Klister works in these conditions better than hard wax, but ices up. Carbon Silver Grip wax offers an excellent solution in these conditions cover the klister with a thin layer of Silver hard wax which will result in faster glide and better kick (no icing). 9. Scraping technique is an integral and overlooked aspect of ski preparation. Make sure the scraper is not bending under the pressure of scraping the ski. Knees need to be bent to ensure even scraping strokes. The scraper needs to be held such that the waxer has complete control and the scraper is guided straight along the ski. I use one or both index fingers to guide my scraper so that it goes straight and remains flat. Remove wax with the scraper until the scraper barely comes into contact with the ski base. At this point, a brush should be used to remove the remaining wax. 10. Often times we apply a binder klister indoors and then wax outdoors in the cold, perhaps on the following day before a ski race. What sometimes happens in this scenario is that the binder klister is so hard and cold that the klister that gets applied over it never really adheres to it resulting in just binder klister on the base after a few kms. The solution is to warm up the binder klister so that the klister of the day bonds to it resulting in better durability. 11. When kick waxing on a day when good skis are desired, the kick zone should always be sanded. The idea is to have fast skis with good kick. Some people anticipate loosing their wax and, for this reason, apply their wax extra thick in the hopes that after a while they will have perfect skis. The best solution is to sand the kick zone, apply a binder, and then the wax of the day. This results in good kick and glide for the entire ski. 180 grit sandpaper is generally appropriate. 12. There has been some confusion over Molybdenum and what it is used for. Basically every wax company now uses glide waxes with Molybdenum; it is clearly a better substance for ski waxing than Graphite in almost all scenarios. Molybdenum is best used for an underlying (or base layer on a microscopic level) layer to be followed by the wax of the day. This generally results in skis that are more static resistant, dirt resistant, more durable, and faster. Generally Molybdenum is not used as a final layer because it does not glide as fast as straight HF waxes. The only time Molybdenum is recommended as a final layer (followed by a Fluorocarbon) is in dirty snow. 13. In general, when a kick wax is slipping, wax should be reapplied thicker or a change should be made to a softer wax. To wax longer results in improved kick for a short while and slower skis. The bulk of the kick should come from the middle part of the ski. If this part is slipping, then it needs to be fixed. Waxing longer does not address this problem. Thicker or warmer will. I hope you found these tips helpful. If you see me around, don t hesitate to ask me questions, I m glad to help. I can also be reached at ian@tokous.com Good luck this winter! The Best Way to Classic Lee: I d like to start out by complimenting the USST for just coming off the best team season in history. And the best results came from Kris Freeman in two striding races. He won the Under-23 years old World Championships, took 4th at Worlds and gave the U. S. a big lead in the first leg of the World Championship relay. Kris feels a big part of his improvement came from technique changes and gives much credit to his coaches for their help. Pete: In this article (and the next) I will focus on presenting the specific aspects of classical technique Trond Nystad, Chris Grover and I have worked on with the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Development team and in our clinics to junior and master athletes as well as their coaches. Technique has been a major focus for the U.S. Team. The technique work has come in combination with an emphasis on core strength and max-strength, as well as general fitness, all of which are an integral part of using proper technique.
While improving technique is done easily in intervals, time-trials and in doing drills, around 80% of all the U. S. Ski Team training is done in level 1. That is training with a heart rate of 25 to 50 beats below threshold, or training with a heart rate of around 120 to 140 beats per minute. Developing proper technique while skiing and rollerskiing at this easy intensity is vital since so much of our training is done at an easy intensity, and this demands a lot of attention. It is not enough to work on technique for only a few workouts a week. Skiing is practice as well as training and every time you are on skis or rollerskis you teach yourself to ski. For this reason we emphasized using snappy, powerful motions even in the easiest of training sessions. Lee: I strongly agree. Anyone who is seriously interested in racing should be working on technique in every session. It is only too easy to fall into sloppy habits. One caveat for most citizens however: Keep an eye on where your snappy, powerful motions take your heart rate. One big difference between national level and cit racers is that the elite can ski easily in steep terrain, whereas a mere mortal finds his/her pulse banging through the roof, even at easy efforts. That s why, I strongly suggest moderate to rolling terrain for the easier sessions. Then working on technique will not push the average skier into the higher workout zones. Pete: Here is what the U.S. Ski Team has been working on regarding technique. It is important to note, that many of the specifics we work on are changing, and that we are trying not just to keep up, but also to get ahead. The Diagonal Stride Pete: Body position is important because it allows for an effective, efficient application of power. Body position should be emphasized along with quick application of power and a tempo that s appropriate for the terrain. The most important element of body position is keeping the hips in high and forward position. From this position power can be applied in a