Note from Hank Statscewich: "It was the 57th annual Turkey Trot relay race held at the Birch Hill Cross Country ski area in Fairbanks, Alaska. Temperatures were -14°F at the start of the race and our skis performed wonderfully! Three coats of Swix polar tip to tail with a cork in between each one and then some Swix green on the kick zone turned out just perfect. "
L to R: Brian Charlton, Carl Tape and Hank Statscewich. Photo by Eric Engman
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Winter's Children An in-depth look at Minnesota's Nordic ski history
February 15, 2020: Craig Hunter from Grand Marais, MN with his hand-made wooden skis,
made at North House Folk School in Grand Marais.
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2019 Vintage Ski Fest
Methow Valley, Washington
2019 Vintage Ski Fest held in Mazama, Washington. Chad Gregg pictured with 3-month old Cora and Chad's wife Alieta. More photos here: https://www.facebook.com/nordicteam
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Ski in Tweed
Skiers from Norway and Sweden participated in the "2019 Ski in Tweed" event, in Oslo, Norway on February 9. Participants dressed in period clothing and also brought period equipment, such as rucksacks and Optimus stoves for lunch.
We recently visited the Rindal Ski Museum in Rindal, Norway. This museum has hundreds of skis, including winning skis from Landsem. Rindal was home to four ski factories: Landsem, Troll, Rindalsski, and Trollheimen. We highly recommend visiting this museum. More information about our visit is here: https://www.trollheimsporten.no/cppage.6144251-137312.html
Thanks to Erik Haug, son of Jan Haug for these videos. Jan Haug was the founder and owner of Janoy wooden skis, made in Norway and imported to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
These skis were used by Larry Gould in the 1928 Byrd Expedition to the South Pole. Mr. Gould was a geologist and second in command on the expedition. Gould later became president of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.
Early 1950s-Vintage Madshus
Skis
We purchased these skis from this sweet Norwegian
woman named Dagrun. She immigrated to the United States
from Norway in 1950 and had these skis shipped to her from
Trondheim. Her father is from the wooden ski-making town
of Rindal.
Nestled in a small workshop in Rjukan, Norway, Trevor Dowe
hand-makes traditional wooden skis the same way that pioneers
did in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Click
here for more info.
Jim S. making skis at a class at the North
House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN, where expert
ski-maker and boat-builder Mark Hansen shares his expertise.
"By the end of the 1970s, the all-wood
ski will probably have dparted the way of the dodo.....only
that elusive thing called taste might partially check this
trend. A finely crafted all-wood ski, like the Madshus Birkebeiner,
is a thing of beauty; its hand-rubbed hickory finish seems
the very embodiment of tradition in a sport whose roots
sink 4,500 years in the past; it is also a quality light
touring ski in its own right. Tour skiers have already proven
an unusually indepndent lot, so the exact direction here
is hard to predict."
Excerpted from The Regnery Guide to Ski
Touring by Sven Wiik and David Sumner. 1974. Henry
Regnery Company. Chicago.
Hi Greg! My husband bought me a pair of Eggen skis at a local Ski & Skate sale in December. I LOVE THEM! They are beautiful and fast. I see on your site that Gjermund Eggen is a sheep farmer now. Do you have any way of getting in touch with him? Snail mail is just fine! I would love to write him a letter and send a picture of me and my husband with our wooden skis. We're in our 30s, in America, skiing wooden skis. We hope Gjermund would appreciate a pair of skis he made are still being used and loved. Thank you, Allison
Editor's Note: Hi Allison, I will send you his phone number and address.
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4 November, 2018
Just received my 205 Trysil Knuts. Thank You so much. These skis are beautiful! Fresh snow is falling, I've remounted them, and a fresh coat of Pine Tar is going on right now so Trysil Knut will get some First Tracks in the morning. HAPPY TRAILS!......Richard, Colorado, USA
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7 March, 2018
I just wanted to drop you a line and say, Thank you. You sold me some skis (4 pair of wood xc skis) about 10 years ago. I'm still sking on them and I love them. I am amazed that the supply of used wood skis has become so scarse. I'm just so happy to have mine. I will continue to look for good usable skis to purchase. I would like to know a little more of about the skis I do have. Sincerely Lloyd Morrison age 63 with two knee replacements and still sking.
21 November, 2017
First off, let me say that your website has been a great resource as I acquired my first set of wooden skis last year (Asnes tur-langrenns).
6 November, 2017
Howdy Greg,
nice to see my photo and comments are still on the web site from Feb. 2009. I am still skiing on my 210 Askoem’s[sic] and Troll 3 pin. My garb, pack and rifle are all still the same as well. What has changed is that at 72 this Feb. I ain’t the lead dog anymore. Back when I was 65 one of the 26 year old kids whom I taught to X/C ski (on wood skis of course) when he was around age 10 was skiing side by side with me on an ascent. We were breaking 4-6 in. New UT powder. I was flat out as I usually kill’em all on the ascents, and he was in training for a Triathlon the following summer, and the little s*** just went right by me. Granted, I was carrying my usual pack & 1903 A3 Springfield rifle (about 30 Lbs.) which was a few more pounds than he was carrying, but that never made any difference before. I had told all these young bucks since day one that when they could ski around me they should just do so as I was not going to just pull over and let them go by to make them feel good, and that I would take my cowboy hat off to them.
