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Stoneground skis are back

If you sent your skis down to Caldwell Sport to get ground, they are back! The stonegrinding fee is $75/pair thanks to our volume of skis and can be paid via the link below:

Stonegrinding Payment 2023

This form can also be found under the “Registration” page on the MNC website.

Our $75 price to MNC members is based on a combination of ski volume discounts from Caldwell Sport, time and fuel to/from Putney 2x (once for drop-off/once for pick-up), time spent batching/organizing/labelling/spreadsheeting skis for grinds.

Retail cost of stonegrinding through Caldwell Sport is $100/pair.

To coordinate ski pickup or drop-off, please email coach Adam. 

To take care of your freshly-ground skis, you should put in several layers of wax. There are a few different methods listed online, and some seem complex. For a simple solution, try the following:

  • Scrape off the thin travel wax rolled onto the stoneground skis
  • Apply a layer of cold wax like Toko Blue or Swix PS6. Then scrape and brush.
  • Repeat that step one more time (cold wax, scrape, and brush)
  • Apply a warmer layer such as Toko Yellow or Swix PS10. Then scrape and brush.

Repeat that whole cycle (2 cold, 1 warm) at least twice. Then finish or “harden” your bases by applying 2-4 layers of your coldest hard glide wax such as Swix PS5, or Toko Blue with X-Cold Powder, to make the bases more resilient.

As long as you are consistent with waxing your bases throughout the winter (using traditional paraffin layers, not just liquids or sprays) your skis will be in great shape!

 

Toko (and Swix!) Team Order Forms: due Nov 5

We are grateful once again for our awesome partnership with Toko wax and tools. Toko helps provide our club and members with all sorts of great Nordic products, from gloves and hats to wax and irons.

Each year, we receive two special order forms for Toko products: one for gloves/softgoods and one for wax/hardgoods.

  • Our members receive 30% everything through Toko, and 25% off Swix, on the order forms below.
  • The form is filled out by interested members and brought to Skirack.
  • Skirack fills the order and calls/emails when the order is in.

This is a once-per-year opportunity, so please consider what you’d like for the entirety of the 2023/2024 ski season!

ORDERS ARE DUE TO SKIRACK BY NOVEMBER 5TH, 2023

Click below to download the forms:

Toko wax and tools

Toko softgoods

Swix order form

What does MNC recommend?

First off, feel free to visit www.tokous.com for more product details. We receive a lot of club support from Toko (in addition to this order form) so we encourage our members to purchase from Toko whenever possible!

For wax and tools, a complete set of the standard grip waxes (base, blue, red, yellow) will serve you well. We often train on warmer waxes like Toko Red and Toko Yellow given our regional trends. These waxes are sold in a kit which includes a scraper and a cork, which is very convenient.

A cork is necessary for kickwaxing, and a synthetic cork is recommended.

We also use a lot of klister in New England…Toko makes a base, blue, red (universal), and yellow klister. One of each is recommended, but you can also pick up handy spray versions of these waxes.

For glide wax, sprays can be very easy…apply, let them dry, and brush to polish…you’re done! These waxes come in three different colors based on temp and snowtype…and like the gripwax, they are also available in a kit.

You’ll notice that the kit still contains a block of Toko Base Performance Blue. This is because after a few spray waxings, it is important to treat your bases with a “traditional” hot wax job. Think of spray waxes like drinking, and hot waxes like eating…you can go for a while just on hydration, but sooner or later your ski bases will need to eat!

Glide waxing with a traditional paraffin block requires an iron, a scraper, and a stiff brush. Toko sells all of these at various price points. It is highly recommended that you wax with a dedicated ski waxing iron (not your clothes iron) for good temperature control and heat distribution.

What about gloves? 

We’ve tried all of the Toko gloves, and they offer a great system. Which is best?

If you had to get one pair, the Toko Thermo Plus offers good insulation and warmth without compromising grip characteristics. A slightly lighter version, the Toko Thermo Race, also provides some good wind blocking with less overall bunk.

For cold hands, the Toasty Thermo Mitten is the warmest nordic ski glove/mitten product that we have ever experienced!

For those that prefer the ultimate in ski pole feel and light weight, the Toko Profi is a favorite among racers.

Nico with the Toko Profi glove

 

MNC XC Ski and Gear Swap 2023

Our ski and gear swap event is back for 2023!

On the afternoon of Sunday, October 29th you can stop by the Community Center of Jericho to find all sorts of Nordic needs…used skis, boots, poles, and apparel will be available for purchase. The swap runs from 12-5pm (with the first hour for MNC members).

