Waxing makes skis slower!

Has anyone seen the article in The Economist (Dec 17th, p79)? Some
researcher in Sweden did a study that says glide wax only traps dirt
and makes your skis go slower for "runs more than a couple of hundred
metres".

That will certainly require a rebuttal from the wax manufacturers.

Scott

Dec 17th is Sweden's April 1st.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Dec 17th is Sweden's April 1st.


You serious?? (About the April 1st line)

I doubt that a mag like The Economist would publish a prank report,
although I will admit that editors or reputable magazines have been
fooled before.

Mike, ask Nordic people in this newsgroup

The author of the article has come up missing. Went out for a ski and never
returned. The Norwegian police have raided Swix headquarters looking for
evidence. Incriminating E Mails have been impounded. How do you say
"Senator I have no recollection of those events" in Norwegian.

The FrontRunner
Also known as the one armed bandit due to a shoulder problem. How long
until the Birkie?

"Scott" wrote in message
ups.com...
I doubt that a mag like The Economist would publish a prank report,
although I will admit that editors or reputable magazines have been
fooled before.

here is the search results on the economist. to go further, one must
subscribe,
http://www.economist.com/index.html

Ski wax is redundant
Dec 14th 2005
From Ski wax print edition

THIS season, like every previous one, recreational and racing skiers
alike will apply wax to their skis in the hope of schussing that
little bit faster. They will do so after assessing the air's
temperature, its humidity and the prevailing snow conditions, so as to
determine exactly which wax they should use. Not any old wax will do....




Scott wrote:

Has anyone seen the article in The Economist (Dec 17th, p79)? Some
researcher in Sweden did a study that says glide wax only traps dirt
and makes your skis go slower for "runs more than a couple of hundred
metres".

That will certainly require a rebuttal from the wax manufacturers.

Scott

Scott wrote:
I doubt that a mag like The Economist would publish a prank report,
although I will admit that editors or reputable magazines have been
fooled before.
Correct. It's no prank and april fool's day is April 1st in Sweden. I
haven't seen the article in the Economist, but different Swedish media
has reported about it. It's the result of two years' of research at a
Swedish university, published in a Licentate thesis by Leonid Kuzmin

In Sweden, a Licentiate thesis is something that you write half-way
between Master of Science and Ph.D. degree. Compared to a Ph.D.
thesis, there is not the same high requirements for having it reviewed
vy and defended "against" experts in the field.

Interesting results, anyway.

You find more about his results and ski-preparation-tips (in English)
he
http://www.expertsvar.nu/publicIndex...ID=5785&lang=2

I don't know if the thesis is written in English, but you have his
e-mail address on the above web page so if you're interested you can
ask him if he has more detailed material (or the entre thesis in
English).

/ Niklas

On 30 Dec 2005 03:14:34 -0800, "Scott"
wrote:

Has anyone seen the article in The Economist (Dec 17th, p79)? Some
researcher in Sweden did a study that says glide wax only traps dirt
and makes your skis go slower for "runs more than a couple of hundred
metres".

That will certainly require a rebuttal from the wax manufacturers.

Scott


The interesting thing to me is the possibility that the current
running surfaces are designed for (or at least contain the properties
for) absorbing glide wax. I wonder if there aren't other running
surface materials that have been rejected in the past as being
impervious to glide wax absorption that may now be reconsidered for
ski bases.


g.c.

Wasn't this already discussed on this forum? I'll check the archives
when I have the chance, but tidbits that come to my mind are - what
temps/conditions were involved, what methodology, repeatable? etc. etc.
-zeke

Scott wrote:
Has anyone seen the article in The Economist (Dec 17th, p79)? Some
researcher in Sweden did a study that says glide wax only traps dirt
and makes your skis go slower for "runs more than a couple of hundred
metres".

That will certainly require a rebuttal from the wax manufacturers.

Scott