When we got to the top, I didn’t say a word I just took my hat off and bowed to him. He then said: “ I’ve been trying to do that for 15 years now and today was the first time I could do so. The only reason I was able to do so today was because I had the best damn X/C instructor in the world.” I shed a tear. Another friend of mine was working in Fairbanks Alaska and sitting in a bar and saw a picture of a Husky in traces, up close from the rear. Below it read “ If you ain’t the lead dog, the view is always the same”. He burst out laughing and told them all about me and how I would always ‘Bogart’ breaking the powder on the trail. Hells Bells, I still lament that ascent that day, but I sure as hell was proud of that kid. Impeccable technique. BTW, we were both (of course) skiing wood skis waxed tip to tails with Toko Blue Special, which is getting hard to find these days. Thanks for keeping this great web site going.............John, Price, Utah
20 April, 2017
I can't believe I found your site just now. I have been in the Nordic Ski business for some 40 years, starting with John Tidd, in '76 at Mountain Meadows STC, in Vt. Have run my own backcountry shop Nordic Adventures since the 80's and have collected wooden skis the whole time. Your site is a vast array of excellent information on one of my favorite subjects. There are many here that share your passion and they seem to find my ski shop that has migrated several times, but has finally found its final location in my garage , here in Rochester, nestled in the heart of the Green Mountains............Dean in Vermont.
8 April, 2017
"Greg, I just wanted you to know that Viking Nordic Ski Center did a beautiful job on the skis [pine tar] for a most reasonable price. I shipped them last fall, and then they hand delivered them to my son's home in Grafton in time for me to use them over Christmas! It felt wonderful. Anyway, this year-long project was well worth the effort and would not have happened without your advice. Thank you so much". Katie
12 November, 2016
"I think you are a world authority on wooden skis and that is really cool".....Magnus Johansson, Sweden.
3 November, 2016
We received this note from one of our fans. Enjoy!
"Inspired by your website. My fourth grade class from the Community School in Sun Valley, Idaho attempted to build their own traditional wooden skis based on research from your website. The video is a little long, but well worth seeing the kids using their skis at the end.
As the teacher of tenth and twelfth grade English at Chazy Central Rural High School, I have had the privilege of facilitating the Senior Project, which invites students to learn a new skill or develop one of their current skills past their ability. In order to do this, mentors have been required to help students see what they do not already know. One senior is interested in making wooden skis, but has been unable to find a mentor. When I searched the internet for possible resources in this area, I came across your website. I am impressed with the passion you have for the craft, and I was would like to learn more about the Senior Project. I realize that you are far out of state, but it could be possible to arrange mentorship using the globe-shrinking abilities of Skype or Facetime. Thank you for your consideration....Chazy Central Rural High School, Chazy, NY
Ed: I would be happy to mentor your student during his/her ski-building experience. I have ski-building plans to share, if that is of interest. I have Skype, so it would be no problem to communicate this way or via email other times. Feel free to contact me by phone if necessary. I'm retired, so my time is more flexible than a working persons'.....Greg
24 October, 2016
Beautiful skis. Almost too nice to use. Looking for some thin soled three pin duckbills and some more snow so I can use them.
Old fashioned guy that is not a facebook member so can't like your site, but a very satisfied customer. Thank you...........Lee in Alaska
23 October, 2016
Thank you so much Greg. The skis are great!..........Bill, Park City, UT
7 February, 2016
First of all thank you, thank you, thank you
for having a supply of wooden cross country skis. I bought
a pair of Konesberg skis about 25 years ago in a store named
Play It Again sports. The skis had a 3 goat head image on
the tips but until I discovered your web site, I knew only
that there were made in Sweden......Steven, Fremont, Nebraska
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7 February, 2016
I live in Missoula, Mt and and only use wooden
skis. I have a number of pair, for all the right reasons.
However, I have been on a beautiful pair of Normarks for
the past few seasons and I love them. The other day the
bail broke on one of the bindings. I set out to replace
the bindings with a new set of 75mm when, much to my surprise,
the spacing of the paired holes is wider than the traditional
75 mm binding. I would rather replace those bindings with
new/used Normark bindings or at least see if anyone has
an extra bail to replace the broken one.
Can you help me with this issue?.......Dave, Missoula, Montana
Ed: Yes, send photos of the binding and
measurements. I have both used and new 3-pin bindings, so
I should be able to help.....Greg
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23 January, 2016
From a Facebook post on our page:
"My friend Greg from Minnesota knows
more about Norwegian wooden skis than most norwegians, check
out http://www.woodenskis.com".........Knut, Tønsberg,
Norway
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1/7/2016 - I live in Winnipeg Manitoba and
have just picked some vintage Madshus skis and am wondering
if you would help me find out how old they are, and what
they would look like in original condition ( bottoms seem
to have a coating of orange paint?) . I want to restore
them and use them.They are 200 long and the bindings were
made by the T Eaton companyI am also missing one cable.
Is there somewhere I could buy one or will I have to fabricate
one myself?.......John, Winnipeg Manitoba
Ed: John, Nice skis! I have a pair nearly
identical to them. Check out our website
and scroll down on the main page. You will see a photo of
a woman with those same skis. Your skis are from the early
1950s. Painted bottoms were popular in the 1940-50s.
I have a cable to replace your missing
one.......Greg
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11/3/2015 - I still can't thank you enough
for the resources & videos you've put together at woodenskis.com!....Morgan,
Vermont, USA
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11/2/2015 - I'm very impressed with the information
you have gathered by research. Vintage snow skis are not
easy to find information about..........Becky, somewhere
in USA
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10/13/2015 - Greg, I'm a truck driver and
"even after near 5 million miles in 18s (18 wheelers)
with no Facebook. I like the easy way I can buy vintage
skis in almost any size and with confidence that I will
get expert service". You have "a responsive web
site that is not just the best but the only true complete
source in this country. I will happily attest to this and
you may publish it how,where, when you like...........Charles,
Fox Lake, Illinois
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9/12/2015 - Incredible research has gone into
your site. A job well done.
