Messages posted by : pavelski
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What you have never heard of the Sandwich Approach!!!!!!
One of the most important survival technique in modern society! Great for marital bliss! A cornerstone in adolescent upbringing! Noted by all MBAs as an essential management tool!!!! This approach in marriage context goes like this! As you all know marriage is a series of "negociations" so that both ( or more persons) will be happy! In this context the sandwich approach requires that you always begin with a positive note or observation! Often acknowledging how the "other half" has excellent ideas! Then you present your position. You follow with another positive suggestion such as, "you are sure we will find a common solution" In the adolescent context follow the same formula. Be positive first. This will shock adolescent to listen for more compliments since they are so rare.Then give your observations and quickly follow with positive end! I know , I know you are wondering what this has to do with ski tuning. Think sandwich when you get to wax application. That is three layers which are unified for pleasure! Like marriage. Easy. The first layer is the structured ski base. The second layer is the wax The third layer is the structure on wax. This concept will hold for all conditions. All that will change is the type of wax and structure type! Let us look at first layer: the base You must decide what kind of structure you want based on your local conditions. I am sure you remember that this structure is based on mainly snow type and temperature. In my case I love to use my roto brushes since I have often 3-5 pairs of skis to do. The brushes on a shaft and driven by drill allow me to be create patterns for my area. You can use hand brushes,scrub pads, even sandpaper (softly)! The goal is to create channels to allow snow/water particles to flow! Clean base with paper towel! From now on NEVER touch base with bare hands! Think clean at all times.Use paper towels after every step! Middle layer of sandwich. This is the "meat" layer----the wax. You must practice a great deal the application of wax on ski base. You must think of the ski base like a sponge and the wax as a "liquid" which must penetrate INTO base! That is why your application will be far better than your friend who went to shop! In most shops they have a machine that holds melted wax in a heated container and a heated roller applies wax on ski base surface! It is done so fast that a very small layer is applied TO SURFACE! This is the procedure that separates the really good tuners! You will note in many videos or booklets they place 2" tape on sides. This is to protect bindings from "spill offs". After some time you will learn how to control wax flow and very little wax spill off will occur. Here is the correct procedure! 1. Heat iron up so that it melts wax well but never smokes up wax! 2. Turn iron upside down so that tip is near ski base. 3. Place wax bar on middle of iron not tip so that it will flow down hot section of iron and flow ( not drip) unto ski base! I insist on the flow,,,NOT DRIP condition, since the wax will solidify instantaneously if you allow drip! This will cause other problems ( which I am sure you have discovered)! You will have to re-heat all the drippings on ski base which will make a mess! Here is the secret that all good tuners have discovered. It is flow! Flow in terms of wax! Flow in terms of movement! Flow in terms of speed! In one fast and uniform manner you must; flow wax on ski base from tip to tail and back. Drop wax bar on clean towel. Turn iron over quickly and lay on ski base. Move iron on wax layer BEFORE it solidifies! It can be done and you will be able to do it in some months! Here are some typical errors! Many many neophyte tuners are so mesmerized by this wax flow from iron to ski base, that they watch carefully the wax. This is very much what beginner golfers do when they want to see their ball sail off! They look up to early....thus,,, DO not look at wax flowing. Just get it done fast before wax sets! Speed is essential here. Get wax on base as fast as possible in zig-zag pattern! You will learn later that you can control flow by how you set wax bar on iron, thus you can have a small bead like line or a wide string like line! You want the wax to remain as liquid, thus as you pass iron back and forth on base it heats up base even more. The heat "opens" the base pores and wax penetrates INTO base! Now you can watch wax and base and if you are observant you will notice some fascinating patterns! It is critical that you watch carefully the wax as it solidifies now. It is like reading tea leaves. The wax is telling you a lot about you, your base and your application! Look at the very edges of the ski! What do you see? Look at the ski base center. Do you have zones that seem not to have wax? Do you have tiny particles floating in some sections? Do you have "fault lines"? Does wax bubble or "spit" as you apply! All of these tell you a "mistake" you are making. I let you discover these mistakes! At the very end of this stage, you should perhaps apply some more wax and pass iron slowly evenly over ski base in order to make ONE LAST EVEN coat! Let ski rest horizontally NOT vertically against wall! After wax is solidified. Scrape wax off so that you have one clean even surface. It will not be perfect first couple of times. That comes with experience. Note also that you want to take of the minimum wax possible. Back to our sandwich . Do you remember the structure you placed on ski base BEFORE applying wax! Now you want to "create" same structure on the wax! Stroke base with wax from tip to tail, making the grooves with nylon brush, nylon pad, rollers! You decide! Clean edges with plastic scraper. If you have the special scrapper there is a notch just for such operation! Clean wax off sidewalls! Place a piece of paper between two skis ( I use old carpets pieces) Place two skis together. Go have a nice drink. You deserve it. |
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Access to "dossier" or physician protocol!
