1) Cap
2) Fiberglass
3) Linear Fiberglass
4) Core
5) Triaxial Woven Fiberglass
6) Base

Ski base material is amazing stuff, providing a durable and fast surface with a material that can be tuned to conditions using wax or structure. The base material is actually made up of two distinctly different polymers and additives.

The structural backbone of the base is Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene; a “miracle plastic” that is crystalline up to high temperatures (resists thermal damage, or “burning”), very scratch resistant, extremely slippery, and chemically stable (it doesn’t oxidize). UHMWPE is used in a wide variety of industrial and medical applications, including joint replacements. In ski bases, small particles of UHMWPE are pressed together in a process known as sintering, along with lower density plastic and additives.

The resulting sintered base material is a non-porous (there are no tiny holes in it!) dual-density conglomerate, with crystalline areas of UHMWPE surrounded by lower density amorphous zones. If the UHMWPE provides the backbone and the core material properties of the base, then the amorphous zones provide the ability to tune and modify the base material.

When you wax a ski, the wax goes into solution in these amorphous zones (like sugar dissolving into tea), which allows you to modify the hardness and the chemical properties of the whole conglomerate. In addition to altering the material properties of the base, the wax provides a very thin lubricating film that is replenished as it is worn away as it gradual precipitates out of solution in the base.

While UHMWPE is extremely tough and resistant to damage, the softer amorphous materials are quite delicate, and extremely thermally sensitive. It is easy to damage these areas, and some degree of damage is inevitable with normal use. Damaged bases don’t run as fast, and don’t hold wax in solution well, often resulting in bases that appear dry or have a white film on them after skiing (often referred to as “oxidization”), or wax shavings that come off the ski black.

For that reason, it is necessary to periodically refresh the base by removing a layer of material and exposing undamaged base. To ensure optimal performance and longevity of your skis, it’s a good idea to have them stoneground by a nordic-specialist grinding service once a year. Skinny Skis offers stone grinding for local and web customers! Click Here for more info.

Spring is a great time to do this. Take the opportunity to consult with a service professional on the performance of your skis this past season (while it’s fresh in your mind), and make sure that you’re well prepared for next season before it arrives.

YOU ARE NOW READY TO INSTALL A NEW TIRE OR A NEW TUBE
When replacing the tube or tire, it is important to also install a new gasket and new “O” rings
1- Lubricate the tube generously with talcum powder. Note! Some baby powders are made from corn not talcum. This powder will not
lubricate the tube. Insert the tube into the tire as shown in Fig. 1 & 2.
2-Place the “O” ring on the rim and the rim onto the tire as shown in Fig. 4, 5 & 6. Make sure the Schraeder valve in centered proper-
ly as shown in Fig.6.
3-Put the three socket screws, with washers under the head, through the rim, and while holding them as shown in Fig.7 put the gas-
ket over the screws as shown in Fig.8. The gasket holes are slightly smaller than the screws and will keep the screws from falling out.
4-Put the “O” ring on the second rim and over the tire making sure it is aligned with the screw holes. See Fig.9. Note! Make sure the
tube valve stem reinforcement donut is not catching on the rim. It must be inside the rim. When the tire is inflated the donut seals
around the valve.
5-Compress the Rims so the screws come through the rim and, by hand, put on the nuts as shown in Fig.10.
6-Next tighten the nuts on the 3 socket screws. They must be snug, but not crazy tight. See Fig. 11.
7-Install the Phillips screw by gently lifting the Schraeder Valve stem as shown in Fig 12. Place the nut over the Phillips screw and
tighten as shown in Fig 13. Note! There is no washer under the head of the Phillips screw.
8- Place the bearing spindle over the aluminum bearing tube as shown in Fig.14 and install it into the bearing as shown in Fig.15.
10- Place the second bearing over the tube and press it into the rim as shown in Fig.16.
11- Inflate the tire to between 95 and 105 PSI. Note!Do notinstall the plastic cap over the Schraeder valve stem.
12- Put the wheel spacers over the aluminum tube and install the wheel to the forks of the ski making sure the valve stem is facing
in the right direction. ( See image below)
Tracking: If after replacing the wheels, the ski does not track properly, it can be adjusted.  The hole on the right front fork, where
the nut is when factory mounted, is slightly obround. If the ski pulls to one side, loosen the nut about 1/2 turn and re- tighten the nut
and bolt while pushing the wheel in the opposite direction of where the ski “pulls”.

When V2 skis are assembled, the shaft of the ski and the wheels are clamped in a jig to make
sure that when the wheel bolts / nuts are tightened the wheels are perfectly aligned with the
shafts. However, this does not mean that the skis will not pull, left or right, for the user.
Why? The four main reasons for skis not going in a straight line are:
1-Bindings not perfectly mounted. It’s the front of the binding that’s important, i.e. the three
screws, not the plastic unit that engages the groove, or grooves, in the boot.
2-Anatomic imbalance. Very few of us are anatomically perfect. Just slight changes in our body
structure can cause the skis to not go down the track in a straight line. We know skiers with
tracking problems that could only be solved with orthotics. After a hip operation one skier had to
realign the front wheels on all three pair of his roller skis. Prior to the hip operation he was out of
alignment and had to compensate by adjusting the front wheel, so it was no longer perfectly
aligned with the shaft of the ski. Because of these anatomic differences it is very difficult for
another person to adjust the skis for someone else. The user must adjust his own skis.
3-Wheel profile. Tires are worn unevenly, so the profile of the tire causes the skis to pull in one
direction.
4-Wheels misaligned in relationship to the shaft. If the user is not anatomically imbalanced,
the ski has not been damaged, the tires have a uniform profile and the bindings are correctly
mounted tracking problems are due to the wheels being misaligned. For this reason, most V2
models have one of the front bolt holes in the wheel fork enlarged so the wheel can be slightly
moved, right or left, in relationship to the shaft. However, until now, it was difficult to adjust the
ski because as you tighten the bolt the wheel might move.
Solution! The latest versions of the Aero XLmodels now have a micro tracking adjustment lever
on the side of the fork that has the enlarged bolt hole. When the wheel is perfectly aligned with
the shaft the alignment lever is in a vertical position. Moving the lever towards the front of the
fork will move the wheel to the left and moving the lever backwards will move the wheel to the
right. Since you have a visual indicator, where you can put a pencil mark, it’s very easy to cor-
rect tracking problems.