All the best........Chris, Seattle, WA
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2/23/2015 - Greg,
I just skied my first Birkie this past weekend
and did so on wood!
My favorite wood skis are my Holmenkollen
210s, which made the 54kms. without issue.
I've seen several skis just like these skis
but with different brandings. My Holmenkollens are EMS skis
and i have a pair of Asnes that look just like them but
are 205s and in poor shape--EMS on them as well. At the
bib pick up in Hayward, the Madshus booth had the skis just
like my Holmenkollen and Asnes but with Madshus and EMS
on them. I'm seeing a trend with this specific ski.
Do you know if there are other manufacturers
(more likely brands) that grace these specific "EMS"
skis? Mine are dark wood on top but I've also seen them
in a blueish green with Holmenkollen brandings. They all
have a tapered routing along the sides, thickest forward
and aft of the binding flat.
The Madshus were not for sale but in really
nice condition.
I'd like to pick up another pair as these
are my primary skis and want to know if there are other
names i should look for. As you might expect, they are in
the race category with respect to width.
Thanks for any info you might be able to add.....Jim,
Bloomington, Minnesota
Ed: Thanks for the note.
Asnes and Madshus were separate ski companies
in Norway.
Asnes, not only made Asnes skis, but Janoy,
Telemark, Holmenkollen, Sigmund Ruud, Norge Ski, and Trysil
Knut brands. EMS stands for Eastern Mountain Sports, which
is an east coast outdoors retailer. EMS had Asnes put their
name on Holmenkollen and Asnes skis, which were only sold
in the US. EMS also had their brand on the tip of the ski
with no other markings, except for tur-langrenn. Some of
these skis also came in different colors, like you mentioned,
including brown, red, blue, and aqua. I've never seen Madshus
skis branded with the EMS logo, but that's certainly possible.
Asnes and their other brands had the tur-langrenn
model and tur-modell. Langrenn was narrow and used in the
tracks. Tur-modell skis were wider and better for back country
skiing.
Take a look at all of the brands, that
I have documented at http://woodenskis.com/classic_brands.htm.
I have historical information on most brands. Asnes, Bonna,
and Madshus Birkebeiner skis are some of the most popular
brands, that people demand. Eggen orange stripe, Bla Skia,
and Jarvinen are some of the popular wooden racing skis.
There are also other brands.
I hope this helps.....Greg
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2/15/2015 - Hi Greg
I came across your site by chance and what
a pleasure! We are kindred spirits.
I started cross country skiing in the early
'70's with a pair of Gresshoppa touring skis, Tempo bindings
and cane poles. Deep snow and back country trails were what
we sought. Then along came kids who got into XC racing and
so did I. I became a loppet racer doing skating and classic
on plastic skis. But I still have my Gresshoppa's, and two
pairs of Madshus Birkebeiners, and a pair of Asnes and,
and ...
When I want to ski for pure pleasure, I don
the wooden skis. I guess I am hooked on the smell of pine
tar. Keep the faith.....Jim, in Ontario, Canada
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2/12/2015 - Hello, Greg,
I am following up on the article in the
Minneapolis StarTribune, Jan. 23, about your collection
of wooden skis. I had wooden skis when I was a youngster
in Waconia, Minnesota, and now that I am an 'oldster' I
have given it up...... living in a retirement home in Waconia.
I spent many summers on field projects in
Antarctica beginning in 1960, studying geology of mountain
ranges, am familiar with Byrd Expeditions, and Larry Gould....
The photo of L.H. Hagen skis from the 1928 Byrd expedition
is of special interest to me because I knew Larry Gould,
and am curious to know how you acquired them. I am also
familiar with the Gould archive at Carleton College, and
am currently reviewing a book about Gould's life for The
Polar Times, publication of the American Polar Society.
Are the skis for sale, and if so, I would
like to investigate them further for deposit in the Archive
at Carleton.
Very nice to read about your hobby and business...
fascinating subject for a historical context. My experience
with skis in Antarctica was partly to follow motorized toboggans
in crevassed areas, with ropes attached to toboggan controls
(steering, throttle, cutoff switch) and skiing behind them
to avoid falling into a crevasse personally........John,
Minnesota USA
Ed: John, the Larry Gould skis are not
for sale. Eventually, I plan to donate them to a museum,
such as the Carleton archive.....Greg
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2/11/2015 - I am looking to buy a set of cross
country skis, and while i have never tried wooden skis,
a mentor of mine, an old guy who lives on a mountain in
Vermont, recommended vintage Bonna skis. i like the idea,
for the wooden aesthetic and because they were clearly designed
and made in a time before planned obsolescence became the
culture.
i am 6'4" and around 175 lbs. my wrist
to the floor is about exactly 220 cm. looks like you recently
sold a pair of bonna 2400's in very good condition at this
length, i think that is exactly what i'm looking for.
i wanted to ask for some advice. i wonder, do these skis
require a lot of maintenance or just a pre-season treatment
and then occasional rub-on waxing?
I have some trepidation about buying on ebay myself, because
of the possibility of edge damage and delamination that
might be hard for seller to describe accurately. so i am
grateful for your service as an informed and conscientious
seller. that said, do you think you are likely to have any
215 or 220 cm skis available in the near future? Thanks.....Adam
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1/19/2015 - I have a pair of skis that came
over from Norway with my ancestors in the 1800’s.
10‘ long, very pointed tips, one still has the single
strap leather binding. They have been stored away since
the 1930’s and they still have some original painted
decorations.[snip].
