The new Madshus Nanosonic skate boot.Some 2012/13 Madshus Nanosonic skate boots passed through the shop yesterday, and they happened to be my size, so I got a fit check, and nabbed a couple pictures while no authority figures were looking too closely.   The boots weren't with a rep, but are being tested by young gun (biathlete) Casey Smith, who stopped in to say farewell before heading to Europe for World Jr Championships and the IBU European Championships.The new Madshus boot feels slightly more padded, but otherwise has approximately the same fit.   Very nice.    Graphics have become a bit brighter, with less black and more white.     There are some white slashes on the sides of the boot that seem like Maurice Sendak inspired "monster with an underbite"teeth!Madshus has maintained the simple approach:  no clicky buckles or speed laces, instead opting for velcro and regular shoe laces.    I liked those features in the past, and like them on the new version, too.    The fit is great for my feet, but all feet are not created equal, so trying on boots is always the decider.The new Madshus skate boot.   That's my foot!Overall, I like the update.Stone Grinding ScheduleYou've been training to get the most from your skiing, so make sure your skis aren't a limiter.Prepare all of your skis to run their best with a fresh stone grind and hotbox service. At Nordic Ultratune, a stone grinding batch starts every Thursday and those skis are ready for shipping on the following Monday -- just 4 days later. Return shipping is FedEx Express Saver, which is 3rd day delivery. So, skis that are shipped out on Monday will arrive back to you on Thursday.Here's the upcoming service schedule at Nordic Ultratune. Use these dates to make sure you get your skis ready before your most important events.Skis in by Jan 12th will ship out on Jan 16th and arrive back to you by Jan 19th.Skis in by Jan 19th will ship out on Jan 23.Skis in by Jan 26 will ship out on Jan 30 and arrive to you by the Feb 2nd.Skis in by Feb 2 will ship out on Feb 6Skis in by Feb 9th will ship out on Feb 13th and get to you by Feb 16th.You can see that there are still a few service batches scheduled before the big Marathon races (including the Birkie!).     There is still time to get a fast grind on your skis before your biggest events! But don't delay... ...fast boards are a joy to ski on, and they're a real advantage.Download a work order form here. A description of some of the grinds is here.