swixracing.us

SWIX Racing ServiceTechnical Bulletin

1

Ski Base Preparation for the American BirkebeinerSwix Racing Service Director, Kevin Sweeney

Proper base preparation is perhaps one of the best ways to insure you have good kick and good glide for the 55km American Birkebeiner. Conditions appear to be fantastic for the 35th annual race. Follow these simple steps and your skis will be ready for race wax application. Swix makes it easy for you to have great skis!

The first step is to clean the base glide zones from old wax, oils and dirt. This is done best by using the traditional “hot scrape method”. Take Swix BP99, which requires a very low iron temperature of 110C, and melt this onto the base. Iron in with 2-3 passes down the length of the ski with each pass taking approxi-mately 7-10 seconds. While wax is still molten, use a stiff (3mm) plastic Swix wax scraper (T0823D) and scrape wax off the base. You can usually see the dirt and particles in this scraped up wax. Continue to do this 2 or 3 times until you can not see any more dirt coming up. Let skis cool for 10 minutes, and then brush out the base using the Swix Fine Steel Brush (T1088B pro oval) or (T0192NB rectangular). Brush 7-10 strokes. You can feel when the brush becomes free and no more wax is left in the base structure. Keep brushes clean by using your vacuum on the bristles. The extra fine filaments of the Fine Steel Brush are incomparable in performance. They are extremely durable and do not break down like an old nylon brush or too soft of a brush such as copper or soft bronze. You are able to not only clean the wax out of the structure, you are also able to open up the pores of the base that may have been inadvertently burned or sealed by using too hot of an iron or lingering in one spot too long. As I recently mentioned in my article on Cold Weather Waxing Tips, coaches or those doing several pairs of skis may really enjoy the new Steel Brush (T01790 pro oval or T0179R rectangular size) for this first step brushing method.

Now that bases are clean, it is time to saturate the pores of the glide zones with wax. Our goal here is to fill the pores with wax that will provide excellent bonding to our race layers that we will apply last. What wax we put on at this point is very important. We want the wax to be as close in hardness as possible that will not allow snow crystals or wax to dig into the wax and pull or tear the the wax mol-ecules out of the base. In most cases, we want a “hard” wax for this. In very cold temperatures it is common to use Swix CH4. In warmer conditions, Swix has developed the next generation base preparation wax, Swix MB77. This wax is to be used as a base preparation wax in the most common temperatures people frequently ski. MB77 is a fantastic base preparation wax because it contains a moly additive whose main function is to repel dirt and act as a dry lubricant reduc-ing friction in dirty and drier conditions. This is the same moly additive found in our extremely versatile 100% Cera FC1 and FC2 Turbo waxes. The MB77 also contains a signifi-cant amount of flouro which does three things. One, it is extremely hydrophobic (repels water), two, the flouro molecules provide a great bonding base for the high or 100% race layer flouros to be added as semi final or final topcoats. (When heat is applied, these flouro molecules bond to each other proving a very durable topcoat or overlayer.) Three, the flouro makes the base wax very durable.

swixracing.us

SWIX Racing ServiceTechnical Bulletin

2

The numbers “77” in MB77 represent its hardness scale in the Swix glide wax line up with 4’s and 6’s being cold and 8, 10’s being warm waxes. Due to the moly’s ability to provide lubrication in drier snow, we are able to run the MB77 when temps call for 6’s and also to have success at higher elevations we find typical of the Rockies etc. Give the glide base a good saturation of Swix MB77. Let cool, scrape and brush out with the Fine Steel Brush. If you have neglected your skis since the last Birkie, doing this step twice is not a bad idea!

Structure of the ski base is now our next consideration. In nearly all cases except extremely cold condi-tions, you should have structure in the ski base. Refer to the following points and chart and apply structure with the legendary simple Swix T401 Hand “Riller” structure tool, or, if you have questions ask your local ski shop to apply structure to your base. (TheT405 is a structure tool used more by World Cup Service, large teams and shops and is quite expensive). It looks like we will be using a .25mm or .50mm rill based on temperature, humidity and snow type at this year’s Birkebeiner.

Practical guidelines when setting structure with hand held tools

• Useofthedifferentimprintbladeswillvarywiththeunderlyingstonegrind.Ifthebasehasafinestructure it can be taken to “medium” by using the coarse imprint blade. In this way you will be able to make a fine stone grind fit “medium” conditions. However, it is not possible to make a coarse stone grind ‘fine’ with a ‘fine’ blade.

• Inskating,amedium/coarseorcoarsestructureisrarelyusedduetovaryingconditionsinaskating slope and the negative effect this will give on “feeling” (which has to do with the resistance in push-ing the ski forward). In skating, a fine or medium structure is preferred as the standard; these structures willthenbemodifiedwiththeuseofthestructure/imprinttools“ontopof”theunderlyingstonegrind.Beaware of the amount of pressure when applying the hand made structure. In skating it is most important to apply light pressure on the front half of the ski. A harder pressure will be applied from the binding and backwards. This has shown to give an optimal mix of “good glide” and “free feel.”