Skis are 10' long, 3 1/2 " wide. They
seem light for their size and the wood looks like pine/fur/spruce.
They have a few knots in the wood. The binding [snip] is
just an adjustable loop for the front of the boot and the
a crosswise strip of leather behind it. Perhaps to keep
a heel from sliding forward? All this leads me to assume
they would have been a low end working/farm ski.......Lynn
from Wisconsin
1/10/2015 - Yeah Greg! Just had my first day
on the Madshus, and they were great! Fast, maneuverable,
and I loved the "quiet" ride, that wood certainly
dampens the vibrations. We had low-teen temperatures, with
a few inches of super dry fluffy stuff on top of crust,
which was machine groomed with some granular, but I slapped
on Toko-Blue kick wax, and we went for a wonderful three
hour tour at Pine Hill XC Ski Club in Sutton, New Hampshire.
Completely bonkers, I am sold! I love them!
I mounted a pair of NNN BC Manual Magnums,
and was very pleased. Not traditional, but very effective
for this ski. Thanks again! I will be on the look-out for
next year for another pair to back them up. Good Tur indeed!
..... Christophe, New Hampshire
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1/9/2015 - I love your website, great job
and very informative.
Do you buy wooden skis ? I see you have many
for sale. [snip]
I wish I was going to be in the Twin Cities
to hear your upcoming lecture later this month at the museum.
I've bookmarked your website and plan to return.
You've done some amazing work on this site saving some great
history and keeping things alive!
Yours truly........Marty in Vienna,Virginia
USA
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1/9/2015 - Dear Greg,
Just a short note to say I got my skis this morning and
am very happy with them. They are beautiful and just what
I was looking for. Thank you!........... Patti in Minnesota
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1/3/2015 - From our Facebook
page: I have to give you a tip of the cap. Your advice and
videos made the process [pine tarring skis] pretty straightforward.
Much thanks....Jim, Big Lake, MN
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1/2/2015 - From our Facebook
page:It's such a great thing you're doing. If you ever come
to CO let me know and we'll get a big wood ski rally going.
We have a bunch of friends here who tour on wood all the
time. We'll go somewhere SPECTACULAR!! Happy New Year!.....Jamie,
Colorado USA
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1/2/2015 - From our Facebook
page:it makes me so happy that this exists...not 'rare and
unique retro decor, not thousand dollar custom or yard-sale
mayhem -- just good solid well loved, well documented and
fairly priced......Ian, Toronto, Canada
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12/10/2014 - In the middle of January we have
a race in Estonia commemorating 55 years from the first
Tartu Ski Marathon in 1960, its 55 km. The plan is to race
with equipment approximately from that period 60s-70s. Is
it possible for you to put together a set for me of good
skis, bindings and poles, and boots if you have those? I
am 178 cm and 75 kg, foot 43 EU size.......Tiit R. Estonia.
Ed: Tiit, we only ship to North America.........Later,
we shipped the skis, poles, and boots to NYC, where Tiit's
friend lives and will deliver them to Estonia when he visits.
https://www.facebook.com/events/319670748225696/
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11/9/2014 - Dear Madam/Sir
Sunny greetings from cold high mountains of
Iran.
I have an old Wooden Ski, Made by Bröderna
Sandström AB which my aunt gave me 50 years ago.
Now I am looking for a collection-er to sell it, and I thought
you should interested in to have it.
Please let me know if you are capable to collect
such a wooden ski.
Warm regards, Narges Vambakhsh, Iran.
Ed: I would love to have this ski, but
I'm afraid that the shipping cost would be prohibitive.
Your best bet is to sell them on Ebay......Greg
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10/31/2014 - Dear Wooden Skis. com,
My name is Jack and I am a junior in high-school in Massachusetts.
I recently joined my schools wood-working club, and decided
i would build my very own pair of skis. I saw on your website
that had emailed a few tips and tricks and articles to a
highschooler. I was wondering if you wouldnt mind doing
the same for me.
My plan is for a pair of straight grain ash wood skis with
a mahogany perimeter for darker color. Please email me back
with any help you can offer. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,.....Jack
Ed: Jack, Attached are the articles. I
would love to have some photos of your process to share.
Good luck with your project.....Greg
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10/1/2014 - I am a senior.... in high school
in New Hampshire,... and I was hoping you could help answer
some of my questions on my senior project. My year-long
senior project is learning about the construction of Nordic
skis and building a pair of my own. I need some proportions
and measurement suggestions for my backcountry skis. I am
an enthusiastic skier and I wanted to make simplified Nordic-based
backcountry skis. Any advice, suggestions or even samples
of your craftsmanship would be greatly appreciated. I look
forward to hearing from you! Thank you for your time and
consideration....High School student in New Hampshire.
Ed: I will be happy to give you information
on skis. I'm also excited to know, that a person your age
is interested in making skis. This is awesome!
...I'm sending you a few articles from
the past, that describe how to make wooden skis. I would
love to get some photos of your progress, when you have
time.
I'm not sure if you saw this article on
my website, but this may help to see some of the processes
involved: http://www.woodenskis.com/birchskimaking.htm.....Greg
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2/18/2014 - Just want to thank you for your
website on early wooden skis and their manufacturers. We
recently received a donation of wooden skis where the decal
was very worn, except for the flying eagle with skis. Using
your site, we were able to identify the manufacturer as
Flexible Flyer and some history. I will pass this along
to the donor. The skis originally belonged to her grandparents,
here in Northfield, VT. The donor also gave us a pair of
early Paris, Maine skis and 2 pairs of early wooden Northland
US ski poles. It certainly helps to have all this history
as part of our catalog record for these objects. When we
exhibit these items, additional information is always welcomed
by the visitors.
