Wednesday, April 28, 2010
New Blog
We have a new blog, so if you have this URL bookmarked, you will need to change it. The new blog is at http://soldablog.wordpress.com
Thursday, April 1, 2010
2010 Great Nordeen at Mt Bachelor
The race is a freestyle in either 30km or 15km distance. The first third of the course is a ripping fast downhill. The middle is a mix of rolling terrain and the last couple of km are steady, but not steep climbing. The NOAA forecast is :
Tonight (Thursday): Snow likely, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Wind chill values as low as -1. Breezy, with a southwest wind 9 to 12 mph becoming south between 19 and 22 mph. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
Friday: Snow. High near 33. Wind chill values as low as -1. Windy, with a west southwest wind 28 to 31 mph increasing to between 41 and 44 mph. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 12 to 18 inches possible.
Friday Night: Snow showers likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13. Wind chill values as low as -4. Windy, with a west wind between 24 and 33 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 29. West southwest wind between 13 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
I skied Thursday morning at 7. The snow was -9C (15F). Some had been wind blown and even though it had been groomed, it was slow. The forecast looks pretty wintry, April fooling us.
Race starts at 9:30. Forecast temp is 23F (-5C). High at the finish looks to be about 30F (-1C).
Skis: I would choose a fairly soft to medium soft pair with a fine, new snow grind.
Base wax: I would go with a fairly hard wax to harden the bases for all the new snow. Solda Performance green would work.
Race wax: With the current forecast my leaning is toward Solda F31 Pink. If the humidity is closer to 100% F40 Red would be the choice.
Top Coat: Solda HP04. If I had two pair of skis, I would try one with a top coat of HP05.
Have a good one.
Bert
Tonight (Thursday): Snow likely, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Wind chill values as low as -1. Breezy, with a southwest wind 9 to 12 mph becoming south between 19 and 22 mph. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
Friday: Snow. High near 33. Wind chill values as low as -1. Windy, with a west southwest wind 28 to 31 mph increasing to between 41 and 44 mph. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 12 to 18 inches possible.
Friday Night: Snow showers likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13. Wind chill values as low as -4. Windy, with a west wind between 24 and 33 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 29. West southwest wind between 13 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
I skied Thursday morning at 7. The snow was -9C (15F). Some had been wind blown and even though it had been groomed, it was slow. The forecast looks pretty wintry, April fooling us.
Race starts at 9:30. Forecast temp is 23F (-5C). High at the finish looks to be about 30F (-1C).
Skis: I would choose a fairly soft to medium soft pair with a fine, new snow grind.
Base wax: I would go with a fairly hard wax to harden the bases for all the new snow. Solda Performance green would work.
Race wax: With the current forecast my leaning is toward Solda F31 Pink. If the humidity is closer to 100% F40 Red would be the choice.
Top Coat: Solda HP04. If I had two pair of skis, I would try one with a top coat of HP05.
Have a good one.
Bert
Thursday, March 25, 2010
California Gold Rush 2010
This is a 45km freestyle race at the Royal Gorge Resort near Soda Springs (Tahoe area), CA. The current NOAA forecast is as follows:
Today (Thursday): A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 27. Southwest wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tonight: Snow showers likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. West southwest wind 13 to 16 mph decreasing to between 5 and 8 mph. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 31. North wind at 10 mph becoming west.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming east northeast. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 45. East wind between 7 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47.
I just spoke with folks at Royal Gorge and on Thursday morning at 10:30 am it is snowing. I believe the forecast low for Saturday night is a bit high and it will fall below 32 F.
Skis: I would pick one of my soft to medium plus base skis with a warm grind.
Base wax: On clean bases start with a layer of Solda Performance Red and Performance Yellow 50/50. Let it cool, scrape and brush.
Race wax: I would apply a mix of Solda F40 Red and F40 Yellow 50/50. Scrape and brush. That is the case if there is not new snow on the course. If it snows more and there is new snow that has not transformed, then I would go with Solda F31 Pink.
Top coat: Finish with Solda Fluor 100.
Have a great race.
Bert
Today (Thursday): A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 27. Southwest wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tonight: Snow showers likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. West southwest wind 13 to 16 mph decreasing to between 5 and 8 mph. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 31. North wind at 10 mph becoming west.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming east northeast. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 45. East wind between 7 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47.
