Toko: At The Swedish Vasaloppet and Field Reports

Toko: Wax Fit For A Prince?

From our Toko friends in Sweden:

We have had very good feedback, so this is nice to hear as well! We also waxed for the Prince of Denmark and he and his group was amazed and very happy. They passed 10-15 people every downhill and had a superb grip uphill the whole way. The Prince had just skied one time this season but had a time of 6.36 yesterday- not bad.

Med Vänlig hälsning

John Vikman, Toko Sweden

Field Report from the Bill Koch Youth Ski League Championships

toko2 — There was this thing at the BKYSL Champs called a Nordic Waxing Droid. I am not sure how well it works, but it sure is cute as a button!

Saturday at the BKL presented the close to if not the most challenging kick waxing conditions possible at Great Glen. And, it was a fun. Temps was 30 – 32f. There was snow, rain, sleet and yes, even grauppel and SUN! I tested at least 8 things, including Nordic Yellow Grip (pretty good, a little slippery), Yellow Grip with a few twists of old Silver Grip (darn decent), Yellow Klister covered (hard to cover and iced a bit), Base Green heavily applied (a little slippery), Klister Green covered with Yellow (pretty good), and best! — old Silver Klister covered with Nordic Red Grip – it was bomber! Free and great kick. It even worked after the sleet, rain and snow stopped and the sun came out and glazed things in the open. I wish I had tested Red Klister covered with Red Grip – that is probably the closest to Silver Klister covered with Red. But we ran out of time.

We had differing reports for Sunday. Some said it would warm to 40, others said it would cool down. A guy who works at the NOAA station at Mt Washington said that the reasons the weather reports are a little off this year is that the models are not working as they should because of the unusual weather. Anyway, it was mid 20’s over night and the sun was up in the morning. Temps rose. They groomed the open field 1 k area. As time went on, that area was getting soft and the sun’s radiation was creating some moisture. Temps rose to 28 -30, then it got overcast and things started to drop AND snow was appearing – not flakes, but not grauppel either. We tested Yellow StructureWheel vs Red. In some places one was better than the other and visa versa, but the difference was not great. In the woods, the snow was colder and more arid. We tested Yellow vs Red JS. Same result – one better than the other in some areas and visa versa. We stuck with Yellow wheel and Yellow JS which worked great.

Jim Levins, Toko New England

A Bad Day At The Great Bear Turned Great

toko3 — Benjamin Lannin Skiing the Birkie

This past weekend I participated in my last ski race of the year. Like all ski racers I was hopeful to end the season on a high note. Race morning I felt OK, being healthy and rested, surviving the season relatively unscathed. After a culmination of factors, which are not pertinent to my story, it became abundantly clear I was not going to be able to hang with the big dogs up front. After dropping off, I found my self skiing with no one in sight, into a stiff head wind. Initially I had negative self defeating emotions flood my entire person. This total bummer was quickly replaced by one of my best skis of the season. As I rounded a bend of pine trees, opening before me the sun was alighting a totally level, meticulously groomed, and absolutely perfect ski trail. It was as if the blindfold was removed from my eyes. I had not seen conditions like this all year. I decided to stop trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole. Letting the surge of adrenaline and testosterone fade allowed the endorphins to kick in. I was silently gliding through the forest, with a smile so big, it was displacing my ears. I Love racing skis, but THIS is why I ski. No matter what is stressing my life, when I’m out floating and flying, climbing and descending, through the woods on skis, it all goes away. Needless to say I never caught any of the frontrunners (none were even at the finish area by time I was done), but what a totally awesome day.

Benjamin Lannin CXC