Keep up the good work!......Northfield Historical
Society, Northfield, VT 05663 - http://www.nhsvt.org
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2/13/2014 - Just found your website. Have
been out on my Silva Huski wooden skis with bamboo poles
during winter storms in NC (North Carolina). Purchased 1974
in Liverpool NY where I learned the sport. Just love being
out there.....Carol
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2/12/2014 - Just picked up skis from my local
Goodwill. They caught my eye and since then I've been fasinated
with them. My questions are, anyway to determine the year?
Since they're laminate Im thinking 50's. I've noticed with
other Järvinen skis these have 5 Olympic rings. Do
you know why some have 4 and some have 5? Can I /should
I restore these bad boys? Bobby from VA - your site rocks!!!
Ed: Bobby, I'm guessing that the Olympic
Committe had issues with people using 5 rings, so the ski
maker may have used 4 rings. Your skis have 4-pin bindings,
which places them in the 1950s era....Greg
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1/23/2014 - Greg, Just found your site - it
is fabulous, thank you. A friend of mine first taught me
to ski on rented skis, then gave me a pair of Kongsbergs
from his father's basement. They are blue like the ones
in your picture, with two numbers engraved on them. The
first, 200, I'm assuming is the length. The second is 14455.
There is more descriptive information covered by the heel
and binding.
It's been a strange winter in Boston - good
powder snow rather than our usual wintry mix. I just went
out on them today. They are a delight!
For the longest time in the entryway of Beacon
Hill Friends House in Boston there was an enormous pair
of wooden skis, about ten feet long at least and very wide.
The tips were not tapered and were long, like a candy cane
almost. If I remember right the bindings were lace-ups.
Maybe my friend there has a picture she can send you.
Thank you for this great collection of information!........Judy,
Boston, MA
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1/10/2014 - Howdy Greg, thanks for keeping
my letter and pic from 2009. I'm 68 now and not much has
changed here in Price, Ut. Your site has evolved very nicely
and its great to see so many people skiing on the best touring
skis….wooden. Getting a little hard to find Toko or
Swix Blue Special.
You still have a standing invite to come ski the best of
the famous Utah powder in the Ashleys and Manti La Sal mnts.
No crowds, almost always virgin powder & trails.
This year we are going to try something new
on our full moon skis…..an outfit in Longmont Co.
sells a kit for building igloos. So this year we will give
it a try for an overnight full moon ski.Hard to beat a clear
sky, full moon X/C ski.
Keep up the good work.........John, Price, Utah
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1/8/2014 - I am so pleased to find your site!!
I have a pair of tur langrens that I have loved and continued
to use over the past 30 years. It is good to know I am not
the only person on the planet that still uses wood skis.
I got them by accident. My friend and I were skiing and
she had skis from her Mom and I, who had skied a lot more
than her, had a cheap pair of fish scale skis. It was warmish
out and mine kept sticking and hers were too fast for her.
We traded and I have had them and loved them ever since.
They are due for new pine tar so I was looking
up how to do it since no one around here does it anymore
and discovered your site. Had to go to LL Bean just to get
the pine tar. By the way they still do pine tar application
in their big store in Freeport, Maine but not at their other
stores. They sell the pine tar only at the big store too.
Just wanted to say Hi and Thank you for your
wonderful site! All the best and happy skiing!....Sarah
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/28/2013 - Hi,
I just wanted to say thank you for such a
wonderful site. I have been a XC skier since I was a child
and I am know getting into wooden skis. I have picked up
a few really nice pairs and have used your site for history
on them and advice.
Enjoying all the snow we have here in Minnesota.
Thanks again!......Jeremiah
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/23/2013 - Hi, your website is fantastic,
I've learned a lot about wooden skis from it including how
to maintain my garage-sale bought composite wooden skis
(maker Ski World in Peterborough Ontario), and was inspired
to try my hand at making my own solid wooden skis using
hand tools. You can see some pictures of the process and
final product in the link below. I had so much fun that
I am planning on making some more using different types
of wood and variations in the shape. Feel free to post the
link on your site if you choose.....Oliver, Georgetown,
Ontario
10/22/13 - Hi Greg, great web-page!
Would you possibly be able to provide any information regarding
an unused (no bindings) pair of skis found whilst clearing
my parents house in London?!.....Howard
Howard, Just looking at the tips, the
skis appear to be from the 1940s. If you have other photos,
I may be able to tell more about the actual ski.
Alfred Hovde started making skis in Vikersund,
Norway in 1897 in a small workshop. He first made about
five pair of skis and not many people bought skis from him,
because they thought that he was a rookie in ski making.
After a few years, his reputation became more favorable
due to good results and in 1912, Hovde started making skis
in a factory with machine production. Many small workshops
became ski factories in the early 1900s.
Alfred's son, Kristian Hovde took over
the ski factory in 1938. Kristian was a good ski jumper,
but an even better cross country skier. From the middle
of the 1920s until the 1950s, many ski jumpers selected
Hovde skis. The ski factory burned down in 1960.....Greg
Greg, What a feast of information, how interesting!
I'm very very impressed with your knowledge, and such a
prompt response too! How fantastic to be the world's leading
authority on wooden skis, something so important through
history to so many countries. Backed up with a brilliant
website that shares this wealth of knowledge to a mere novice
such as myself! ........Howard, London, England
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4/8/13 - Hi,
We have been clearing our basement recently
and we found two pairs of old wooden skis but we can't figure
out how old are they as we are not sure who they used to
belong. We live in Zagreb, Croatia and we wondered if you
can help us find out how old they are.
