Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

Hello everyone,

I'm still fairly new to the forum and also to XCD. A big thank you to all of the members that have so generously shared their experience and expertise here. I've been reading through many of the older posts and still have a way to go to catch up. I'm definitely starting to feel more progress in my abilities and level of fun thanks in large part to you all.

I used to ski Alpine in the 80's and early 90's in interior Alaska and the UP of Michigan. Due to a fractured disk a few years ago I had to drop all of that heavy gear and reinvent my winter activities. For the past few years I have been on light free-heel gear and have experienced a bit of an epiphany. I realized that while I was always happy to ski Alpine, Nordic is far closer to existential bliss. It's my ticket to going anywhere, anytime, away from the crowds and noise. It's the perfect mental detox that I would never want to be without.

Heading out again this weekend. Probably a few miles of K&G with some wobbly, awkward turns thrown in for good measure.

Hello and welcome Jalp!
That was a wonderful introduction!
Please feel free and comfortable to share your personal skiing story with us.
I wish you a fantabulous fin-de-semaine of skiing from the very cold, buried-in-snow, hills of New Brunswick!
Gareth (aka LilCliffy)

welcome jalp!

I am a long time skier of all flavors also a late comer to the freeheel flavor which I like best of all! have fun

Thanks for the warm welcome guys! Wishing you all the best from the not-so-snow covered foothills of the Sawtooth Mountains. The snowstorms are coming, should be looking good around here soon.

John

jalp wrote:Hello everyone,

I'm still fairly new to the forum and also to XCD. A big thank you to all of the members that have so generously shared their experience and expertise here. I've been reading through many of the older posts and still have a way to go to catch up. I'm definitely starting to feel more progress in my abilities and level of fun thanks in large part to you all.

I used to ski Alpine in the 80's and early 90's in interior Alaska and the UP of Michigan. Due to a fractured disk a few years ago I had to drop all of that heavy gear and reinvent my winter activities. For the past few years I have been on light free-heel gear and have experienced a bit of an epiphany. I realized that while I was always happy to ski Alpine, Nordic is far closer to existential bliss. It's my ticket to going anywhere, anytime, away from the crowds and noise. It's the perfect mental detox that I would never want to be without.

Heading out again this weekend. Probably a few miles of K&G with some wobbly, awkward turns thrown in for good measure.

Welcome jalp! I too left a lifetime of alpine behind after rupturing discs and deciding that fixed heel skiing was nothing but a liability my body and hence my job. To satisfy my need for gliding on snow I entered the world of XC skiing which also ended up being great rehab, and then after a few years found myself going down hills with my XC gear, and realized I wanted something a little heavier and learned to tele... I'm now *this* close to skiing like I did back in my early 20's, and NO PAIN.

Nordic is far closer to existential bliss

Yes, yes it is! Overall, this transition from alpine has been one of the best things to ever happen to me in my life both for my body and mind.

Woodserson wrote:
Yes, yes it is! Overall, this transition from alpine has been one of the best things to ever happen to me in my life both for my body and mind.

Yeah! Definitely inspiration to keep going. My doctor agrees that this is the best thing I can do for myself although she's not too impressed by some of my other habits. My wife understands that this keeps me sane, and she's equally not impressed by some of my other habits.

I tried to get back on fixed heel skis, I think it was last year or maybe the year before. Riding the chairlift was the worst part. Having the weight of the skis and boots hanging off my legs was really aggravating my sciatica. Was wondering what would be worse, riding all the way up or just jump and take my chances. Took only 2 runs that day, never went back.

BTW, I picked up some Bonna 1800s yesterday. Great condition, the laminations are still tight, lignostone looks good. I haven't been able to find much on the forum regarding tar, wax and other maintenance on wood skis. Do you know if there is a thread out there for this?

Thanks,

John

Agreed, skiing is good medicine for those of us who are called to it. It definitely helps my body and spirit... and they can use the help.

Those 1800's are a very fine score jalp! I don't know a reference for care and feeding of wood skis, but there's gotta be something out there. Keeping the bases treated with a good pine tar application is the primary thing. Forget any of the liquid, just wipe it on kind... you need a good quality tar torched in and buffed clean afterwards. Then a couple coats of polar corked in over that. That's your base prep; your kick waxes du jour then have excellent adhesion.

That's not meant to be a thorough explanation, just the basics. If you don't find enough info (there's gotta be a youtube?) get in touch, and I can walk you thru the pine tar ritual.
Oh and one more thing: one of the first things that break down on wood skis is the tails. They don't need to be babied, but be somewhat mindful of jamming into the snow, storing them standing on wetness, etc.

"woodenskis.com" is a good starting place. the FAQ page discusses maintenance, waxing, and pine tarring. As Phoenix mentioned there are some good tutorials on Youtube as well. Enjoy!