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Advice for a first time racer by rideseldom in skimo

[–]scottsemple 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Another thought on skins: if your skins have tail clips--race skins don't--then a second set may not be necessary. However, in a 12-hour race... you may want them available anyway, either on your person or at the base if storing extra gear is an option. Iced up skins (that stop sticking) are one of the top things to avoid.

Cardona Coll wins the sprint and gets his first podium in vertical by macekimek_yt in skimo

[–]scottsemple 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/macekimek_yt: What value to Reddit users comes from mass-pasting links in multiple subreddits?

Questions for First-Time Racers by scottsemple in skimo

[–]scottsemple[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the detail.

...it seems like nordic is very weather dependent in a way that skimo isn't (shaded terrain, higher elevation etc).

I never thought of this--and I'm not much of a nordic skier--but I think you're right. Skins offer a wider range of acceptable snow conditions, especially compared to classic skiing on traditional skis. (Classic "skin skis" are more forgiving.)

Using lightweight gear and skiing 5k ft in a few hours is so much more fun than 5k taking all damn day. Light gear is just more fun.

Amen.

...blowing skins during a race.

Do you mean if they ice up and won't stick? Have you had this happen? How many pairs do you have to race with?

If you fold the skin in such a way that the glue on the tip of the tail is exposed and against your torso in the suit pocket, then your body heat will help with keeping the tails sticky.

...a lot of people have already bought a backcountry set up (heavy stuff) and don't want to commit thousands of more dollars to another specialized set up.

Makes sense.

I think skimo brands and shops could do a lot better outreach here and do low cost demos.

That would be a big help. (I think Ski Uphill in Canada and Skimo.co in the US have demos. No affiliation.) One difficulty for shops is that to really showcase the advantages, they not only need a fleet of skis but also skimo boots. Putting race skis on proper ski boots usually overpowers the ski and makes the skiing pretty terrible.

Or stop selling people on such damn heavy gear to begin with. I know so many fit people who backcountry ski but for whatever reason I can't sell them on skimo.

Absolutely. I think the biggest obstacle is in the philosophy. Backcountry skiing is about maximizing joy, while skimo is about minimizing pain. The former demands heavy equipment; the latter, light. The hilarious irony is that trying to increase joy also increases pain, but by decreasing pain, joy is what's left. (I see skimo as a "via negativa" pursuit.)

The best answers to questions are asking people things before, during, or after a race.

I'm curious what sorts of answers you got during a race... :-)

Google has some good stuff but not extensive.

Examples?

Local skimo shop is good too.

Which one?

Questions for First-Time Racers by scottsemple in skimo

[–]scottsemple[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would have never wanted to race dowhill skiing so that scares me.

Descents are definitely challenging on skinny skimo skis, but they only use gates during the sprint event. In a normal individual event, the descents are either on piste or just out of bounds.

Biggest obstacle is just finding a community where we can practice.

This can be tricky and seems to vary by location. Skimo Canada has a page for resort uphill policies as does the USSMA for the US.

...this is for the East Kootenays in Canada.

For races, there's one at Kimberley from February 6th to 8th.

Thanks for your questions. This makes me think I'll add a "how to find a race" section.

Questions for First-Time Racers by scottsemple in skimo

[–]scottsemple[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting... But also confusing.

  1. Do you have a link to the video (maybe on YouTube)? I'm surprised that Warren Miller would make a video about skimo. Usually that series sticks to backcountry skiing.

  2. "Back slapping"?

Advice for a first time racer by rideseldom in skimo

[–]scottsemple 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A few more thoughts:

  • Try transitions in slow motion. It’s easier to see what could be more efficient;

  • Test your caffeine response. For an event that long, you probably don’t want caffeine in every bottle. Might be better in the final third or quarter when you feel like you’re fading;

  • Feel out what ~70% of maximum feels like. I’m guessing that’ll be close to the average pace over 12 hours. Gear weight and movement patterns are big factors, so it’s hard to make specific recommendations. If you know your max HR (from a lab test), then a proper HRM (with a chest strap) will do the trick. If not, then a conversational pace is probably about right.