quick, hard compression down on the ski. This power is preceded directly and without pause by a dynamic forward reach of the kicking foot. This happens from a gliding position, directly before the kick. Reaching far forward with the foot too soon (over striding or trying to?ski big?) forces the hips back. Over-striding is a common mistake among all skiers. Skiing big gliding longer are a result of speed not a cause of it. Lee: Pete has hit the nail on the head as to the number one occurring flaw for both citizen and elite: Over-striding. This takes two forms. The first is the beginner s flaw of reaching forward with only the foot, like putting the foot into cold water. The second occurs when the advanced skier tries to take too long of a stride, usually accompanied by excessive hip twisting; the hips do twist slightly, but only as a supple athletic motion. The cure? It s one that works for beginner and expert alike. In every session, do some extremely short step striding using quick sharp motions. Then keeping the kick sharp, gradually extend the glide. I have a slight caution about the use of the words, hips in a high and forward position. How high and how much forward? Pete sees his athletes on a daily basis so this problem may never develop, but I ve seen what highly analytical citizen racers can force their bodies to do. So how high is high? This is where it would help any skier to have a strong mental picture, and there s no substitute for watching video of the world s best. Kris Freeman claims that this was a big part of his technique improvement. He only wanted to incorporate the most powerful and economical features of only the best of the best and now he s one of them. So, I d suggest that any skier would be well advised to start with taking a look at Kris and Bente Skare, the consensus pick as The Diagonal Stride Model. The key in watching is to focus on these points, so you do not take high and forward hips to such an extreme that it becomes a flaw. At the beginning of glide, both skiers have their forward foot under the chest, with the shinbone in a nearly vertical position. To be balanced, the hips must be (and are) behind the glide foot. But the key here is that the hips have not dropped during the previous kick. Neither skier has done the splits to get to this position of first glide.
Then as both gather to kick, preceded by Pete s dynamic forward reach of the kicking foot, the hips are directly over the shoe laces. As the kick begins, the hips are already in front of the kicking foot. If you stopped the tape just after the kick has started, both are in a definite forward lean. It looks as if they would fall on their face, but of course they won t since this is a very dynamic position. Now as they explosively kick, all of their energy is rewarded; this is because the center of mass is located in the hip area, and since it s in front of the kicking foot, maximum return for the energy is returned. Then as they enter a new glide position, the hips do not drop, but in fact elevate. Note: The only time the hips drop is when the skier flexes/hitches for the next kick. Note: The tapes I viewed were the Salt Lake Olympics Women s 4 X 5 Relay (second leg) and the 2003 World Championships on NBC. Striding Drills Pete: Classical no-poles drill: Ski without poles in all terrain. On gradual terrain challenge yourself to glide on each ski longer than normal to enforce balance and weight shift. Use the arms in a big powerful pendulum and drive the kicking leg through with great speed thus exploding down onto the kicking ski. Feel pressure in the balls of your feet. When climbing, match the length of your glide/stride to the terrain to avoid bogging down. Think quick and light. If you are slipping it is likely a result of trying to take too big a step and so letting the hips sink down and back. Classical running step drill: When striding on gradual or rolling terrain, insert five running steps into your classical stride especially when you feel your hips sinking back or your tempo bogging down. Concentrate on taking small steps. This will pull the hips up over the skis, help speed up the kick and help teach transitions by changing tempo. Lee: Pete has hit on the two most important drills for someone just learning how to stride. And as in skating, I believe these same fundamentals apply to elite and beginner as well. The no-pole striding drill needs no comment. Short-step striding with almost no glide has long been my favorite way to teach correct timing for the diagonal. Short-step skiing does two things. First, it ensures that the arms and legs work in sync. It also guarantees that the skier stays on top of the ski, in an ideal position to set the wax. Once timing is mastered, glide can be gradually added. If an intermediate to beginning strider tries to push too much glide, two things usually happen. First they lose the timing of the arms and legs. Second, they are not on top of their skis for a powerful and efficient kick. Pete: Classical Aalberg skipping drill: This is a great drill that helps teach body position and quick kick. Skiers actually skip on skis. It is just like the skipping you did as a kid except on skis. The rhythm is: glide, hop, kick to the other ski, glide, hop kick Lee: Sounds good to me. I ll have to give it a try. Balls of the Feet Pete: Contrary to some classical advice, our skiers keep more weight on the balls of their feet than on the whole foot. Oddvar Bra says the balls of the feet should be sore after classical skiing, and we subscribe to that method especially in steeper terrain. The arms swing in a pendulum motion from the shoulder. In steep terrain the pendulum is shorter, in gradual terrain it is longer but it is always a pendulum motion with energy directed down the trail. Lee: This is the only place where I have any disagreement with what Pete has written, and that mainly stems from our teaching environment. Pete is coaching very strong athletes on very hard set tracks on skis perfectly matched to those conditions.