• Forclassicskis,useevenpressure,butpreferablylighterpressureonthefrontpart.• Manuallyproducedstructureshouldbesetafterwaxing,andafterapplicationofCeraFand brushing. After setting the structure, brush once more with the Blue Nylon brush.• Alwaysapplymanualstructuresonracedaysincetheintendedeffectcanbereducedovertime.• Iftwoormoreimprintbladesareusedincombination,alwaysstartbyusingthecoarserblade.• Inmorehumid/wetconditions,itisnormaltousemorepressureandtomake2-3passeswith the imprint device to facilitate better drainage of moisture.• TheT405hasabroaderrangeintemperatureandsnowconditionsversustheT401.TheT405is alsoperhapsmore“gentle”withtheskibasewhichallowschange/removalofstructurepattern more easily.• Nevercleanyourstructuringblades(orsteels)withametalbrush.Useasofttoothbrush.• Usethefollowingcharttomakedecisionsonwhichimprintstructuretouse:

swixracing.us

SWIX Racing ServiceTechnical Bulletin

3

Gui

delin

es f

or t

he u

se o

f T4

05

and

T4

01:

Snow

typ

e (s

ee b

elow

)A

ir t

empe

ratu

reA

ir H

umid

ity

Bla

de/R

olle

r to

use

Pres

sure

on

tool

Des

crip

tion

Snow

sym

bol

in °

C (°

F)in

%T4

01

T40

5Pr

essu

reTo

ol

All

All

Cold

er t

han

-12

°C (<

10

°F)

Not

use

dN

ot u

sed

Ligh

tSt

eel s

crap

er

(T8

0)

New

, fine

, co

arse

, art

ifici

al

and

norm

al1,

2,3

-12

°C –

0°C

(1

0°F

– 3

2°F

)4

0%

+0

.25

0.3

Ligh

tT4

01

or T

40

5

New

, fine

, co

arse

, gla

zed,

ic

y tr

acks

, co

arse

dry

1,2

,3-5

°C –

+1°

C (2

3°F

– 3

4°F

)6

0%

+0

.50

.5Li

ght

T40

1 or

T4

05

New

, fine

, co

arse

, mix

ed

and

moi

st1,

2,3

-1°C

– +

3°C

(3

0°F

– 3

7°F)

60

% +

0.5

or

0.7

50

.5 p

lus

0.3

Med

ium

T40

1 or

T4

05

Wet

, coa

rse

4,5

0°C

– +

10°C

(3

2°F

– 5

0°F

)6

0%

+1

1M

ediu

mT4

01

and

T40

5

Extr

eme

wet

sn

ow4

0°C

– +

20

°C

(32

°F –

68

°F)

60

% +

1 or

2 o

r 3

1H

arde

rT4

01

and

T40

5

swixracing.us

SWIX Racing ServiceTechnical Bulletin

4

Based on the forecast, everyone can go through this base preparation process several days before heading to the Birkie. Keep the MB77 on the base until you are ready to ap-ply final race layers and structure.

The full length of this article with an in depth section discussing classic ski kick zone base preparation can be found at www.swixracing.us. Be sure to view the Swix School of Waxing and utilize the Wax Wizard.

A few simple steps and your bases have been refurbished and are now prepped to receive the final race wax layers. While you are base prepping, inspect your ski sidewalls and ski surface for cracks or holes. Inspect bindings, check for loose screws, cracked plates. Also check your poles for cracks, loose or broken pole tips and baskets and check handles and straps for worn areas. Be ready for a great day!

Base Preparation products required for glide zone:

• BP99basecleaningwaxBP099• MB77basewaxMB077• SwixwaxingIronT72,T73orT74• Swix3mmwaxscraperT0823D• SwixgroovescraperT0087orT0088• SwixFineSteelBrush(T1088Bprooval)or(T0192NBrectangular)• SwixT401Hand“Riller”structuretool

swixracing.us

SWIX Racing ServiceTechnical Bulletin

5

Swix Sport’s partner Team, The Factory Team, has had outstanding results this year using Swix waxes and poles. Below is a summary of results and wax combinations provided to Swix courtesy of Factory Team wax technicians Kevin Johnson and Fabien Blondeau. www.endurance-enterprises.com

FACTORY TEAM : WINTER 2007-08

WAX REPORT

Date Place Race TypeAir Temp

(°C)Snow

Snow Temp (°C)