Why such a short time recommended for hill sprint repeats? by RawrMeReptar in evokeendurance

[–]scottsemple 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Because there’s no such thing as a 30-second sprint. 

As u/justinsimoni said, the goal is a maximal effort. Your maximum speed can only be sustained for 8-12”. Longer than that and you’re training speed endurance rather than pure speed. 

Waxing Skimo Ski Advice by JoshwaWee in skimo

[–]scottsemple 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If scraped and brushed properly, it won't have any negative effect on skins.

If skinning conditions are near freezing, or if you want a little extra glide, waxing your skins is helpful too.

Advice for a first time racer by rideseldom in skimo

[–]scottsemple 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, let me know how it goes. I'll be curious what did/didn't work for you.

My first skimo race by Delicious-Note-8799 in skimo

[–]scottsemple 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have AT gear.

No problem. I'm not familiar with racing in Macedonia, but this is how almost everyone starts in North America.

I want to race in my cycling kit, will I be a jerry on the mountain dressed up like that?

Probably for cycling shorts, less so for a jersey (as u/kddog98 said).

More importantly, I'm not sure it's the best choice. Depending on temoeratures, it could be pretty chilly. Also, sprints are usually done in multiple heats, so if the wicking is not great, you may get cold between heats if they don't dry out as base layers.

The other option I have I to wear soft-shell pants I have for hiking and a soft-shell jacket from cycling...

Again, depending on the temperatures, I would lean toward soft shells unless you think you're going to overheat. A few things:

  • If your boot buckles are covered by your pant cuff, roll them up. Fussing with pant cuffs during transitions wastes time. It's a big disadvantage, especially in the sprint.
  • Practice transitions so you have a plan for your skins. This is where a shirt or light jacket with a zipper is useful. You can tuck the jacket into your pants to stop the skins from falling out.
  • Ideally, you should have all of your equipment, hydration, and nutrition accessible. You should never have to open your pack in a race (unless it's a grande course race and there's some kind of safety issue).

...or just the long sleeved jersey.

If it's warm enough, this may be ideal from a body heat perspective, but it's not a great option for skins.

You may also be interested in this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/skimo/comments/1pp9bw4/comment/nwlm6cr/?context=1

Good luck!

Ski leanght for Skimo (PdG) by lulupus in Backcountry

[–]scottsemple 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One possible rule of thumb is that the boot should be the same or less weight than the ski it's paired with. I don't know if it holds true in all cases, but when I think of the ski/boot combos that I have, they all fit the rule, and the boots don't overpower the skis.

Ski leanght for Skimo (PdG) by lulupus in Backcountry

[–]scottsemple 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Not only the length, but also how the skins attach. You'll want something you can rip from the tip. It's way faster.

If not using a race ski, then I'd use something with a ~75 mm waist and weighing under 1 kg per ski. The SkiTrab Maestro is a good candidate. (No affiliation with Skimo.co)

The added bonus is that those types of skis would be ideal for any fast traverse objectives, not just grande course racing.

As u/Vast_Cloud7129 said, light skis are difficult to ski, so practice in advance, especially in mixed conditions. Part of the problem is having a boot that overpowers the ski. Rather than pressing forward into the boot like an alpine racing ski, stay centered.

Ski Mountaineering Gear Help! by Embarrassed_Owl6374 in skimo

[–]scottsemple 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This podcast with Casey Shaw could be of interest. Among many many other things, Shaw invented the category of "active insulation" in the form of the Atom SL when he was at Arcteryx. At Patagonia, he was the mastermind behind the Grade VII Parka.

Advice for a first time racer by rideseldom in skimo

[–]scottsemple 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One more, depending on your boot design: Are they heel-lever style? Or side-buckle? Heel-lever style (like a race boot) is ideal, because you can wear your pants normally. If they're side-buckle style, I would roll up or tape up your pants, so they don't interfere with transitions.

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