Most skiers do not have that perfect environment. Often the skis and tracks are softer and the wax stickier. So when they shift the weight forward towards the ball of the foot during initial glide, the kick wax engages and slows them down. Whereas, the elite skier on stiffer skis, better tracks and (usually) very good wax, has more leeway before the pocket bottoms out and slows him/her down. But that is something each skier can feel for themselves; and the conditions do vary from day to day. This is why I feel that striding is much more of an art than skating; feel or touch is more important because the kick you have varies so much from day to day. That said, there is no doubt that the major force of the kick in classical skiing is produced by the ball of the foot, so a sore foot is a symptom of a powerful kick. However, I don t believe that the forward part of the foot should be weighted until the actual kick. First, by keeping the weight on the whole foot (or even the heel of the foot), the kick wax is kept light" on the snow. This is similar to achieving maximum downhill speed with kick-waxed skis by keeping the front of the foot light, and on downhills, even lifting the toes up against the boot. But as the hill gets steeper, there is less glide and the stride becomes shorter. Then, overreaching with the glide leg, like putting your foot into cold water, will just cause stall-out. Shortening up and getting the weight quickly onto the ball of the foot is a must. Double-Pole Pete: Good double poling is characterized by a sharp downward crunch of the abdominal muscles. To do this the poles must be in fairly close to the body (arms around 90 degrees) and held close to vertical. The hipbone must be forward of the anklebone, and the upper torso poised over the tops of the poles at the beginning of the poling phase. Compression of the torso and arms is simultaneous and explosive. The poling motion is relatively shallow and turnover rapid. Lee: I m in so close agreement with Pete that almost no comment is necessary. I would add that in faster conditions, the stroke is longer and deeper, but this is a natural reaction to the speed of the snow. One thing is for sure, you no longer see much of the extremely long and deep compression double pole (where their hands finish near the ankles) on the World Cup Circuit. The modern double-pole has definitely become more compact. Pete: Double-Pole Power Drill. If the athlete is sitting, applying power slowly, or from a low position try this drill. To get the body up over the poles, exaggerate the use of the abs, and learn to apply power early in the stroke. Insert 5-10 repetitions where you focus solely on the initial power. Start in a high position (body weight over the poles) and contract the abs to strike the asphalt/snow with your poles with quick force. For this drill, end the push as soon as the poles hit the ground arms will not have passed lower than your hips (think: bang, bang, bang with each stroke, rather than p u s h, p u s h ). The motion is very clipped, quick and powerful. Simply lengthen the double pole according to terrain. A great demonstration of double-pole is Kris Freeman in the 15km or relay from the 2003 worlds. Lee: This drill will obviously correct anyone who has a sluggish double-pole. One note however: There is a small risk that some over-exuberant skiers can pound the initial phase so intensely that they overpower their muscles and stall out. The entire double-pole motion should feel firm and continuous - and never become a two-piece motion. Double-Pole With Kick Pete: In the double-pole (for double-poling, V2, V2-alt and double-pole kick) we focus on initiating the power quickly and powerfully on top of the poles, so that most the power is coming as soon as the poles are planted - when the skier s weight is right on top of them.
To do this the skier needs to be in a forward position, with arms bent (rather than straight out in front) so the body s weight is right over the poles. The poles are planted as upright in the snow as possible, and the power is initiated down on them with a crunch of the abs. Keep the upper-body in a stable, forward position limiting up and down motion (much shallower than in the past). As the arms go back, the feet, especially the kicking foot, are pushed forward. As soon as the hands reach the end of the poling motion and the kicking foot is pushed well forward, you explode forward down the track with your arms, swinging them from the shoulder as in all techniques. At the same time, like the classical kick, you apply all your body weight to the kicking ski in a quick, dynamic impulse and explode forward. Key elements are weight shift to the kicking foot and applying power quickly. Lee: That hits the nail on the head. One slight warning: Pete s phrase The poles are planted as upright in the snow as possible, and the power is initiated down on them is certainly good advice, but it can be overdone. What drives a skier forward is backward poling forces. For powerful poling initiate with the weight of the body and the strong abdominal muscles. Since a skier is traveling fairly fast while double poling, by the time pressure is actually applied, the poles are angled to the rear. I have seen skiers who overdo the vertical aspect of poling and mainly lift themselves into the air, rather than drive themselves forward. So it is something to keep in the back of your mind - we re always looking for maximum forces to drive us in the forward direction. Pete: Pause, Weight, & Kick Drill To insure your weight is over the kicking foot and you are in a high forward position, take extra time after the double-pole phase to fully un-weight the non-kicking foot (thus completely weighing the kicking one). You are gliding on one ski (the one you will kick off of) so your hips have to be high and forward or you would fall over. Once in a good position, make the kick quick. Experiment during training with picking the non-kicking ski slightly off the ground to ensure that the weight transfer is complete. Fast Hands and Feet Drill Once you are comfortable that you are shifting weight completely, work on the speed of movement. Focus on the speed you throw your hands forward down the track. The faster you do this, the quicker the kick will be. If the kick is quick, your hips will not sink to a low position. Lee: These drills will help skiers of all abilities