Good Gracious Almighty! What Has Atomic Gone And Done Now? Atomic is to classic marathons what Ferrari is to Formula One. For the last thirty years, the long distance events have been dominated by Atomic athletes and the tenacious Austrian ski company is not about to let that change. Atomic’s racing focus has always been [...]

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.

OBERHOF, Germany — There’s no shortage of grit among the top men on the Canadian cross-country ski team. Each year, Alex Harvey, Devon Kershaw, and Ivan Babikov train for hundreds of hours, climbing dozens of steep hills through sun, rain, and snow. The training has powered the athletes to some pretty impressive accomplishments this season. [...]

  Using the Toko Structurite The Toko Structurite is a simple and easy to use tool that is very effective.  Here’s some information on the tool and how to use it.   Using the Structurite (Cross Country)   Toko is now on Google+. Click the logo to follow. Introducing TokoVideos.com.  Learn about how to work on [...]

When Mother Nature fails to deliver bountiful snow, races are often held on a surface that resembles a dirty ice rink.  Artificial snow, old snow, dirt, ice and moisture stick together in a weird conglomerate that can be very challenging for wax technicians. Athletes are forced to train in less than optimal conditions, stressing them [...]

The all-new Contour Champion and Contour Race Straps use a new 3D Thermomoldable shape to conform to the infinite shapes of your hand, supporting the heel and cradling the palm. The softer construction is easier to get on and off, and the neoprene Comfort tab prevents any strap pinch. With silicone SuperGrip printing to prevent [...]

News from Tad Elliott in Davos: “You can sell all my old skis”. Everyone has heard the adage “all ski companies make great skis”. While this may be true, it fails to tell a big part of the story. Quality is one factor, but an equally important factor is understanding. Most of the investment we [...]

The high-performance, rigid foam cores from Rohacell are the heart o the Champion Series skis. Used in helicopter rotor blades and jet turbine fans, the material offers outstanding strength-to-weight properties and perfect stability through the production process. PR 100X wrapped in a Triaxial Carbon Construction provide the Nanosonic skis the ultimate in flex control and [...]

Angled and insulated holster, water bottle, pocket, gel flask and holder, and shock cord to hold loose ends. Is this it? Have I finally found the perfect water bottle belt

This article is a paid advertisement by Caldwell Sport, a ski grinding service and new ski retail shop operated by Zach and Amy Caldwell in Putney Vermont. Caldwell Sport has recently returned to Vermont after a four-year adventure pursuing coaching, ski service and business opportunities in British Columbia and Colorado. Our recent return to Vermont [...]