December Newsletter
Welcome to the first of our bi-weekly newsletters in which we will endeavor to provide useful information on skiing, biking and gear maintenance. We will provide gear reviews and technical tips and more. This first issue of the newsletter will look at our Sigma LED headlamp, give technical tips about rilling your ski bases for better tracking, talk to Pete Leonard of FXC, and we introduce our newest employee of Goldstream Sports.
Tech Tip - Structure for Stability
When snow conditions are bumpy and skis are not tracking well, a ski base structure can help. A medium linear structure can dramatically improve the ski’s tracking and stability. While it may create a small amount of drag, the added control can allow you to relax more on the skis. This leads to a faster, more efficient and enjoyable ski. With the Toko's Structurite linear bits you can press in a structure after waxing. The structure can be reapplied after a few wax jobs. Hopefully snow conditions will have improved by that time and it will not longer be needed. You can also stop by the store and we can structure your skis while you wait.
Sale Item - Toko C232 Ski Pole
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Regular Price $200 – Sale Price $150. This pole is light-weight, stiff and durable. It features a releasing harness that allows you to quickly release the strap leaving it on the glove. It is a favorite with ski coaches and skijorers. |
Employee News
Goldstream Sports welcomes our newest employee, Amanda Byrd, who will be filling the role of marketing manager. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Amanda arrived in Fairbanks in the winter of 2002 to start her Masters degree in Marine Biology at UAF. Jumping head first into the winter world of Fairbanks, she started cross country skiing and skijoring, and now has 19 sled dogs. During the winter months she competes in the skijor and mushing events in the Fairbanks area and enjoys mountain biking and river kayaking in the summer time. Amanda is also the editor of Mushing Magazine.
Product Review - Sigma Sport LED Headlamp
This light-weight headlamp puts out a lot of light with the powerful single LED light without blowing through battery life. It is so well balanced on your head that you forget you are wearing it. The headlamp has three brightness settings and one flashing. We recommend using lithium batteries for best longevity in the cold. The headlamp includes 4 AAA batteries, and has a super long burn time - 40 hours at highest brightness.
Interview with Pete Leonard, Coach at FXC
GSS: Many people are not aware of Fairbanks Cross-Country (FXC). Can you tell us when and how the program started?
PL: It started in Spring of 2005, after a retired university professor asked a few people in the ski community what Fairbanks was missing in terms of developing young skiers into top quality athletes. From there a group of people started meeting and talking about coming up with a junior training program aimed at the middle school and high school years. The middle and high schools provided the winter programs, but there was nothing around that offered the year-round continuity.
GSS: How many skiers do you have in the program, and are they divided into age groups?
PL: I have divided the program into two age groups, we have a Comp (competition) group which is roughly high school aged, and then there is the Devo (development) group based on the middle school years. There are seven kids in each group at this point.
GSS: Do kids have to be experienced skiers to join FXC, or do you have beginner programs?
PL: Generally they are experienced skiers. It would be a very rare circumstance that the kids had never skied before. There are already programs that take care of the starting up, and this program is aimed at providing an opportunity to pursue it further than other ski clubs in the community allow.
GSS: what are your goals for the skiers through the FXC program?
PL: My goal is to help them be the best skier that they can be, and for them to have a great time, and to give the kids the opportunity to reach their potential within the sport.
Usually their goals are to compete against other kids and making the Junior Olympics, or Arctic Winter Games in even numbered years. A lot of the kids want to qualify for the Junior National Championships, or even just improve their finishes at state high school meets.
GSS: Where do you usually train? Do you have cut-off temps?
PL: During the winter so far we have been training at Birch Hill, that is where the best snow is. We also have the lighted trails up there. In the summer time we mix it up a little more and go to a lot of different places, whether that be different roads around town for roller skiing, and we get out of town for some hikes, and running on the trails at UAF.
The temperature cut-off is generally around –20 for the older skier, and at –10 for the younger skiers we generally think about moving things indoors. Between -20 below to -10 we adapt, and may still run outside, but otherwise we’ll be inside doing various exercises, or watching ski videos or working on strengths.
GSS: During the winter, what does a training day usually look like?
PL: It depends a lot on the day. It could be an easy distance ski that might include some sprints and other variety. I try to keep it varied, not just for sake of being varied, but varied with a purpose. Kids at that age tend to respond best to variety in training. They benefit from being challenged in various different ways instead of saying there are only two ways of doing something.
GSS: What do you define as an easy distance ski?
PL: Usually an hour or two. That may include some sprints, or we may limit what techniques they can use, for example if they are skating they can only V2, or they cannot herringbone on a classic day. So we will throw in a little spice there instead of just sending them out for an hour ski.
GSS: What are your racing plans for the season?
PL: For the older group it will be Besh Cup, and then they will also have some races with their high schools. Then come spring we will do town and what ever other fun races are out there. The younger ones will do the town races and the Besh cups and the 20km and the Sonot Kkaazoot, and other youth events that come around.
December Calendar
Date |
Club |
Time/Location |
Event |
| 2 | NSCF | 11:00 Birch Hill | Flint Hills Resources Town Race Series |
| 3 | FCC | 12.00 Ivory Jacks | Sunday Winter Ride |
| 9 | SSC | 11:00 Salcha | Salcha Sprints |
| 9 | ASPA | 11.00 Creamers Field | Training Clinic #2 |
| 10 | ASPA | 11.30 Creamer's Field | Fun Race #3 |
| 10 | NSCF | 11:00 Birch Hill | Chest Medicine Fairbanks Distance |
| 10 | FCC | 12.00 Ivory Jacks | Sunday Winter Ride |
| 16 | NSAA | 11:00 Kincaid Park | Besh Cup |
| 17 | NSAA | 11:00 Kincaid Park Besh Cup | Besh Cup |
| 17 | NSCF | 12:00 Birch Hill | Candy Cane Race |
| 17 | FCC | 12.00 Ivory Jacks | Sunday Winter Ride |
| 23 | NSCF | 10:00 Birch Hill | Ski Your Age In Km Day |
| 24 | FCC | 12.00 Ivory Jacks | Sunday Winter Ride |
| 27 | ASPA | 11.30 North Star Golf Course | Fun Race #4 |
| 31 | FCC | 12.00 Ivory Jacks | Sunday Winter Ride |
| FCC - Fairbankc Cycle Club - SSC - Salcha Ski Club; ASPA - Alaska Skijor and Pulk Assn. ; NSCF - Nordic Ski Club Fairbanks; NSCA - Nordic Ski Assn. Anchorage | |||
2007 National Cross Country Ski Foundation Calendar
FXC is proud to present the 2007 NCCSF calendar featuring national and regional skiers of the year, as well as awesome action shots from some of the major international events.
Half of all proceeds from the calendars go towards funding skiers to attend the World Junior Championships and to compete in Scandinavia, and the other half will help fund FXC in funding their race events and equipment.
Calendars are available for $15 at Goldstream Sports and from FXC members.
Proud Sponsor of FXC
