November 10, 2005 – Remember years ago when it snowed on Halloween? We “hero” skied for three hours both days that weekend, and then we were so sore and tired on Monday that just getting through the day was tough. We went out again every evening of the week, tired and sore, but the “skiing was sooo good!”

If any of us are that lucky this year, let’s stop for a minute and make a plan of attack. Let’s not overdo it that first week and unnecessarily wear ourselves out, set ourselves back, or detract from a winter-long activity. It’s healthy to have that itch to get on snow, but let’s keep things under control. A small amount of smart planning now can help us ease into the on-snow skiing transition, keep our bodies healthier, and also lessen the chance of an overuse injury early in the season.

I remember my first on-snow skis quite vividly. It’s such a refreshing experience to feel those skis under the feet, even if they feel so long and awkward! All I wanted to do was get out and hammer. And I paid for it when I awakened those other muscles that I seemed to neglect over the summer. Oh, but I was younger then. Recovery was not an issue….Or, at least I refused to think so.

Take those first few days easy and don’t kill yourself. Don’t be overly obsessed about keeping in your level 1 training zone, but just don’t go crazy either. Nothing is more frustrating than really enjoying that first ski, only to hear your heart rate monitor beeping at you to slow down! Instead, just ski under control. Your on-snow, ski specific muscles need time to come around.

Here’s a short list of tips and ideas that I keep in the back of my head when I do get on snow for my first week. Maybe some of these will work for you too:

-Ski easy and in control. Try to pick relatively flat, preferably smooth trails. It’s always initially tricky on the skinny skis, so why make it even harder?

-Technique, technique, technique! Start to redeveloped those good habits (or break the bad ones). Work on skiing without poles, gliding on a flat ski, proper upper body position, and keeping your hips forward. The list goes on forever, and we hear it every year, visualize, dream, adopt…… But, the bottom line remains: Think “perfect technique.”

-Balance drills. We need plenty of it to ski well, so why not work on it early in the season! Exaggerate the glide phase, ski downhill on one ski, bend the knees, and relax the body. (Again, visit other ski web sites and you’ll see the same message, different perspectives, varying drills and explanations.)

-Hold off the hard intervals that first 5 days or so. What’s the point? Rusty technique doesn’t lend itself well to intervals. They just hurt more! Why punish yourself? When I do intervals, I remain in control, and only go as hard as I can keep my technique together.

-Ski with your friends, but don’t let it turn into a race. In fact, the best way to work on technique is to ditch the friends for an hour. Seriously! Ski with your buds afterwards, with your refined technique.

-While out in the woods alone, if you haven’t started to think about and set some goals for the winter, now is a great time to begin. Goals don’t have to be huge or glamorous. Simply finishing your first 30 km race or training daily is a fine goal. Be productive with whatever time you do have available.

-If you have new skis, boots, or other gear that you are using for the first time, really try to learn your gear and figure it out. Experiment with the wax pockets on those new classic skis, get your boots fitted and broken in well, and begin to soak wax into the ski bases.

-Watch skiers who are better than you are and try to understand what they are doing. Lots can be learned from them. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions! Don’t be hesitant to implement those new pointers.

Remember not to overdo the skiing that first week on snow. I just checked my calendar and the Birkie is still over four months away.

Our goal is the same … Have a long, worthwhile, and enjoyable season, not one that blows up in smoke.

** If you are thinking about skiing over Thanksgiving, consider the West Yellowstone fall camp. It’s a great event, full of character, and a place where one can work on all aspects of skiing!

Andy Answers Your Technical Questions

We just purchased a new pair of the Equipe 10 skate skis for my son who races on a HS team. Is the preparation for their Zeolit base material any different than other new skis, copper brush, warm wax, scrape, brush, cold wax, scrape brush etc.?

What do you recommend? Thanks!

Thank you for your purchase of Salomon skis. The Zeolit base is unique but it requires no unique treatment.

Here is what we recommend:

1) First take a Swix Fiberlene cloth and rub down the skis to remove any surface dirt. 2) Then take a course Stainless Steel or Bronze brush and gently brush from tip to tail. (This will remove any extra surface dirt and raise loose base hairs.) 3) Then use a razor blade tool, sharp metal scraper or medium fibertex to cut off these loose hairs. (You are not scraping the base but rather cutting the hairs off.) 4) Now wax with Swix base prep or a soft wax such as CH10. 5)cool, 6)scrape with plastic scraper, 7)brush with medium and then fine stainless steel or bronze brush.

Repeat steps 4-7 at least 4 times.

Steps 4-7 are vital for both wax absorption and base hair treatment. Every time you brush, scrape etc. you remove base hairs.

After you have completed steps 4-7 at least 4 times you’re ready to wax for the current days conditions!

Remember, every time you wax, scrape, brush, etc. you make the skis faster.

I hope this helps!

Andy at SkiPost

Events/Clinics/Announcements

Goldstream Sports/Salomon Ski Presentation
Thurs. Nov. 3, 2005 @ 6 PM

Fairbanks, AK- Subaru Factory Team director Andrew Gerlach will host a Clinic highlighting Salomon’s new Equipe 10 racing skis and explain what makes these skis so
special. He will introduce new Pressure Mapping technology that will enable all
skiers to get the best skis and ski fit ever.