Please find attached the photos of skis and we hope you
will be able to help us in this matter or maybe give us
some other contact that would be able to help us. We really
liked your page and the passion behind restauration of old
skis.
Kind Regards, Vedran and Igor......Zagreb,
Croatia
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2/12/2013 - I just wanted to thank you again
for answering my questions a couple years ago.
We didn't really get much of any snow last
winter, but this year I managed to pick up boots, pine tar,
waxes, etc. I missed our first snow storm this year while
waiting for the pine tar to come in, but
after Nemo hit I didn't hesitate. I prepped the skis on
Saturday and got out on Sunday. Again, your videos were
invaluable. My old Kongsbergs are beautiful when cleaned,
re-tarred and waxed and blast
to ski on!
This winter has been a bit odd here in Vermont
and we get a food of snow and then it warms up to 40-55°F
for a week, so it all disappears as quickly as it had arrived.
I hope Minnesota is not the same.........Morgan in Vermont
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2/5/2013 - Hi!
Thanks for a VERY nice page about wooden skis!
I have a pair that is made by (I think) Hartola
in Finland. Wooden, and with red paint and “Rex Golden
Crown” in gold.
I have searched on Internet about them but
cannot find anything. Do you know more about this ski brand?
All the best from a snowy Örebro in Sweden!.......Berth
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/22/2013 - Hi,
Just wanted to leave you a comment. What a great website!~
Very informative and well laid out.
Loved the snippet from the past. I've used wood skis since
1974. A pair of Splitkeins were my first.
I'm using a pair of Asnes and also a pair of Holmenkollens
now. There's nothing like woodies.
It's stealth skiing at its best. When you're waxed right
it's almost like flying. I have to admit that I
also us a set of Madshus no-wax metal edged skis for the
warm or icy condition days, but when the
snows right I'm grabbing wood.
Thanks for the great work and think snow!......Jay in Idaho
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/26/12 - "Hi Greg, I was skiing on
a trail up above my house yesterday and ran into friend
and neighbor Charlie. I commented on the nice Bonna 2000's
he was skiing on. He started raving about the great web
site he got his "new" skis from - www.woodenskis.com
!!! Looks like you have a happy customer in Anchorage! Cheers!".........Tim,
Anchorage, AK
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/25/12 - Hello,
I have just made a pair of birch skis and
the last thing i need now are the bindings. I have checked
around for some good ones but noone really fits my shoes
well. I saw a photo of some home made on your site http://www.woodenskis.com/birchskimaking.htm
and am thinking of making something similar. Do you have
some more in depth instructions of how they are made? If
not i can probably figure it out from the photos, just thought
i could ask just in case . :)
Thanks!...........Jonas from Finland
Jonas,
The binding mentioned
on the link above was created from the binding in a book
written by Karin Berg: Ski i Norge. You should be able to
see more detail in this file: http://woodenskis.com/TelemarkBinding.htm
I'm sorry to bother you but I would have a
small question for you, If you don't have time to answer
no prob!
Please look at the attached picture, I would
like to know how to move my heel plate on my Åsnes
skis, I want to pull it back a bit to fit my boot size.
Never did it and i'm wondering if it glued or should I just
pop the white plastic section and see a screw there.
Tks in advance....Cedric, Sainte-Adèle,
Quebec
Cedric,
this one is easy.
Take a straight blade screwdriver and carefully pry up on
the plastic on the edge to pop the plastic cover off. Below
the plastic there is a screw that holds the aluminum piece
onto the ski. You can fill the old screw hole with epoxy
or a small wooden dowel glued in....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/17/12 - I hope that you can help me with
instructions on how to properly fit Kaby kandahar type bindings.
My wife has been given an unused pair of 1980's
wooden cross country skis, and I managed to
find a new set of Kaby bindings which seemto be similar
to kandahar bindings pictured on your web
site. I have little skiing experience, so need advice on
how to properly fit them.
Can you help? Thanks in anticipation........Andy
Andy,
I have some instructions
for old Northland Ski bindings and these should help you.
Click here or
here for a link
to those instructions. Good skiing to you.....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/11/12 - Hello;
First, let me me thank you for putting together this sincere
informative website. I have skied on all manner of skis
in the past. XC, Tele and Alpine. This journey has lead
me to wood skis and I love them!
I also like to work on my own skis, so this is how I found
your web site. The info is solid. I just need some clarification
regarding glide waxing these things. Why do you use kick
wax in the glide zones? Why not use a hard wax and apply
it like you would on a P Tex base? Is this a tradition thing
or is there a practical reason?......Gerald
Gerald,
Thanks for the comments.
Putting traditional
glide wax onto a wooden ski requires an iron to heat the
wax to melt it in. Doing this on wooden skis will release
the pine tar and mix that with the glide wax, causing poor
glide. Some people have tried to crayon the glide wax on,
but it doesn't last long enough.
A cold or hard kick
wax works best for glide on wooden skis. There is both a
practical and traditional reason for using this as the glide
wax.
Some people have
gone so far as eliminating the pine tar and varnishing the
bottoms of the skis. Then they apply traditional glide wax
melted with an iron. The only problem with this is that
it's harder to adjust your kick zone wax for length. When
you use a cold kick wax for glide, you can still adjust
the kick wax zone without any problems.
Good skiing to you.....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
11/19/12 - Hello,
I`ve been a weekend alpine ski teacher at the Pyrenees,
in Spain, for 35 years.
I love skiing, I love wood, and, obviously, I love wooden
skis.