All patients have access to their physician protocol. Thus you can see what MUST be done! Often however your are tied down, with tubes, wires and etc.... So I gave my wife "legal permission" to view my file! This was a simple letter signed by lawyer and witness. Believe me it is very important to "keep you up to date" In my case I was to have pain killers ( morphine) at will! This means when I wanted some! Many many nurses thought I was on a two hour schedule and often said, "you have to wait 20 minutes" So I was able to quote where on protocol it mentioned morphine at will! At 3 AM it saved me from having a long long long painful night! Get someone to act on your behalf! |
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Yes you are correct with first item!
It is a base section from a broken ski which I will soon use in tune up class! Now keep going left on top! |
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Mike,
Are trying to impress Jan with your screen resolution also with the DIN settings!!! By the way Jan, I have had many people write to me asking how you could have "seen" the DIN setting! I suspect there will be a "rush" to buy HD screens soon!!!! Mike yes you are correct in your items! Now look at the top right!!!!! |
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Excellent question and one that again must be answered by what you ski on and what you want from your skis to do!
First to answer your specific question about the very tip! You are right in noting that the very tip,,,the apex of the ski rarely in recreational skiing gets to start the turn. Rare is the typical skier that can get his/her skis on such an angle that the very tip bits! My reference for my skis is the initial upward curve of the ski. Another way to determine this is place your skis ON EDGE on a level surface such as a work bench. You will note two contact points! Note where they are! You have now marked the zone where the skis will start to "carve"! Did you notice that I no longer spoke of A POINT by rather a ZONE! A ski is not a static instrument! There are many many forces that act on it as it "skis" thus depending on slope surface, pressure you place on skis, angle of attack of edges relative to slope,,,,the ski edge will not always "bit" at same spot! That is why a smart tuner thinks of "initial carve zone"! This zone is very personal! I my case many skiers who have tried my skis, find them too sharp, too "squirelly" to nervous since I place my de-tune zone 2 cm from that curve and I de-tune just 3 cm. Mind you I ski in such places in eastern USA and Canada where blue ice is common! The skis must be sharp! You must use the old trial and error technique for you! The general rule of thumb is the longer the de-tune zone the less "nervous" is the ski! The more forgiving the ski will be on your initial edge sets! Also remember if you are skiing in soft well groomed lots of snow ski areas ,,you do not need such small de-tuned zone! You have to decide what is right for you! As a side bar discussion, last year I was with the Rossignol racing technician producing a DVD on racing tuning and I was very surprised to see him file off the top vertical edge going to tip! Seems the young racers now with the new ski designs are placing the skis on such "extreme" angles that the top angle of the ski ( at the tip) interferes during the turning! They want a ROUND edge from tip to about 10 cm from tip! Imagine! That is radical tuning!!!! In your trial and error process, try to de-tune the edges softly, so that once you have found YOUR zone you can sharpen edges outside this zone! Hope this helps you! |
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It always amazes me how healthy fit persons will take at least 30 minutes to "warm-up" in studios before doing a workout,,,yet when going skiing they will rush to "expert" runs!For some they have the attitude,,I paid a lot for this ski trip let us get the most runs out of it! Rush rush rush to the accident!
You body needs to be "warmed up" even more when skiing! If you are on ski holiday it is the famous Tuesday injuries that appear if you do not take the time to stretch! I practice the "first on and last off" skiing ritual so I am at lift 30 minutes before lift opens. Those 30 minutes are spent "warming up" and often I am the only one doing these strange movements while 30 other skiers watch! Another wise practice is NOT to tighten ski boots on first two runs! Ski down beginner run with an nice easy style with those loose boots! It serves two goals. It allows body to warm up and it allows my brain to "feel" the snow conditions! You see with loose ski boots, you have to be in "perfect" ski position to "carve" even in the beginner runs! My brain wakes up and takes in all the sensory inputs; hardness of slope, "flow" of base, strength of "tired" muscles, etc.... Once my heart has pumped some oxygen to muscles, I have seen the conditions of the runs and I have done my "warm up " runs,,,then I tighten boots and go to other slopes! Give your body a chance! Always do some warm-up runs! It will make your holiday more enjoyable and you will learn to "feel" the ski work for you! |
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Sorry Mike,
I see what you did! First going vertically with numbers,,,,then going horizontally! You confused my brain ( I am taking pain killers)... Those items are interesting,,are they not Mike! Check your tune up kit,,,,you might have one of those!!!! As American Express says, "Every ski tuner never leaves without one"! Pavel |
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I was juts checking all the answers from day one so that I can give you all a correct listing of correct answers....and I realized that some of you ( not to mention leader) is using "interesting" strategies!
Look at Mike's first list! Seems we "skip" some numbers once we get past 10! Either this is a new way to count in Nova Scotia or Mike thinks Pavel will not note those "lost numbers"! Back to my counting! |
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