Glide Wax Kick Wax Comments Best Factory Team Results

11.23 WY Supertour Sprint Sk -14New Cold and

dry-16

LF4+LF3 for qualify then + FC7 Corked for heat

X Very GoodM Sinnot : 2nd K Unerwood

: 6th

11.24 WY Supertour Ind Cl -15New Cold and

dry-16 LF4+LF3

VG35 + combo V40/V20 Very Good K Strandberg : 1st

VG35 (Iron) + V40 Very Good M Sinnot : 5th

12.8Bozeman Supertour

Sprint Cl -10New Cold and

Pretty Dry-12 HF4BD + FC7

VG35 corked + Combo VR40/VR30

Good K Strandberg : 5th

12.9Bozeman Supertour

Ind Sk -16New Cold and

dry-17 HF4BD X Good

K Strandberg : 4th E Dong : 7th

12.15 SH Supertour Sprint Cl -10 Cold Artificial -11 LF6 then LF6 + FC1S Corked Special green corked + VR40

then VR45Good especially for

the heatK Strandberg : 2nd I Babikov

: 8th

12.16 SH Supertour Mass S Sk -8 Cold Artificial -9LF6 + FC7

X Pretty GoodE Dong : 6th K Stranberg

: 7th I Babikov : 1stLF6 + FC7 + FC1S corked

1.1Houghton US

NationalsInd Sk -8 Falling and Cold -8

HF6 + FC7/8 mixed then HF6 + FC040

X Very GoodI Babikov : 1st L Flora : 6th A Golovko : 9th J Freeman

: 10th

1.3Houghton US

NationalsInd Cl

-8Cold, New then

getting warm

-10HF4BD + FC7 then HF6

+ FC7

Special Green corked+ Combo VR40/VR45

FabulousI Babikov : 1st L Flora :

2nd A Golovko : 3rd M Sinnott : 9th

-5 -6 Special Green corked + VR45 No enough Kick K Strandberg : 2nd

1.5Houghton US

NationalsSprint Sk 1

New gettin warm : pretty wet

-1HF6BD+FC7 Corked

then FC8L CorkedX Very Good

M Sinnott : 4th Q L Flora : 6th K Strandberg : 9th

1.6Houghton US

NationalsTeam S Cl 5 Very Wet 0

HF6BD+FC8L then +FC10L corked

Combo KR60/K22n Under Foot GoodFlora/Golovko : 2nd Strandberg

: 4th

1.12Seeley Classic

Hills42k Cl -6

Old and New mixed

-6 LF4+HF6BD+ FC8BDBinder Old Grün/KR30 mixed

(iron) + VR45 and KR50 Cover UF

GreatA Golovko : 1st A Larson :

1st

1.20Marquette

College RaceInd Cl -20 New -20 HF4BD+LF3

Special Green corked + VR 30 cover by V20

good kick and feeling but pb w/

structureA Golovko : 3rd

1.23Duluth

SupertourSprint Sk -17

Old and new mixed

-18HF4BD for qualify then +

FC7/LF3X Ok

K Strandberg : 3rd A Golovko : 10th

1.26Marquette

Noque51k Cl -9 New and falling -15 HF4BD+FC7

VG35 (Iron) + combo VR30/VR40

very goodK Strandberg : 1st A Golovko

: 1st

1.27Telemark Supertour

Mass S Cl -1Old and New

mixed-10 HF6BD+FC7

VG35 (Iron) + combo VR40/VR45 (40%/60%)

good skis for kick and glide

K Strandberg : 1st

2.2Madison

SupertourTeam S Sk -1

Artificial Dirty and new snow

mixed-2

HF8BD + FC8BD + FC8L corked

X Very Good Flora/Golovko : 2nd

2.3Madison

SupertourSprint Cl -1

Artifical Dirty snow

0HF8BD+FC8BD+ FC10L Black

corkedDouble Pôle Only but K21n/

K22N mixed was OkVery Good

K Strandberg : 1st L Flora : 5th

2.2Boulder

Mountain Tour30k Sk -14

New Cold and dry

-15 CH4+LF4 X Very GoodM Sinnott : 1st E Dong :

2nd

2.3 City of Lakes 35k Sk -5 Old dry and cold -5 HF6BD+FC7+FC1 corked X Very Good A Golovko : 1st

2.3 Crafstbury 50k Cl -6Ice and New

Mixed, Falling-4 HF8 + FC8 KR 20 (iron)+KR40+VR45

Good for the first half, then draggy

J Freeman : 2nd

2.7Aspen

SuperTourInd Cl -10 Cold and Dry -15 CH4 + LF4 Binder V20 corked + VR30 Good

K Strandberg : 1st A Golovko : 1st

2.9Aspen

SuperTourMass S 25k Sk

-8 Cold and Dry -10 CH4 + HF4BD X Pretty GoodE Dong : 1st K

Stranberg : 2nd A Larson : 3rd

2.9Lake Placid

Loppet50k Sk -8 Cold -10 HF6 + FC7 X Good

K Underwood : 1st J Freeman : 2nd

2.10 Mora Vasaloppet 35k Sk -24New and cold

(wind)-20 LF4+CH4+LF3/CH4 X ok C Giese : 9th

Factory Team Results