I`ve just bought a pair of wooden skis with the same type
of bindings I started skiing in 1961.
The stickers on their tips don`t mach any of the brands
you show in the list of ski manufacturers and brand names
in your website. I send you some pictures of the skis and
poles, bindings, tips whith the stickers, and details of
wood layers (seven wide, four high).
Can you give me any information about the brand, dates (over
all) or whatever you like? I would be grateful to you if
you do so.
Thanks in advance.
Enjoy next winter.........Victorino, Pamplona/ Navarre/
Spain
Victorino, These
skis are Sigmund Ruud skis. Often times, ski manufacturers
made special brands for certain customers. The skis appear
to be from the 1940s and are downhill/telemark skis.
If the ski tips
are rounded, they are most likely from the 1940s and if
they have a nipple tip, they are most likely from the 1930s.
Sigmund Ruud was
a ski jumper from Norway and he worked for two years in
a sport shop in Prague, eighteen years in Zurich and joined
Gresvig ski company in Oslo by winter of 1931. Later, he
opened his own ski making company in Oslo.......Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10/24/12 - Dear sirs
I am looking for small wooden skiis (approx
450 mm), bindings are not required. I require them for an
apres ski themed bar to serve shots. We will cut out holes
to hold the shot glasses.
I look forward to hearing from you
Regards, Director of Soho Bars (London) Ltd
and Archer Street
Soho, I'm sorry,
I don't ship outside of the United States......Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10/21/12 - Hello. My name is Jo and i came
across your site when looking for a set of wooden skis.
My fiancée and I are having a winter wedding in Vermont
in January. We love the winter and winter sports, especially
skiing. Instead of having our guests sign a guest book we
liked the idea of something a bit more memorable - wooden
skis which we'll hang in our home. So I'm looking for a
smaller pair that is in "excellent" condition
and a lighter/medium stained wood so their signatures can
be seen. With that description, do you have any recommendations
from your collection?
Thanks!.....Jo
Jo, Yes, I have
a shorter pair that will look nice with signatures. I'll
email you with details....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10/15/12 - Hello,
We have purchased a pair of old wooden skis
(approximately 7 feet) to use as a guest book for our wedding.
I was wondering if you might be able to answer a few questions
for me in regards to this:
-do you know what type of pen/marker would
be best to use for this?
-should we treat/seal the skis afterwards to preserve them?
-do you have any idea how many signatures might fit on skis
this size?
Thank you so much for any help you can offer
us.......Dorothy
Dorothy, See comments
below about a Sharpie
paint marker. The paint marker will last a long time,
although it wouldn't hurt to use a spray polyurethane over
the ski when the signatures are completly dry.....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10/15/12 - Good Afternoon,
I was recently searching for wooden skis,
and found your site. Your page caught my eye because there
was a story similar to my search - a couple wanted skis
for their guests to sign at their wedding reception. Your
reply reads:
My daughter is getting married in June, 2013
and she and her fiancee would also like their guests to
sign a pair of wooden skis at their reception. They are
both avid skiers - her fiancee proposed on top of Valluga
Mountain in Austria. The picture of the vintage skis you
had engraved would be absolutely perfect!
Would it be possible for me to also purchase
a pair of engraved wooden skis? I would like to discuss
this with you!
I look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes.....Terese
Terese, I am not
able to have skis engraved anymore, due to the difficulty.
Using a gold or silver paint marker for signing names works
very well on darker colored skis, such as the pair that
you will purchase. You mentioned an artist friend painting
the names and dates, instead of engraving. I think that
this is a great idea.......Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
7/23/12 - I read your instructions about re-cambering
and -- since it did look like the skis were down to the
wood, lacking wax and pine tar -- I clamped them together
and put a board underneath the boot parts.
The top of the board is loose though the bottom
is snug. Should I fill in the top part with another thin
piece of board? I don't know if the board that's there is
thick enough. How do I tell? I have a feeling I'm missing
something here, and so have enclosed two photos and hope
you will examine them and enlighten me.......Meg in British
Columbia
Editor: Meg, your
board needs to be thicker than the existing camber, so that
the wood fibers in the ski will stretch out. You may also
use a smaller piece of wood, such as a 10cm x 10cm piece
of wood about 3-4cm thick. The wood block should be placed
directly below the binding area. Some people use a wax cork
on its side or a full tube of kick wax as a spacer......Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
7/21/12 - I pine tarred my wooden skis for
the first time last fall and they are still tacky! Is there
anything I can do to make the tar dry? We just tried heating
a ski with a blow touch, but nothing much happened......Tara
in Oregon
Editor: Tara, heat
the ski bases up again where the pine tar is applied and
then wipe with a cloth to remove extra pine tar. When the
bases are cool, use a synthetic wax cork to smooth the bases
like glasss.....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4/29/12 - I have just returned from the North
Pole for the 10th time and soon heading to the South Pole
again. I have been asked to lead a team back to the North
Pole in April for a month they would like to do the expedition
with traditional skis. My question is: would it be possible
to have 6 sets of wooden skis for the North Pole made to
fit modern bindings? I look forward to hearing from you.
Editor: Alan, I know of two people who
could make traditional skis for you; Mark Hansen from Grand
Marais, MN and Paul
Terpstra from Canada. Mark is an instructor at North
House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN, USA (www.northhouse.org)
and Paul makes custom skis. Mark Hansen actually made about
10 pair of wooden skis a few years ago for the BBC for their
documentary on a North Pole expedition.....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4/24/12 - Hi,
I have found a pair of brand new, never used (without bindings),
wooden skis (hickory base with lignostone edges). I'm not
able to find informations about the ski brand may you help
me? I would like to use for the 1st edition of Historic
Marcialonga 2013!(The day before the Marcialonga main race).
