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How to Purchase Skis!

Nakkertok Racing Program: N3/25

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Terminology

Tip

Splay

Tail

Camber + Flex

Residual Camber

Stiffness

Flex profile

Match

Base

Length

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6 Factors that affect ski performance:

does the ski fit? (weight and residual camber, length)
ski profile (flex profile) - what kind of ski is it?
how the ski was constructed (materials, mold, base material, base finishing)
snow type and ski preparation (hard/soft track/temperature/humidity grip and glide)
technique of the skier
fitness of the skier

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Why is the ski important?

A properly fitted ski will maximize glide per unit force.

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How do you know when you have a good ski?

Skate skis act like springs!

Classic ski grip when you want them to! and the wax of day stays on the ski

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Must Fit:

Weight: affects the flex of the ski under:

Full Body Weight - force application

and

Half Body Weight - glide

Height

CL +20cm longer than height

SK skiers height to no more than + 10cm skiers height

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Classic Skis:

test half body weight camber for ski profile and

nominal wax pocket (at 0.2mm distance)

This distance

should be plus/minus 25 to 30 cm from balance point

gap under ski should be:

cold condition 1mm

universal 1.4 mm

wet/klister 1.5 to 1.8 mm

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Classic Skis:

depending on skier test residual camber @

100% BW; or,

90% BW

there should still be a gap under the wax pocket

Skate Skis:

test residual camber @ 100%BW to 115% BW

residual camber should be between 0.2 to 0.4 mm

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Question: should we designate skis as training and racing?

GT’s evolution:

To consistently improve their technique the skier must consistently ski on skis that fit them.

So - what is your scratch tolerance?

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Expectations

U14

Better	1 pr CL universal	1 pr SK universal	1 pr Rock

Best	1 pr CL universal t	1 pr SK universal	1 pr CL Rock
	1 pr CL warm condition (klister)	1 pr SK warm condition	1 pr SK Rock

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Expectations

U16

Better	1 pr CL universal	1 pr SK universal	1 pr CL Rock
	1 pr CL warm condition	1 pr. SK warm condition	1 pr SK Rock

Best	1 pr CL universal	1 pr. SK universal	1 pr CL Rock
	1 pr CL warm condition	1 pr. SK warm condition	1 pr SK Rock
	1 pr CL cold condition	1 pr. SK cold condition

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Why not too many race skis?

Decision-making on race day - less anxiety

Knowledge of snow conditions v performance

Confidence

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Types of Use:

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Rock	Rock skis are used when damage to the base is likely	Not suitable for quality training and racing
Training	useful when snow conditions are poor and damage is possible. Great option for day to day use when ski maintenance is limited.	Older race skis with proper fitment or dedicated training skis are suitable. Purposefully designed training skis often share the same camber and stiffness profile without the construction and base material of a race ski.	$300 to $500

Race	provide athletes with the best chance of success. When snow conditions are good, race skis should be used in training to give athletes the technical challenge from skiing at speed.	Proper care is necessary to maintain the skis performance (ie cleaning/waxing/grinding). Higher end race skis will often be lighter, and less fatiguing for the athlete, have better gliding surfaces for increased acceleration and top speed, and a complete range of cambers for different snow conditions.	$650 to $1000
		In general, a higher end race ski is more competitive, but most race category skis can provide good performances in the majority of conditions.

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SKI Types

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Universal�Skate	All round ski	Best range of selection. Useful in all conditions
Universal Cold Skate	Reference to base material, grind and pressure points	Finer grind, longer pressure points, might be ‘softer’.
Hard Track Cold	Hard track with high moisture. Wide temperature range	Minimal splay, stiffer + longer camber

Universal CL	Medium Ht camber. Skied with HW (more layers) and klister (thin)	Hardwax, Klister, Klister + cover
Klister	CL ski. Very defined and high camber HT	Soft snow or coarse/icy snow
Hardwax CL Cold	-8C or colder.	New to old snow
Specialty	Zero’s/rubber grip pocket	Grip waxing is challenging. New snow/glazing tracks.
Wet	Does not always mean soft. Hard and wet can co-exist. Splay is important
Plus	Warmer condition ski. Base material made for higher humidity snow. In many respects these are universal skis - which can perform down to -10C