I just spoke with folks at Royal Gorge and on Thursday morning at 10:30 am it is snowing. I believe the forecast low for Saturday night is a bit high and it will fall below 32 F.
Skis: I would pick one of my soft to medium plus base skis with a warm grind.
Base wax: On clean bases start with a layer of Solda Performance Red and Performance Yellow 50/50. Let it cool, scrape and brush.
Race wax: I would apply a mix of Solda F40 Red and F40 Yellow 50/50. Scrape and brush. That is the case if there is not new snow on the course. If it snows more and there is new snow that has not transformed, then I would go with Solda F31 Pink.
Top coat: Finish with Solda Fluor 100.
Have a great race.
Bert
Friday, March 19, 2010
Solda Performance Series
Solda Performance Series
All over the world those who wax skis for both nordic and alpine racing are familiar with Solda HP05. National teams buy it and use it for cold, transformed snow in conditions of high humidity.
There are many other Solda waxes that may be less well known, but no less effective. Locals in Bend who come into our shop are always asking about a good wax for training and recreational skiing that is not too expensive. The answer is easy. The Performance World Cup series comes in three flavors. Green for cold snow, Red for most snow, Yellow for the warm days. You don't need snow thermometers or barometers to figure out which to use. The temperature ranges overlap at the upper and lower ends. You can go outside, or to the website of your skiing destination and see what the weather looks like. There are temperature ranges on the packages (the same is true for all other Solda waxes). Here in the shop we use the Solda Perfromance Red for nearly all of our wax service business because it has a wide range and runs well in most all snow conditions.
The other go-to wax for us is Solda UF7. It is a Universal low Flouro wax with a wide range too. I have used it as a race wax before and won my age group. As I prep skis for race day, I usually start with at base of a mix of Perfromance Red and UF7 50/50. I scrape and brush this and then apply the race wax over the top. These waxes saturate the bases well and provide the hydrocarbon/fluorocarbon mix that the more highly fluorinated waxes can bond to.
Waxing skis for fun and glide does not have to be complicated. Check the website for glide wax to see these and other wax options.
I hope you have some good spring skiing ahead of you.
Bert
All over the world those who wax skis for both nordic and alpine racing are familiar with Solda HP05. National teams buy it and use it for cold, transformed snow in conditions of high humidity.
There are many other Solda waxes that may be less well known, but no less effective. Locals in Bend who come into our shop are always asking about a good wax for training and recreational skiing that is not too expensive. The answer is easy. The Performance World Cup series comes in three flavors. Green for cold snow, Red for most snow, Yellow for the warm days. You don't need snow thermometers or barometers to figure out which to use. The temperature ranges overlap at the upper and lower ends. You can go outside, or to the website of your skiing destination and see what the weather looks like. There are temperature ranges on the packages (the same is true for all other Solda waxes). Here in the shop we use the Solda Perfromance Red for nearly all of our wax service business because it has a wide range and runs well in most all snow conditions.
The other go-to wax for us is Solda UF7. It is a Universal low Flouro wax with a wide range too. I have used it as a race wax before and won my age group. As I prep skis for race day, I usually start with at base of a mix of Perfromance Red and UF7 50/50. I scrape and brush this and then apply the race wax over the top. These waxes saturate the bases well and provide the hydrocarbon/fluorocarbon mix that the more highly fluorinated waxes can bond to.
Waxing skis for fun and glide does not have to be complicated. Check the website for glide wax to see these and other wax options.
I hope you have some good spring skiing ahead of you.
Bert
Thursday, March 11, 2010
North Routt Coureur des Bois 45k and 90k
This is the long one north of Steamboat Springs. The course goes to the Wyoming border and back. There is a 45km class and a 90 km class. The current NOAA forecast is :
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. West southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 15. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming southeast.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. South wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Expect transformed snow that has gone through the thaw/freeze cycle.
Skis: Select a plus base ski with a medium to medium/hard flex and a wet snow grind.
Base wax: Rub on a layer of Solda HC28. Drip on a layer of Solda UF7 and Performance Red 50/50. Scrape and brush.
Race wax: Combine Solda F31 Orange and F40 Red 50/50. Scrape and brush. You could now apply a coarse interupted structure with the Toko Structurite Tool. Brush again.
