SKIERS FLOCK TO NORTHLAND . . . . . . . . SNOW VARIES AT SKI CENTERS

Reprinted for the benefit of beginners from an article written last year for the CRIMSON by Norwod Cox, ski coach.

Many beginners are under the illusion-that waxing is just for experts who want their skis to glide exceptionally fast and that they can learn much better on slow skis. This is wrong, as one has much better control over a fast gliding ski and besides a ski that is not properly waxed will run unevenly in jerks, which makes it much harder to maintain one's balance. A good waxing job, while gliding smoothly downhill, will "bite" on walking uphill, thus preventing to some extent backsliding and saving considerable energy.

A very fine coating of shellac makes an excellent base. This should be put on the skis with a cloth (not a brush) in order to obtain an absolutely smooth surface.

Some skiers prefer a wax base. The best waxes for this purpose are: Ostvye, "glister," or "Skaresmoring." A fine coating should be applied, which must be rubbed into the wood with the hand, and then rubbed smooth with a cloth. It should be allowed to cool and harden before applying the surface wax.

There are innumerable varieties of surface waxes on the market; the ones the following: that I have found the most suitable are

For dry snow (temperature below freezing): Ostvye, "Mix."

For damp snow (temperatures just above freezing): Ostvye "Medium."

For wet spring snow (having melted over a considerable period of time): Ostvye "kilster."

For hard frozen crust (having melted and refrozen) Ostvye, "Skaresmoring."

For jumping or short, fast downhill running: Hansen's "Record."

Keep the skis and wax for some time in a warm room before waxing. Rub on a tough coating over the running surface of the skis, and smooth it down with the palm of the hand, rubbing it in one direction only; that is, from point to back of the ski.

On a very cold dry snow, the waxing surface should be extremely smooth; while on wet snow it should be comparatively rough, as a smooth surface will "suck" on wet snow causing very slow running.

The real art of waxing comes in combining various forms of waxes. For instance, on a long tour the snow at the starting point is fairly wet, but a few hundred feet above it is freezing. For this one can put on an original coating of "medium" allow it to cool, and cover it with a very thin coating of "mixed," the "mix" will glide well over the dry snow at the beginning of the run down, and will wear off soon after reaching the wet snow, then the undercoating of "medium" will serve its purpose.