Solda Wax Recommendations

Here is the latest from Chris Wheaton, our Solda man on the snow in Hayward.

Chris says:


Of the 4 weather reporting agencies that I use the range of overnight low temperatures is 0 F – 11 F (the colder forecasts actually come out of Duluth so that may explain the colder prediction). Temperatures are to warm up with the range being 5 F – 18 F at 9:00 a.m. The forecasters are split on cloud cover with 2 of them reporting sunny and 2 of them reporting cloud cover. Humidity levels are pretty normal for the Midwest at this time of year; high 70’s – low 80’s overnight and high 60’s – low 70’s at 9:00 a.m.

The course is cold and hard with no more than a dusting of snow falling this week. I believe that reports of a “dirty” course are a bit exaggerated. I have seen the usual amount of debris on the course but would not call it dirty.

Cold grinds are out performing medium or warm grinds.

Hard bases are the order of the day. I recommend starting with FC 27 which will be very durable and runs well with a variety of LF and HF waxes on top of it. Follow the FC 27 with Solda Performance Green.

After the Performance Green (if you don’t have it, not a big problem) I would start adding multiple layers of Solda F 15 Blue. Again, the blue wax will harden the base and be durable.

Top the F 15 Blue with Solda F 40 Special Violet if you are in the later waves. If you do not have the F 40 Special I would go with F 31 Blue or F 40 Violet. I do not recommend F 15 as the wax of the day for the simple reason that the lower fluor content will not be as durable.

Elite and First Wave skiers should lean toward the F 40
Special Green or F 40 Green scenario with HPO6 on top. HPO6 was very fast this
morning when it was cold.

For everyone else I think the ticket is F40 Special Violet with HPO5 on
top. 70/30 mix would work as well. The temperature of the snow is drastically
different in the sunny areas. In the sun, the snow is about the same temp
as the air. In the shade the snow is 15 degrees F colder than the air.
The weather services are still split on whether we have sun or clouds
tomorrow.

I ran into the Boulder Nordic guys, they loved HPO6 and did not even run
the HPO5. They heard from a few teams that it was not fast which I agree with
if it was tested early this morning when it was still very cold. If it
warms up tomorrow like they are predicting, HPO5 is the ticket.

Even late wavers will benefit from this recommendation. When in doubt wax for colder rather than warmer.