During a break in World Cup action this winter, service technician Randy Gibbs will join forces with Boulder Nordic Sport (BNS) for the City of Lakes Loppet and American Birkebeiner. Gibbs will add his extensive experience to the BNS Mobile Race Service Crew for their Race Waxing Services at both events. To take advantage Randy’s seven years of unique experience waxing skis for top athletes like Kikkan Randall, Andy Newell and Kris Freeman, BNS will host a World Cup Waxing Symposium and offer a special Gold Medal waxing service for the American Birkebeiner.
Gibbs may be joined by fellow waxer Oleg Ragilo if schedules allow. Gibbs and Ragilo have waxed skis that have won 3 Olympic Medals, 7 World Championships Medals, 23 World Cup Medals and over 50 World Cup podiums.
The World Cup Waxing Symposium will be held in Minneapolis on Tuesday, February 21. This clinic will provide an intimate setting to master every step that goes into creating the best possible skis in the world. Topics will include ski and grind selection, glide wax and fluoro application as well as kick zone preparation from sanding all the way up to wax selection and application. More than just a lecture, participants will get hands-on experience under the expert supervision of Gibbs and the BNS Tech Team. All attendees will receive a special email on the day before the Birkie with race-specific waxing instructions and be entered to win a drawing for a signed World Cup bib, a Holmenkol structure tool, Ski Go wax and a free BNS World Cup-level Birkie wax service. Cost for this event is $200 by January 31 or $250 until registration closes on February 20. Limit: 40 participants.
In addition to BNS’s highly-successful Mobile Race Waxing Services, BNS and Gibbs are launching a new Gold Medal Race Waxing Service that will provide the same level of ski service that Randy provides to athletes like Kikkan Randall on the World Cup circuit. Gibbs will evaluate each Gold Medal skier’s race fleet and then help participants select two pairs of race skis by testing on the Birkie trail Thursday or Friday before the race. Gibbs will then apply the full World Cup Wax and structure treatment to two pairs of skis for race day. Only eight spaces are available for this Gold Medal service, so sign up today! Cost for the Gold Medal Race service is $350, available at the American Birkebeiner only.
Details and on-line sign-up are available at bouldernordic.com or by calling 877.BNS.SKIS.
BNS at the Birkie
- Race Service— BNS Mobile will be at the American Birkebeiner Feb 22-25 with a full service team providing wax sales and brand-neutral race waxing service. BNS is fielding the most qualified service team at the Birkie this year, with members drawing their experience as techs at the Olympics, World Championships, World Cup, World Masters Championships, US National Championships, NCAA Championships and of course, many American Birkebeiners. Treat yourself to a full race wax application by our professional service team so you can relax and focus on your race knowing that your skis are in good hands. Make the most of your hard training hours by having some of the fastest skis out on the course.
BNS Race Service includes base prep, low-fluoro and high-fluoro paraffins and pure-fluoro topcoats. For classic skis, the BNS Tech Team will provide an ironed-in binder as a foundation for final kick wax application to be applied by the racer on race morning. Skis will be ready for pickup the evening of Friday, February 25. Cost for the BNS Race Wax Service is $75 per pair before February 17 and $85 until the 11am cut off time on February 24.
- Brand-Neutral Wax Recommendations and Testing
The BNS Mobile Service Team will be testing wax extensively in the days running up to and the morning of the American Birkebeiner. BNS is committed to keeping all wax reports brand-neutral—if it’s running fast, you’ll know about it. Wax reports will be available on bouldernordic.com, facebook.com/bouldernordic, at the BNS Mobile trailer and the BNS booth at the Birkie expo.
- BNS at the Birkie Expo
Stop by the BNS booth at the Expo to check out the latest wax recommendations and stock up on SkiGo and Holmenkol products. The BNS booth will also feature some incredible hard-to-find waxes from Guru, Magnar, Innovax and Gallium.
Back again, and a favorite from last year’s Birkie Expo, will be gloves from SkiGo. This full line of gloves has been developed with Petter Northug and offers variants from the super light “X-Skin” to the “Hummer” lobster gloves. Pick up a pair and ski like Petter!
Boulder Nordic Sport is the leading cross-country ski racing source in the United States. With stores in Boulder, Colorado and Portland, Maine; BNS also operates a mobile race service trailer that travels to events around the US as well as an e-commerce web site at www.bouldernordic.com/shop. BNS imports and distributes the SkiGo, Holmenkol, Guru, Innovax, Gallium and Magnar brands in the US.
