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.

The current NOAA forecast for Sunday, February 28 is:

The NOAA forecast is:

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around -9. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 33. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around -2. North wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.

There are other forecasts that have the overnight lows at 10F. All seem to agree that high will be in low 30s.
I believe that the snow will remain cold. The groomers will be working the course at night when the temps are low. The snow is transformed old snow with a little new this week mixed in . The course is hard. It should be a great race.

Skis: pick a pair of medium to medium stiff skate skis with a fine to medium grind. For classic, your favorite cold base skis. Remember if you are using klister that the ski must have a wax pocket high enough to carry the klister and not have it abraded off. See our friends at Swix or Toko for kick wax recommendations.

Base wax: On clean bases rub on a layer of Solda FC27. Drip on Solda Performance Green over the FC27, iron twice and scrape. If you are going in one of the later waves apply a layer of Solda F31 or F40 Violet. Cover this with two layers of Solda F15 Blue. scrape and brush between layers. You want to get lots of hard wax into the bases. For the early waves start with the F15 Blue over the Performance Green. Again, two layers.

Top Coat: My guess is that the best top coat will be the HP05-S30 70/30 mix. If you don't have the pre-made mix, sprinkle the S30 on the skis first, then sprinkle the HP05. Use a cork brush to tamp the two powders to an even layer. Iron with a hot iron. (265 F or 130 C). Cork the mix on the ski and set it aside to cool. Have a cup of tea, be patient. Watch the Olympics. Hooray USA Nordic Combined. Brush the skis when they have cooled. I use a horse hair brush and finish with a Swix blue bristle polishing brush.

Some folks have had luck with using S30 over the F15 Blue and finishing with HP05 S30 mix. The HP05 mixes have a good history at the Birkie. HP06 is a colder Fluor Powder that could run well, but I have not heard any testing. If my resources on the ground find something different, I will post tomorrow evening.

Have a great race.

Bert

This is the NOAA forecast for Hayward, WI for the next three days.


This Afternoon: Partly sunny, with a high near 25. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around -9. North wind around 5 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 33. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around -2. North wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.

I will continue to watch and get reports from folks on the ground in Hayward. I will post a wax recommendation This evening.

Bert

Those who have been in Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin, have told me that the snow is abrasive and dirty. It snowed a little today, a very fine snow coming off the lake. The forecast from NOAA:

Because of the lack of snow in Hanover, the Silver Fox Trot is moved to Gunstock, NH and is now a classical race.

From what I heard, Gunstock got a few inches of snow this week so conditions should
be pretty good.
The NOAA forecast is:

Tonight: A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 7pm. 
Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. West wind between 11 and 15 mph. 
Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: Mostly sunny,
with a high near 41. West wind around 15 mph.

Saturday Night:
Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. West wind between 11 and 13
mph.

Sunday: A slight chance of snow showers before 1pm.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Northwest wind between 13 and 15
mph.  Chance of precipitation is 20%.

On a pair of plus base skis,
Base wax of Solda Performance yellow.

Race wax of Solda F40 yellow covered with Solda fluor 100 -- structure probably 1mm rills will be helpful
Use same glide wax for Freestyle race at Holderness on Sunday.

Kick for Saturday.

If newer snow - swix VR 60 or 70 (hard-wax)
If snow is corning up - swix KR 60 or 70 (klister)

This is part of the Sven Wiik series. Sven was my mentor when I was a student at Western State College in 1966.

The current NOAA forecast is:

Friday: A 50 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 31. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 18. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Saturday: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 32. East wind around 5 mph becoming west southwest. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

The Cowboy Pursuit is hosted by the University of Wyoming. It is a 10km skate race. The NOAA forecast is:

Tonight: Occasional snow, mainly before 11pm. Areas of fog. Low around 11. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south southeast. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Friday: A 20 percent chance of snow before 11am. Areas of fog before 8am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 27. Wind chill values as low as -5. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest.

Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 12. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west.

Saturday: Snow likely, mainly after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 26. Wind chill values as low as zero. Breezy, with a southeast wind between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

This race is at Hanson Hills in Grayling, MI. Course is 15km or 30 km skate race. It looks like transformed snow. The current NOAA forecast is :

Tonight: Scattered flurries between 10pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. West wind around 10 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 32. West wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 12. West wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 31. West wind between 5 and 10 mph.

My guess is abrasive, transformed snow. It could be colder than the 12F overnight. I would pick a medium to stiffer flex ski with a cold base and a medium/universal grind.

Base wax: On clean base start with Solda Performance Green, scraped and brushed.
Race wax: Go next with Solda F31 or F40 Violet, scraped and brushed. Finish with Solda HP05 - S30 mix 70/30.

If you have another pair of skis and can try a different wax for warmer conditions do the following:
Base wax: Mix Solda Performance Red and UF7 50/50, scraped and brushed.
Race wax: Solda F40 Red. Finish with HP05.

Have a good race.

This is a race that goes on the Birkie trails, but in the opposite direction. It is a 42km or 26km skate race.

The NOAA forecast is:

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around -14. Calm wind.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 21. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -8. Calm wind.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 22. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.

The weather looks stable, no new snow and consistently cold nights. This will produce cold transformed snow.

Skis: Pick a pair of medium to medium stiff cold base skis with a fine grind.
Base Wax: Rub on a layer of Solda HC28. Drip on a layer of Solda Performance Green, scrape and brush.
Race Wax: Solda F15 Blue covered with Solda HP05 - S30 mix 50/50.
Ski pair #2 I would try same base with Solda F15 Blue and HP06.

