TD Bank Eastern Cup Skate Race at Trapp Family Lodge

The TD Bank Eastern Cup at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT will be hosting a 5km skate for J2’s and women and 10km skate for men.  The race trails at Trapp have a lot of transitions where ski speed will be essential.

Weather:

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -1

Saturday: Snow likely, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 31. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Recommendation - Forecast Based Recommendation

We recommend the following but BNS will be on site testing so please check in with us:

Base Layer: SkiGo LF Graphite, Start Graphite, or Rex Graphite.

Race Paraffin: We think SkiGo HF Blue, Holmenkol Matrix Blue, Swix HF 6 or possibly Holmenkol Matrix Red for the men’s race if the temperature gets above 21 degrees Fahrenheit will be the best choices.

Fluoro Powder: SkiGo C105 Powder, Holmenkol Cold Powder or Holmenkol Mid 08 Powder

Top Coat: SkiGo C105 Block, SkiGo C22 Block, Holmenkol Mid 08 Block, Mid Cold Block, Swix FC7, Rex TK-72

Structure:CV0

Discussion:  With all of the new snow that Stowe and the east coast is receiving over the next few days, it would be helpful to start off with a layer of graphite to help harden the base to protect against new sharp snow crystals.  Our favorite is SkiGo LF Graphite, but Start Graphite or Rex Graphite would also be fine choices.  For a paraffin layer HF waxes are going to be key, as there is going to be a fair amount of moisture in the newly fallen snow and the HF waxes will help with durability and the dispersion of moisture from the base throughout the race.  The best in our opinion would be SkiGo HF Blue, which works very well in new snow and has a range of 14 degrees Fahrenheit to 27 degrees Fahrenheit.  This wax would cover the entire range of temperatures during all of the race times, making it the best choice for the day. Other waxes in consideration  would be Swix HF 6 or Holmenkol Matrix Blue for the J2 or women’s races and Holmenkol Matrix Red for the men’s race if the temperature rises above 21 degrees Fahrenheit.

For fluoro powder and top coats, BNS will be on sight testing and there to recommend the best wax of the day. If you don’t have time to stop by or test yourself SkiGo C105 powder would most likely be the best to go with, as it runs very well in new snow in these conditions..

CONCLUSIONARY NOTES – BNS will have a table set up and will be testing top coats, hand structure, and kick wax at the race venue. Come by to get our latest test results and recommendations.