Once again the FasterSkier staff has weighed in on their favorite gift ideas for the 2011 holiday season. Today’s installment of the Holiday Gift Guide features items priced from $20 to $50. Previous 2011 Holiday Gift Guide Suggestions: Sauce Headwear and Gear West. 08: Rubber Encased Dumbbells. Price: starting from ~$25.00. It’s winter so the days are short and it is hard enough to find time to get out for a long ski, let alone...
L.L. Bean. 09: Bag Balm. Price: starting from $5.00. Yup, we’re recommending you rub something that was created for the treatment of dry, cracked cow udders all over your face. Bag Balm works great to keep your face warm and frostbite-free! Keep a 10-ounce box of this in your ski bag for whenever sub-zero temperatures strike, plus it will give you a jolly glisten as you cruise down the trails. Available at most pharmacy/drug stores or online...
When Rossignol first hired Ryan Green back in 1998, the field sales associate felt he should hide his nordic ties a little bit – at least when dealing with alpine companies. A nordic rep as well, he had picked up the sport in college to stay fit during the cycling offseason. He developed his skill sets in both markets, and in 2006, delved further into downhill as product manager for Lange and Dynastar. “I’ve always...
Craft PXC Light Jacket – MSRP $109 Cross-country skiers will appreciate the protective front and close ergonomic fit of this high-performance jacket. Ventilating elastic fabric on shoulder panels and back enhances freedom of movement. 3SP Quest Top – MSRP $110 Designed for the athlete that needs a universal top. 3SP® on the front offers great wind protection up to 35mph paired with Swift on the back which offers maximum breathability and temperature control. This top...
Tifosi Sunglasses – MSRP $40-90 Check out this under-appreciated brand of sunglasses that offers style, function and smart technology for some very low prices as compared to pricey Rudy Projects or Oakley’s. Sunglasses typically come with two sets of spare lens if applicable, lifetime lens warranty and Polarized options. V2 Aero XL ATR – MSRP $98/pair or $49 each The patented ATR (Advanced Training Resistance) mounts to the front tire and is designed to apply variable resistance to...
The holidays are coming up fast. This part of our Gift Guide series covers gifts between $20 and $50, taking some of the guesswork out of the equation!
This product is available here. Olympic Flag Skinny Skis – MSRP $4.95 They’re back! The favorite Olympic Flag Skinny Skis Scraper is a 6mm Plexi Blade. Best seller Jamaica, Sweden, Norway, and USA. Swix Pencil Groove Scraper – $4.99 It is inevitable that wax will find its way into the groove of your skis. Proper removal necessitates the groove scraper, and this handy pencil version, which easily slides into wax boxes, is ideal. No extra...
The Norwegian biathlon web site Strafferunden.no got their hands on the new Rottefella binding set to launch officially in over a week.
The athletes are far fewer in number and the competitions receive even less press than most Nordic ski races, but the adaptive ski community is steadily growing and gaining momentum. And now the Central Cross-Country Ski Association (CXC) is getting involved. Over the past year, CXC has distributed over 120 sit skis to disabled athletes across the country. The first ten sit ski prototypes were produced by engineering graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,...
It’s not quite the same as a Nike-Reebok merger, but Wednesday’s acquisition of Toko by Swix Sport will dramatically alter the ski industry’s competitive landscape—at least behind the scenes. Consumers will see few changes to the products stocked on store shelves. But according to Swix Sport USA President Steve Poulin, his company now controls nearly 75 percent of the worldwide market share for wax and tools, and almost 90 percent in the U.S. According to...
At 23 years old and without a college degree, Willy Graves does not seem like the kind of guy who could compete with scientists at wax companies like Swix or Toko. But armed with a blender in the confines of his garage, Graves has invented a product that just might eat into those companies’ market shares—at least a little bit. Along with his former teammate Eric Camerota, Graves, a recently-retired U.S. nordic combined B-teamer, has...
There's a lot that goes into engineering gear. Every Madshus product goes through a rigorous series of testing and reworking before you can put your hands on the goods. Test king Jon Fewster lets a variety of skiers loose on the gear to perfect fit, comfort, performance and quality - so you don't have to.
Last week Craft presented the speedsuit that has been under development for the past year in collaboration with the Swedish national team for the Vancouver Olympics. According to experts, the new suit could actually make a big difference. After years of research, close cooperation with several of the worlds best skiers and engineers, and lots of plain hard work, Craft finally presented their new world class cross country ski racing suit. Specialists on functional training...
The future is triangular The Swix Triac 1.0 introduces many new innovations and technical improvements. The strap has increased thumb support providing 100 % power transfer to the handle and less energy loss, in addition, a new strap retention system allows better adjustments to different hand sizes. The shaft has a new triangular shaped carbon composite construction. By using triangle geometry instead of a circle, less material is needed, and weight is saved. Improved stiffness...
2009 FS Holiday Gift Guide: Under $20 2009 FS Holiday Gift Guide: $50 – $100 Read the review. This product is available here. Fischer Carbonlite Skate NNN Boot MSRP: $339.99 If you can’t ski in the World Cup, you might as well ski on the same boot used by World Cup skiers. Fischer’s Carbonlite Skate boost are becoming one of the most popular options on the market. Madshus Nano SKC Mens Skate Ski Boots MSRP:...
Whether you want to get fast or look faster this Holiday Gift Guide installment is for you. Today features products ranging from $100 to $300. Incase you missed them do not forget to check out other great gift suggestions from earlier this week; 2009 FS Holiday Gift Guide: $20 – $50 Boulder Nordic Sport, Free Heel and Wheel, High Peaks Cyclery, Ski Rack, WebSkis. W’s Primaloft Jacket MSRP: $119.00 Want the warmth of down but the reliable protection against...
On the third day of the Holiday Gift Guide, FasterSkier sent to me… Yes, we know that you woke with such excitement and rushed straight to your computer to check what gifts could be found ranging in price from $50 to $100. Incase you missed them do not forget to check out other great gift suggestions from Monday and Tuesday; 2009 FS Holiday Gift Guide: $20 – $50 Snowman Junior Ski Set MSRP: 54.95 The Snowman...
2009 FS Holiday Gift Guide: Under $20 Swix Fanny Pack MSRP: $23.95 This Swix Fanny Pack is small, lightweight and comfortable with a clip waist strap. Great for longer skis when you need to pack extra clothing, food and/or a camera. This product is available here. W’s Power Dry Crewneck MSRP: $24.50 This Polartec® Power Dry® crewneck is an affordable base layer option, providing excellent moisture-wicking properties at a great price. Bula Stereo Hat MSRP:...
2009 FS Holiday Gift Guide: $20 -$100 This product is available here. This product is available here. The Zen of Snowy Trails With the forward written by Kris Freeman and quotes from Bill Koch this book has to be a winner. Skiing Santa Ornament MSRP: $12.95 Does someone on your Christmas list need even more proof that they are Nordo? Boulder Nordic Sport, Free Heel and Wheel, High Peaks Cyclery, Ski Rack, WebSkis. www.skidasport.com and click on the fabric...
Chris Hall is the Fischer USA Nordic Race Director and a former USST Head Wax Tech The mounting position of the binding on the ski is an interesting and underdeveloped topic that deserves some attention, given the many changes to ski camber profiles over the years. To beat everyone to the most obvious and humorous answer, yes the point where the boot connects to the binding should be closest to the tip and the point where...