This is your chance to clean out all the Nordic ski gear in your basement earn some money, help MNC, and outfit local skiers with gear.  You can drop-off items on Saturday, October 28th from 4-6pm.

After the event? Stop by to pick up your unsold items. If you’d like to keep them out of your closet, garage, or basement, MNC will bring them to the Cochran’s Ski Swap the following weekend, and/or consider them a donation.

Come to the swap to make sure you have the equipment you need for the ’23/‘24 season and beyond.

In addition to traditional ski swap items we will have our full stock of BKL rental skis, boots, and poles from Alpina to get younger skiers all set for winter.

  • If you would like to bring your own items to the swap you may choose to contribute either 25%, 50%, or 100% of your sold items to MNC.
  • Item drop-off is on Saturday, October 28th from 4-6pm at the Community Center. Additionally, we will announce drop-off options with Coach Adam in the MNC trailer in Jericho.
  • Please keep in mind that this swap/sale is for Nordic-specific skis, boots, poles, and apparel only! Thanks.

Items contributed will need to be registered for tracking and sale purchases. You may fill out a hard copy of this information on-site, but it is preferred that you use the form below to provide details of your gear and equipment (up to 5 items per form).

Online gear intake is now closed. You may do consignment on Saturday with an in-person form.

Interested in volunteering to help work at the swap? You can find a volunteer sign-up form below. Thanks for your interest in helping make the sale a success!

Ski Swap Volunteer Form

Fall rollerski safety

The days are getting shorter, and so it’s time for the annual re-post of this article from Fasterskier outlining safety tips and guidelines from US Ski and Snowboard with regard to rollerskiing on open roads.

Rollerski Safety Best Practices

We have an order on the way for several small lights that can be affixed to helmets or modified to fit on water belts during training sessions. These are ideally to be used in a situation where athletes do not have/forget to bring a light of their own going forward this fall. MNC encourages all rollerskiers to purchase a small “bicycle or running light” either online or at a local store, whether you are a Junior or Masters athlete. The cheaper options for these are only a couple of dollars and could literally save your life!

See below for a screenshot from a recent US Ski Team email. In his note to athletes regarding their upcoming Park City training camp:

In addition to always wearing high-visibility clothing on the roads, please be conscious of your routes and skiing organization (single file vs across a lane).

When we rollerski, we not only represent MNC as a club, but our sport as a whole. For the most part, we live in an extremely rollerski-friendly part of the country…not everyone is so lucky, and that access/friendliness is not a guarantee or a right.

Let’s all be safe whenever we are our training!

Rounding the final curve to end the last ski

Welcome to our NEW head coaches!

Please help me in giving a big WELCOME to our newest MNC head coaches! We are very excited to welcome Liz Hollenbach and Michael Stearns to leadership roles with Mansfield Nordic.

Liz has been involved with the club for many years contributing to BKL coaching, as well as having two children in the program. Michael recently returned to Vermont after nearly a decade of Nordic ski experience in the Midwest.

We are looking forward to heading into the 2023/2024 season with all three pillars of club coaching leadership (Head Masters Coach/Head BKL Coach/Head Junior Coach) held by three separate individuals for the first time in a few years!

Liz Hollenbach – Head BKL Coach

 

Liz oversees the MNC BKL programming alongside our youth program coaches and is completing her USSA Level 100 coaching certification.

After coaching at both St. Lawrence and University of Vermont, Liz became involved with the Vermont outdoor community in a number of ways, including directing the Nordic Center at Bolton Valley, Alpine Ski Patrolling at Bolton Valley, co-creating Sleepy Hollow Mtn Race, volunteering as a NENSA Women’s Day Coach and coaching MNC Masters for a couple years.

Liz skied for CVU and competed for the New England JN team. In college Liz was a 4-year member,  captain of the St. Lawrence Nordic team and 2x NCAA Championships qualifier.

Michael Stearns – Head Masters Coach

Michael oversees all of MNC Masters programs.

After working in the Nordic ski industry in Minneapolis for 8 years doing race wax service and race ski selection, Michael returned to Vermont as Director of E-commerce and Digital Marketing for UnTapped.

During his time in the Minneapolis, Michael spent many years racing in the Midwest marathon circuit. His favorite races are the More Vasaloppet and the Noque.

Michael lives in Hinesburg with his partner Zoe and their two dogs (Bob and Keeley).

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