FasterSkier readers enjoyed and added a large number of past and present ski, wax and rollerski companies to our Test Your Cross Country Skiing Knowledge: Specials questions posted on July 28, 2005 http://www.fasterskier.com/news2408.html . Here is your chance to go down the memory lane and remember or see products and companies you loved, hated or have never heard about. Most of today’s companies are also included.
So put on your current favorite wax room tunes that you (or your parents) played way back then, and scroll down the list.
Oldies: Play those old Beatles, J.Geiles, The Who, Nazareth, Deep Purple, Birds, Twisted Sister, Stones, Clapton, Ramones or Blondie songs and join the journey from pine tar and wood, to Splitkana and fiberglass and p-tex, from kick wax to glide wax, from three-wheelers to two wheelers. Rock on…
We are sure that some of you might be able to make the list even more complete… Keep on adding and correcting miss-spelled or inaccurate companies!
And if anyone has photos of the real old-time gear, send them in! We'll post 'em here.
Ski companies:
Addidas
Askim,
Asnes
Atomic,
Bergan,
Bergen Torpedoes — anyone else heard about this one?
Blaa Skia
Blizzard
Bonna
Bull-Ski
Edsbyn
Eggen,
Elan
Epoke
Estonia – added 8/24 renamed to VISU
Fischer
Germina
Head
Hexcel — anyone?
Jarvinen
K2
Karelia – added 8/24 – USSR
Karhu
Kastle
Kneissel
Kuusisto?
Landsem
Lindex – added 8/24
Lovett
Lyte — anyone?
Madshus,
Mantyranta? — can anyone from Finland confirm this one
Mizuno —Japanese?
Morotto,
Mukhachevo – added 8/24-USSR
Muller
Peltonen,
Rossignol
Salomon
Sandstrom
Silva – added 8/24
Sixtens
Skilom
Ski-trab (Tab?)- Anyone else heard about this one?
Spaulding
Splitkein
Sporten (Czech racing skis),
Sundins
Temp – added 8/24 USSR
Tegsnäs
Toppen
Trak
Uktus – added 8/24 USSR
Visu
Volkl
On skis; John Engen: I could add that my home town of Lillestrœm, Norway at one time had over 30 ski makers or factories. That’s something to be proud of. Keep these lists going, and we will have a history book in the making.
Wax companies:
Bass
Bratlie (black..yellow klister) (Tim Kelly’s favorite New England wax)John Engen:Their best product was Bratlie Silke, for “silk” conditions, hardpack with fluffy tracking powder on top. They also had a phenomenal green klister, and tar-klister “tjereklister” for wet and icy conditions..
Briko
Dominator
Dr Zogs
E-Wax?
Ex-Elit
Fall Line (orange)
Gallium
Guruwax?
Haka – From Finland. Black HaKa for cold, sticky powder snow (1960-70's)
Haavaldsen’s Ski Smurning – >John Engen: From Eidsvold, close to my home in Norway. This brown resin-like cake sped up skis when nothing else would. Many great victories in high caliber ski competitions were aided by this “secret†without anyone knowing.
Holmenkoll
HWK?
Innowax?
JackRabbit Wax – Canadian, added 8/24
Kuu?
Lind Ex
Magnar
Maxi-Glide
Nanowax/Cerax
Pölders?
Rex
Rode
Ski-Go
Slick – added 8/24
Solda
Star
Start,
Swix
Toko
Vauthi
Vola
Østbye Jon Engen: The brand saw the light of day after Peder Østbye’s racing success in the first part of the last century after discovering klister as we know it. The best known products throughout the mid-to later part of 1900 were the waxes Mix, Medium and Mixolin, which was a forerunner to klisterwax or even binder-wax as we know today. These waxes were extremely durable and had wider temperature ranges than just about anything we use today.
Rollerski companies:
Bergans
Bill-Boards
Dinamo – added 8/24 USSR
Edsbyn
Elpex
Excel – added 8/24
Falcon
Formo
Hornet
Hosprint
Karhu
Landsem
Marwe
Moon
Nordic Roller
Pro-Ski
Road-Ski – added 8/24
Roletto
Rossignol
Royale
Ski-Skett
Start
Swede Ski
Swe-Nor
V2