We were able to go out this summer and test a bunch of roller skis with our athlete ambassadors. Check out our results and comments from the team!

Our Roller Skis

V2 XL 98R (composite shaft): Best for stability and on-snow like feel

Swenor Skate Elite (composite shaft): Great for on snow like feel

V2 XL 125S (aluminum shaft): Best for general control, slower speed & the most stable. Preferred by those new to roller skiing.

V2 XL 98SL (aluminum shaft): Lowest price and fastest roller ski

Swenor Fibreglass (composite shaft): Classic: Great on-snow like feel & control

By Kevin Sweeney
Swix Racing Service Director

As the snow starts to melt and sun shines a little brighter, a little longer, and we take out our skis a little less with anticipation of spring. Remember, you should prepare your skis properly before you hang them back up for another 6 months.

Cleaning your ski bases and proper base wax saturation are perhaps two of the best ways to protect your ski bases during the summer. Store skis properly and you’ll be ready to go come early winter.

CLEANING: The first step is to clean your ski bases, both the kick and the glide zones. For your kick zones, clean with Swix wax remover / base cleaner (I0064). Scrub clean with Fibertex (T0266), wipe clean and let air dry. You are finished with the Kick Zones.

BASE CLEANING FOR FLUOR USERS! If you are an avid user of our Cera Nova Category 1 waxes: HF, HFBW, FC Cera F powders, turbo solids and liquids, you may be a perfect candidate for our new I0084 Cleaner for Fluor Glide Wax & Base Conditioner. Swix has found that fluor bonding has left an impenetrable wax layer that prevents the “hot scrape cleaning method” to be 100% effective. The I0084 liquid separates the fluor molecules thus allowing you to wipe clean the base surface. This is done without damaging the base in a chemical or mechanical manner. The I0084 should be applied to the glide zone, lightly scrubbed with Fibertex (T0264), and then wiped free with Fiberlene (T0151). Let dry. The base is now ready to be cleaned as above using the Hot Scrape Method. Swix is experiencing much use of the I0084 with the advent of our new generation Cera F waxes with increased durability, namely the HF Black Wolf line, the FC78 SuperCera and the new FC8x.

BASE SATURATION: Now that bases are clean, it is time to saturate the pores of the glide zones with glide wax. Our goal here is to fill the pores with a wax that will prevent the base material from drying out and oxidizing. This wax will also protect the base from dust and other contaminates as well as disruptive contact. Swix has 4 ideal waxes you can use for base saturation. Choose the wax / waxes that best suit your requirements (base hardness, structure, ski use, etc.)

BasePrep99 – a very soft warm wax excellent for easy saturation & protection. Used all-around & for warm, wet condition skis / boards.
BasePrep88- a base wax for normal winter snow temps 0C to -10C. (32F to14F)
BasePrep77- a hard base wax for snow conditions colder than -10C (14F).
MB77 – a mid range temperature & hardness wax that contains moly & fluor. Offers complete base restoration, saturation, protection and is commonly used as base layer for Cera Nova Category waxes.

APPLICATION:  Apply wax & iron in. The temperature of the waxing iron should be regulated to be hot enough to give immediate melting of the wax. Follow wax temp instructions.  Start at the ski tip and move the iron in one continuous motion toward the tail. This technique prevents overheating the base. Do 2-3 passes. Let ski cool down approx. 10 minutes. Apply more wax, iron in, and wait 10 minutes. Repeat until base is completely covered & saturated. No scraping in between. I usually take 3 steps here.

STORAGE: Store skis in a cool dry environment where there is little fluctuation in temperature. Avoid direct sunlight. Keep skis in ski ties (or tape) on tips & tails. DO NOT BIND SKIS CLOSED w/ CAMBER COMPRESSED.

For more info go to SwixRacing.US

Skinny Skis’ own Steve Romeo, also founder and blogger for TetonAT, left us Wednesday, March 7th.

A few days before his death, Steve was interviewed by Outside Magazine and his blog recognized as one of the best winter sports blogs out there.

For more info on the avalanche visit JH Weekly Report

“I would rather be ashes than dust!

I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.

I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.

The function of man is to live, not to exist.

I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.

I shall use my time.”~Jack London

Your smile and laughter is truly missed!

For a beautiful obituary of Steve written by a good friend click here

Skinny Skis presents “A Life Ascending” and conversations with film maker Stephen Grynberg to directly follow.

MARCH 1ST 7:00PM AT SNOW KING TETON ROOM

All proceeds benefit the Winter Wildlands Alliance

A LIFE ASCENDING chronicles the life of acclaimed ski mountaineer and mountain guide Ruedi
Beglinger. Living with his wife and two young daughters on a remote glacier in the Selkirk Mountains of British
Columbia, Beglinger has built a reputation as one of the top mountaineering guides in the world.  The film
follows his family’s unique life in the mountains and their journey in the years following a massive avalanche that
killed seven people.  Documenting the sublime beauty and ever-present risk of a life lived on the edge, the film
ultimately explores the power of nature as both an unforgiving host and profound teacher.

Winner of 10 International Festival Awards!

Tickets $5 in advance at Skinny Skis / $10 at the door