as they say in the world of cross country skiing, "wax wax wax wax..."
This wonderful piece reminds me why waxless skis are preferable for those of us who don't have a team of specialists maintaining our kit.
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Why wasn't this about our US wax coaches? They do the same job, work just as hard, are just as crucial. If anything, they work harder, lacking the 30-person staff and the huge budget.
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Well then you didn't get the gist of the article: ONLY in Norway is the average man so obsessed with cross-country that they know WHO the waxing team is, WHAT they should be doing, and WHEN they allegedly fail. And it is all over the media here when they do (fail). It's refreshing that NYT occasionally publishes articles that are not so USA-centric. Appreciate it!
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I thank NYT for these stories.
I am in Korea for the Olympics.
Without these types of stories, I would not have enjoyed or appreciated what really goes on with how these athletes perform or not.
Thank you.
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Having just toweled off after a perfect morn on the ski trails I now have my answer to my lack of olypmic nordic prowess, heretofore attributed to my 5.8 decades. Yet again NYT sets the record straight: it's my lack of 12 personal wax technicians. Maybe for my 60th birthday, honey are you paying attention?
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Best story yet from the winter Olympics.
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There is more stuff in this world than any one human can imagine. Whoda thunk?
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Great story.
I like this guy's style:
He accepts full responsibility and tells everyone: “I’m stupid. It will happen
again, we just don’t know where or when.” He does not give explanations, because those can take hours and make it seem like he is trying to dodge responsibility.
“Just take the blame, and you’re a free man,” he said.
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As a lifetime wooden ski touring buff, this was the perfect morning read with a cup of strong coffee. Tusen takk!
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Excellent article, topic and writing.
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Who knew waxing could provide that extra bit of aerodynamic smoothness to make such a difference?
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Having had the wax tech's job for two different countries, I can say that as far as the athletes are concerned, good work and consistent results ARE noticed - and appreciated. Knowing that your skis are in good hands is comforting psychologically as well as performance-enhancing. In Scandinavia, wax/ski technicians are widely known and respected.
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Perhaps there should be official Olympic recognition of all the sports photographers who participate in these games. If there were, Hilary Swift would be among the leaders of that pack. Great photos, NYTimes!
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I liked the article but think it could benefit from more basic information. One important detail is that there are two main kinds of cross-country skiing. One is "classic" where you need grip wax under the feet which you can press down and grip the snow to push forward. The remainder of a classic ski will have slippery glide wax. The other kind is "skate" or "freestyle" where the whole ski bottom has glide wax and you propel yourself forward by skating.
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Very interesting article - thanks 4 it!
I remember when they experimented with fish-scale bottoms for Cross Country skis; I almost got into the sport. But honestly, it takes so much out of you, you have to be in tip-top shape to do it for more than, say, a mile. And racing? Forgetaboutit!!
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What makes waxing so difficult is that wax must perform two, contradictory functions: reduce friction and provide grip. Competitors combining classic and skate (« freestyle ») must be able to glide when weight is on both skis, but need to get grip to kick forward in the tracks. Different waxes may be applied for glide and kick, varying the hardness (temperature sensitivity), thickness of the coat, area to be covered and method of polish. Now modern racers add base structuring to the mix to affect how the ski holds the wax and affects wax performance.
Using the wrong wax or not applying it correctly may result in slow skis that don’t glide as fast as your competitor. However contrary to what the author suggests, it is not the only concern. If the ski does not provide enough grip when its camber is completely completely compressed, it will be impossible to push forward in the track in a classic event. You can indeed lose the race because your skis are too slippery! A closely guarded secret is to know how to provide essential grip that does not slow down the skier and will take into account the skier’s weight and ski style.
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Great story, kudos to the reporter.
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Knut Nystad coached at the University of Denver. I think Trond was his assistant there and later coached for the US Ski Team. At various clinics for masters XC skiers Knut provided expert instruction in technique and waxing. His wonderful nature, his love of the sport and his generosity in transferring some of his enormous knowledge were much appreciated by those of us lucky enough to experience them.
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In the early 1960s I briefly did wax for the U of Denver team. Most of my team-mates were on scholarship from Norway. I think they always won because of their skill, not mine. Still, I enjoy the way I can look at a snow scene and know just what wax will be ideal.
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More and more I have been wishing that I had been born in Scandinavia instead of Michigan. This article only reinforces that feeling.
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Great article, interesting and entertaining at the same time. Thank you.
