Wood Skis

Nordic skiing is interesting because it requires more than just physical preparation and talent. There is the skill of knowing the qualities of snow and the proper waxes and skis to use in certain conditions. I have completed over 20 ski marathons including 2 American Birkebeiners and the Finlandia Hiito in Lahti, Finland. Every marathon has different snow and weather conditions. This year I've decided to try something very different: I'm going to do the 54k Birkie on a pair of my wood skis. Wood skis were common 50 years ago, but now have been replaced by faster and more efficient plastic compounds. I like wood skis, because they give good climb and are easy to manage on the downhills. They're just slow.

So I have my old wood skis. The waxing techinique for these skis is very different than for modern racing skis. There are still a few die hards like me that love these things. There is even a popular wood ski web page. There is a risk in using wood skis: They break more easily than the modern skis. The hills on the Birkie are challenging and there is always the possibility of a crash and a broken ski. In that case I'll be walking home, but I'm willing to take the risk.