Owl Creek is famous for the climbs. The first 2/3 of the race is mostly uphill. In the last 1/3 there are good downhills with a nearly flat finish. Total length is 21km. I have not skied the course, but it is at altitude and the snow is often fairly dry.

Skis: Pick a pair of medium flex cold base skis with a fine grind.
Base wax: Rub on a layer of Solda HC 28. Drip on Solda Performance Green and Solda UF7, iron and scrape.
Race wax: Solda F15 or F30 Violet. If there is not much new snow, and it looks like it will be abrasive old snow, top with Solda HP05 - S30 mix 50/50. Some like a layer of Powerjet 4 on top, roto corked and brushed. If it looks like it will warm nicely during the race and there is more newish snow on the course top with HP05.

The classic race Saturday looks to have similar conditions. I would prep classic skis with the same formula.
Kick wax will have to be tested on site. In any case, iron in a binder first. Swix VG30 or Toko Green Base. Iron and when ski has cooled, cork smooth.

The North American Vasa is a 27km skate or classic race. Classic skiers go out first at 8:30 and skate racers one hour later at 9:30. NOAA forecast is :

Friday: Scattered snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night: Scattered flurries. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. North wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: Scattered flurries. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 25. Northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.

There has been a little snow in the last couple days and they are trying to not till it in with the harder base. New snow is fine grained, cold and slow.

Skis: Pick a pair of medium flex cold base skis with a fine grind.
Base wax: Rub on a layer of Solda HC 28. Drip on Solda Performance Green and Solda UF7, iron and scrape.
Race wax: Solda F15 or F30 Violet. If there is not much new snow, and it looks like it will be abrasive old snow, top with Solda HP05 - S30 mix 50/50. If it looks like it will warm nicely during the race and there is more newish snow on the course top with HP05.

Glide wax for Sunday's Grand Traverse Classic race looks to be the same.

This race is a 58km skate race on a fast, rolling course with a fair amount of skiing in open fields. It can be windy and have a wind blown snow surface for some of the race. Times are generally fairly fast for a race of this length.


Friday: A 20 percent chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 25. Calm wind.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 5. Wind chill values between -3 and 2. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 25. Northeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 2.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 22.

Skis: If you have a choice pick a pair of medium flex cold base skis with a fine grind. Remember that in cold snow you are looking for long contact zone of ski on snow.
Base wax: Rub on a layer of Solda HC 28. Drip on Solda Performance Green and iron it in, scrape and brush.
Race wax: Solda F15 or F31 Violet scraped and brushed. If it is not too windy and looks like it will warm up during the day, top with Solda HP05 - S30 mix 70/30 (or 50/50). If it looks to stay cold, has been and continues to be windy, top with Solda S32 or a mix of S20 and S30 in 50/50 ratio instead of the HP05 mix.

The John Day Memorial is staged at Diamond Lake, Oregon On Sunday, February 14. Happy Valentines Day. It is a relatively flat course that is groomed specifically for the race. Weather forecast from NOAA looks damp:

Friday: Snow. High near 39. South southwest wind between 11 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Friday Night: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Southwest wind between 13 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Saturday: A slight chance of rain and snow showers. Snow level rising to 6100 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. South southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Snow level 6100 feet lowering to 5300 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Sunday: A chance of rain and snow. Snow level 5300 feet rising to 6000 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Skis: If you have a choice choose a medium to soft flex with a plus base and an aggressive warm snow grind.

Base wax: 50/50 mix of Solda Performance Yellow and Solda UF7, scraped and brushed.
Race wax: 50/50 mix of Solda F40 or F31 Yellow and F40 Red; second choice Solda F31 Orange. Top with Solda Fluor 100. Remember to brush the skis after they have cooled.
Structure: Use the coarse interupted roller with the Toko Structurerite tool. Apply this after waxing just before you do the Fluor top coat. Remember to brush well with horse hair after waxing.

We skied up on the course today. Snow temps on the surface were about 23F and down deeper it was 18F. There was about 1-2 inches of new snow this morning and that is what we tested on . What ran best for me was Solda F40 Red and HP04. The clouds are beginning to clear a bit. The groomers will work tonight. My hunch is to go with F40 Red and HP05 to deal with the colder snow they will bring up and the overnight air that will till down. I will prep on more cold base ski with F40 Violet and HP05 just incase it gets really cold, but believe the Red combo with work.

Have a good race. I am on my way to the garage to apply powders.

Bert

Peter Hall, who is on the ground in New England sent me the following

Based on Accuweather forecast - and what I've heard for Stowe VT area -
looks like mostly old snow tilled up for the races.  21F for high on
Saturday and 20F for high on Sunday.

I would try Solda F31 Violet covered with Solda S20 for both days - well brushed.
Another combination that may work well would be Solda F15 or F31 Violet covered with
an S-30/HP-05    50%/50% mix.

For Saturday's classic race (only 5km for woman and 10km men) - I would
recommend Toko Green hard wax base binder ironed in and cooled - cover
with Ski-Go HF Blue (-2 to -20F) "old snow"  -  Recommend applying 3-4
very thin layers well corked.  The 5km loop is mostly downhill with a
steady climb over the last ~2km to finish.

This is close to what I came up with from here in Bend. Remember, there are different
ways to have fast skis in cold abrasive snow. Also remember HP05 has a great history
in that condition. I was told that the Swedish winners of the recent Marcialona race in
Italy were on HP05.

Have a good race,

Bert

Boulder Mountain Tour, Idaho.