Top Coat: Finish with Solda Fluor 100 or PJ1.
If it looks like it will stay colder or is cloudy so the sun is not melting the snow, finish with Solda HP05-S30 mix 70/30.
Have a good race.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. West southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 15. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming southeast.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. South wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Expect transformed snow that has gone through the thaw/freeze cycle.
Skis: Select a plus base ski with a medium to medium/hard flex and a wet snow grind.
Base wax: Rub on a layer of Solda HC28. Drip on a layer of Solda UF7 and Performance Red 50/50. Scrape and brush.
Race wax: Combine Solda F31 Orange and F40 Red 50/50. Scrape and brush. You could now apply a coarse interupted structure with the Toko Structurite Tool. Brush again.
Top Coat: Finish with Solda Fluor 100 or PJ1.
If it looks like it will stay colder or is cloudy so the sun is not melting the snow, finish with Solda HP05-S30 mix 70/30.
Have a good race.
WebSkis Cascade Crest Mt Bachelor Oregon
This is a 25km skate race on challenging terrain.
The current NOAA forecast is:
Friday: Snow. High near 35. Breezy, with a south southwest wind between 17 and 24 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
Friday Night: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 17. West wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. West wind between 13 and 15 mph. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
This is written on Thursday afternoon. If the forecast above holds true, then here is how I am prepping my skis. I have skied two days this week and have been on new snow each time. The snow is skiing colder than I anticipated.
Start with a medium to medium soft plus base ski with a medium to fine new snow grind.
Base wax: Start with a base of Solda UF7 and Performance Red 50/50. Scrape and brush.
Race wax: Now apply a layer of Solda F15 or F31 Pink (both if you have them; F15 first)
Top Coat: Finish with Solda HP04.
See you there and have a good race.
The current NOAA forecast is:
Friday: Snow. High near 35. Breezy, with a south southwest wind between 17 and 24 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
Friday Night: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 17. West wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. West wind between 13 and 15 mph. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
This is written on Thursday afternoon. If the forecast above holds true, then here is how I am prepping my skis. I have skied two days this week and have been on new snow each time. The snow is skiing colder than I anticipated.
Start with a medium to medium soft plus base ski with a medium to fine new snow grind.
Base wax: Start with a base of Solda UF7 and Performance Red 50/50. Scrape and brush.
Race wax: Now apply a layer of Solda F15 or F31 Pink (both if you have them; F15 first)
Top Coat: Finish with Solda HP04.
See you there and have a good race.
Great Bear Chase at Swede Town nordic trails Michigan
This looks like a wet one. The NOAA forecast is:
Friday: Rain likely, mainly before 1pm. Areas of dense fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 41. East wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of rain. Areas of fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 37. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Areas of fog before noon. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 41. East wind around 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Northeast wind around 10 mph.
Sunday: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 44.
For either the freestyle or the classic:
Chose plus base skis that have the shortest base/snow contact zones you have.
Base wax: Rub on a good layer of Solda FC27 and cover with a layer of Solda Performance Yellow. Scrape and brush.
Race wax: Next apply a layer of Solda F40 Yellow. Scrape and brush. Now, for the freestyle race apply a coarse interupted structure with the Toko Structurite Tool, one pass. Follow with one pass of the coarse linear roller. On the classic skis apply the coarse linear rill.
Top coat: Solda Fluor 100 finishes the job.
Have a good race.
Friday: Rain likely, mainly before 1pm. Areas of dense fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 41. East wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of rain. Areas of fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 37. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Areas of fog before noon. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 41. East wind around 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Northeast wind around 10 mph.
Sunday: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 44.
For either the freestyle or the classic:
Chose plus base skis that have the shortest base/snow contact zones you have.
Base wax: Rub on a good layer of Solda FC27 and cover with a layer of Solda Performance Yellow. Scrape and brush.
Race wax: Next apply a layer of Solda F40 Yellow. Scrape and brush. Now, for the freestyle race apply a coarse interupted structure with the Toko Structurite Tool, one pass. Follow with one pass of the coarse linear roller. On the classic skis apply the coarse linear rill.
Top coat: Solda Fluor 100 finishes the job.
Have a good race.
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