While we can’t know the full extent of conditions and weather on a Tuesday for a Saturday race, many are already starting to think about how to prep their skis for the Craftsbury Marathon this weekend! I will try to post an updated series of notes closer to race day, and it sounds like MNC will have some coaching presence to help out (in any case, it is suggested to utilize the indoor wax room below the gym, as wamer spaces make for easier kick waxing).
Overview
It’s great to finally have some snow base in VT, and temperatures that should help it stick around. Craftsbury is picking up a good coating of snow on Wednesday, and then a little more on Thursday. Cold temps at night should make things set up pretty perfectly!
Note that Craftsbury does NOT skimp on heavy grooming, so expect some amount of mechanical transformation in the snow by the time Saturday rolls around if there is not significant natural snowfall after Thursday.
There’s also still a heavy manmade base in the stadium area, so it may be worth testing wax a little further out on course to see how things are doing on all-natural snow without manmade mixed in. Chances are, if it works on the manmade snow, it’ll work well (maybe TOO well) on the all-natural snow.
Kick
A binder is an absolute necessity for a long race. Our favorites that are usually solid bets are Toko Base and Vauhti Super Base. Both of these should be available at Skirack! Iron in a layer of these binders onto a clean, sanded kickzone . Binder wax application video:
For kickwax, I always recommend testing before committing to a kickwax.
You don’t need a fancy fleet of test skis to do this…just get a pair of practice/training/rock skis cleaned, and try a different kickwax on each foot. I usually start too cold and work my way up…that way you have options already built in for potential cover-waxes that still may provide kick but enhance speed.
For example, with a forecasted temp of around 24 degrees on Saturday morning, I might have one ski with Swix VP40 and one with Swix VP45.
If the VP45 (Extra Blue) is working better, you could use a putty knife to clean off the VP40 on that ski and put VP50 on as a “next step up”. You could also cross brands too, such as Swix Extra Blue vs Toko Red or Rode Super Blue.
Overall, it appears that waxes in the blue/violet range will be good starting points, but keep in mind rising temperatures and tiring bodies! It can be best to aim a little warmer, such as Toko Red or Rode Multigrade, in anticipation.
Glide
Fresh snow and mid-range temperatures make glide waxing quite fair and simple. The simplest recommendation can be the best on big classic days, since it allows the focus on tweaking and perfecting kickwax.
I would suggest beginning with a layer of cold paraffin to harden the base. This could be Swix PS4, PS5, or Toko Blue with X-Cold…any green paraffin will do just fine.
For a race layer, a neutral mid-range paraffin like Toko Blue, Swix PS7, or Rode R30 Violet would be appropriate. When in doubt, err on the colder side.
For topcoats, simple solutions like Star Next Cold liquid, or Toko BP/HP blue spray should add speed without much risk. For Swix and Toko liquids, it is advised to apply them well in advance, preferably the day before, and allow them to “cure” overnight in a room temperature environment. Polish liberally with a nylon brush before skiing!
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