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Snow Characteristics and Ski Performance

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Snow Type	CL stiff	CL soft	SK Stiff	SK soft
Soft	Ski molds to the snow. Can get grip and wax releases the the snow = fast	Ski moulds to the snow along with the snow to the ski Result is that wax drags on the snow = slow	Pressure points dig into (plow) the snow. Making the ski slow.	Rides over the soft surface reducing the pressure/resistance to glide. Pushes are stable
Universal/variable	Will work better as the surface softens	Will work better on a harder surface	Stable and track better in hard conditions. May plow in softer conditions	Will drag a bit in hard snow. Float better in soft snow
Hard	Difficult to get grip but very fast	Good for grip, easy for glide	Stable. Will glide a straight line. Easy to push off.	Very unstable. No real direction to the glide. Ski will wash out when pushing off

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A comment about skin skis.

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‘Skin’ skis have grown in popularity over the years as an alternative to waxing and may be useful when waxing is not possible or difficult. They should not replace the athlete skiing on a well waxed pair of skis as the lessons learned in waxing, and skiing in a variety of conditions are useful to an athlete come race day.

They are slower

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Warm Condition Skis

In warm conditions moisture and soft, undulating terrain mean skis move slower. Dedicated warm CL skis have a higher and sometimes shorter grip zone to keep klister and moisture in minimal contact with the snow.

In classic, a klister pocket helps an athlete properly grip the soft snow that has comparably less grip available than cold snow.

Hardwax skis are limited in klister conditions because klister drags across the snow, removing klister, and the “action” of the pocket pushes snow from underneath the grip zone.

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Grinding

Flattens the ski base and cuts a new pattern into the bottom of the ski

Gives an easier surface to wax upon and better wax dispersion

Refreshes the gliding surfaces’ ability to manage moisture.

Worthwhile service to renew a good pair of race skis.

Does not make a slow ski fast

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Boots and Poles

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Boots:

best = dedicated skate and classic

better = combi

must fit

must be dried

must be warm

good socks

Dedicated boots will provide the flexibility (CL) or stiffness (SK) for

improved power transfer

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Poles:

aluminum v carbon

vibration v sensitivity v power transfer v care

basket size: packed v powder

height

Skate: strap comes out at no higher than lips (chin to lips). When

standing on ski with boots on

Classic: 83% of height. (calculator on web site) strap @ lower/mid shoulder

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Choosing skis and Equipment at a ski swap.

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Check this link out!

https://skiwax.ca/blogs/news/how-to-shop-for-cross-country-ski-gear-at-a-ski-swap?se_activity_id=139929223253&syclid=d43lrt6u4kss73b11in0&utm_campaign=How+to+prepare+for+Ski+Swaps_139929223253&utm_medium=email&utm_source=shopify_emai l

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Most ski shops have knowledgeable staff and sophisticated methods to help you purchase properly fitted skis.
Skate and classic skis are almost exclusively the same width tip to tail and around 44mm wide, providing the most glide while still being stable.
Ski stiffness is individual to a pair of skis, and is the most important factor when choosing skis. Each ski length is built with a range of weights in mind. Advanced skiers will achieve a higher top speed with a longer ski.
Ski stiffness is the most important variable in ski selection.

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Classic - 15-20 cm taller

With the athlete standing on both skis with the front of their toe at the balance point you should have an open pocket, 0.2mm (3x sheet of copy paper) high, spanning 20cm behind and 30cm in front of the balance point.

When the athlete shifts their weight onto a single ski, and forward on the ball of the foot, the pocket should close and you should not be able to fit a 0.2mm thickness underneath

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Skate - 5-10 cm taller

With the athlete standing on both skis with the front of their toe at the balance point you should have an open pocket, 0.2mm to .04mm high, spanning 30cm behind and 40cm in front of the balance point.

When the athlete shifts their weight onto a single ski, and forward on the ball of the foot, the pocket should sit 0.2 mm high and span 20cm behind and 30cm in front of the balance point.

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Questions?

Now!

or

Later via email!