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Nice story about the teams behind the olympics success. If he is headline news in the team losing, he must be one of the most important member of the team
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Mr. Nystad's skills and knowledge amaze me-he is a Norwegian treasure. But I am even more impressed by his modesty and his ability to remain grounded in the reality of his craft-that perfection is an ongoing challenge and complacency must never happen. His ability to accept responsibility when failure strikes is equally impressive.
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This is why I read The NYT
Great articles lately on winter sports and low key interesting people
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Hmm. Sorta makes one wonder about the USA skiers' performances, their techs, and the whole US Ski and Snowboard program no?
Norway simply expects better, and has created a culture that values fast skis and gritty individual performances on a national scale. It takes a team to get a medal in a big race for sure, but this story is worth digging in to if the USA wants a more competitive program. The leadership and program directors in the US have had their chance. Time to play like the NFL, MLB, NBA, or FCs around the world and fire those who fail to perform. Especially those who cannot create a consistently successful system. Here is the soundbite: we have a lousy system.
Shawn White, Mikaela, Lindsay, and a couple of guys who used to compete aside, the US system cannot compete with a country of 5.2 million? Less that the state of Colorado - Ski Country USA - at 5.5 million? I know of one USST athlete who had a tech that ended her career. Slow skis and bindings that just popped off in her last race. But we don't fire our mediocre people, we give them contract extensions and pat them on the back and cry that we don't have enough money, or that it's just not a big sport in our country. Statements which are simply false.
If the NASCAR audience took an interest in skiing (sorry, not snowboarding), and we approached it down to the "leave nothing to chance" and "no detail is too small at any level" we would succeed. Sadly though the mindset is one of acceptance of mediocrity.
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Norway didn't exactly "create" its Olympic skiing program; the program is just a reflection of Norwegian culture and national life. It would be hard to pick a low-performing ski team in a country that has been skiing since before Europeans arrived in North America and where nearly everyone is a skier.
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The difference is money and that difference arises from the Scandinavian love of skiing and its role in their history. In the US our best athletes go into the ball sports. In Scandinavia, there is a very strong pull toward skiing.
The US Ski Team just this year got its first wax truck and that's a big step forward. As the article says, the Norwegians have a huge equipment and staff budget; their budget makes the US (and most others) look like small fry.
The comment about dozens of glide waxes is misleading - the number is easily more than a hundred because the wax companies modify their waxes every year and there is a wide variety for different conditions. Snow conditions vary so much that tweaking wax for the many variables involved (new, old, thawing, refrozen, humidity, temperature, wind, sun or shade, etc.) is an unending project.
The companies are so sophisticated they can even make a new blend on site if what they have isn't working as they hope.
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What a delightful, hilarious article about an unlikely subject. Well done.
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Nice story piece BUT, 'Nonmotorized' is a shameful term to use to describe the most physically gruelling winter sport. I suggest you give the sport a try some day....and not just down 5th Ave when it snows.
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Fascinating insight into an aspect of cross-country skiing that few know about.
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Love it.
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I thought I cared a lot about waxing my recreational skis until I read this article. Thanks! Last year I waxed the skis of my adult kids who never wax their skis on their own. They complained that they glided too much. I got a good laugh. We're obviously not from Norway.
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Wow! I have to say I had no idea. Does this give them a great advantage over other skiers with less resources? Very Interesting article.
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Cute article, but since the writer had one of the world's great experts to speak with, it would have been nice to pick up some of the science of waxing. Unlike downhill waxing, where the idea is to be as slippery as possible in a variety of snow conditions -- with XC you need to be slippery when the ski goes forward and as unslippery as possible when it's going back. That's why the originals used sealskin with the hairs facing back. How do all those powders and potions create one-way friction on a XC ski? I didn't know before I read this article and I still don't know.
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Seems like that is probably the purpose of the stone grinder that they use on the skis. The article says it is used to create patterns on the bottom of the skis.
There are two XC ski techniques. For freestyle or “skate” skiing, the entire ski is waxed entirely for glide. In classic events, there’s a pocket of sticky wax in the middle of the ski.
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Well, there is the basic 'sticky wax under the foot (that is triggered when you put down weight) and slippery wax at the ends' thing but clearly there is more going on here.
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The Oscars hold a separate awards ceremony for the technical side of movie making, perhaps the Olympics should have such a side-show that would have far more appeal to we geeks. I sort of get tired of having to sit there watching only the one and feeling like my own life has been such a dismal failure.
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thanks for the human story behind the scene !!
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