Brand:Nordic Sport, Model:Classic, Colour:Orange , Made
in Sweden
Thanks in advance. Andrea......Italy
Editor: Nordic Sport was founded as early
as 1972 by Börje Österberg. A true entrepreneur,
who started his career as a businessman at the age of 11.
He put on his skis and started skiing to the neighbors in
a small hamlet in the north of Sweden, selling weekly magazines
and since he has continued on that course. He built a javelin
factory in Arvidsjaur, then he opened a sales office in
Skellefteå and finally he went out to sell his products
to the biggest events he could find in the world. Börje
Österberg has managed to position the company and its
products in the largest arenas, and built a fantastic network
around the world of athletics, and the story continues.
By now the company is well established on all markets......Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4/23/12 - Hi Greg,
I've bought old Sigmund Ruud ski's from a
second hand site. They are in very good condition. The flex
is still very good.
My first question is kind of a strange one. Everyone keeps
telling me it's a shame to go skiing with them and that
they should stay on my wall because they are to old for
this. I think they are still in a very good shape and they
only need a few coats of varnish on the top and some pine
tar on the bottom. The previous owner has cleaned the base
completely.
So, in your opinion, is it a shame to ski with them or is
the shame in putting them on the wall?
I would like to restore them so I can go skiing
with them. I go to Norway about 3 times each winter because
I guide groups for a non-profit
organization that's promotes nordic skiing in Belgium (SRHF).
I love the northern heritage and would love to combine these
with Rottefella super telemark 3-pin bindings and Crispi
leather 75 mm boots. They now have the old 3-pin bindings,
but I can't find any shoe's that fit because the modern
duckbills are to thick, so I will need to replace them.
My second question has to do with the varnish.
It needs to be refreshed, because where the logos are on
the tip, it is starting to crackle so there can get water
in the ski's. But I'm afraid that I will ruin the logo's
if I sand the varnish. Is there a way to keep the logo's
intact and put on a new coat of varnish? Or is the only
option to sand down the complete ski (including the logo's)
and then put on a new coat of varnish? Again the same question,
would this be a shame or are these ski's not exclusive enough
to be worrying about this?
So, all your thought are welcome. Btw, you
have a great site and it is nice to see how you keep the
heritage of these ski's alive............ Koen in Belgium
Editor: Koen, Ski on those skis! Hundreds
of people in the United States enjoy skiing on wooden skis,
including myself. I also ski on a pair of wooden skis using
super telemark bindings and Asolo Snowfield boots.
For refinishing old skis, I recommend
using 0000 steel wool and mineral spirits. Very lightly
scrub the ski with the steel wool and mineral spirits to
remove dirt and wax. Do not scrub over the logos, but go
around them. When you are done cleaning, you may have to
sand the skis a little bit. Wipe clean. After the skis are
dry, you can use a spray urethane to cover the logos, so
that they will be preserved. You may need 2-3 coats. Once
the logos are covered and protected, you can apply urethane
over the entire ski. Good skiing to you......Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4/5/12 - Good afternoon my name is David Nicolas
Suarez of Argentina and I am a long time in my family there
a couple of ski quite old. No information meeting, I met
his website and that is why the consultants so that I can
guide on the history and origin of these skis. sent some
pictures and I hope I can help.
if you require more photos or information
do not hesitate to contact me.
from already thank you very much
2/25/12 - I purchased my first pair of skis
from an army surplus store. They were wood, painted white
with a hole drilled in the tip. We would fill the hole with
wood putty, remove the white paint and have metal edges
installed. We did not want anyone to know we had used army
skis, but I am sure they knew.
When I had enough money to buy a pair of “real”
skis, I purchased a pair from Walter Linton. Walter Linton
had a factory producing wooden skis in Denver. In order
to prove the strength of his ski, he would place a pair
between two chairs and let you jump up and down on them
before you made the purchase. He said if they broke, he
would give you a free pair.......Barney B., Denver, CO
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2/14/12 - Hi,
Question! My Husband has a pair of Jofa sport
wood skis they are
painted black on the bottom. Is this a transitional ski?
and can the paint be taken off and redone with pine tar?
Would really appreciated your input wih this! Thanks Carol
Carol, Yes. In the 1950s, wooden skis
were painted black or red on the bottoms. Later in the 50s,
a plastic called Ebonite was installed on the sole of wooden
skis. You should be able to take the paint off and then
pine tar the skis......Greg Fangel
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/28/12 - Hi there,
I enjoyed reading your web site which I somehow
"accidentally" found as I browsed the web for
some new mountain skiis (fjellski) as I'm crossing the Hardangervidda
mountain plateau in the Easter. Will need some skiis with
steel edges for that though.
Just wanted to tip about http://www.finn.no
which is the norwegian "ebay"
where most people sell and buy their stuff nowadays.
http://www.finn.no/finn/torget/tilsalgs/ (torget = marketplace)
is the random category where you will find skiis. A quick
search on "treski"
(wooden skiis) gives some different adverts at a cheap money.
I can't imagine how many got some old wooden
skiis in their basement, never to be used anymore and will
be probably be garbage. Too bad, but such skiis aren't valued
much nowadays, other than for a design detail on a cabin
wall.
Have a nice day.
Med vennlig hilsen,
Øyvind......Norway (Norge)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/28/12 - Hi Wooden Ski Folk,
up in Montréal QC and have been daily skiing a pair
of 205cm 1950's Gresshoppas for years with modern bindings.
I am looking for 2 things one is a replacement once they
reach the end and in the mean time a replacement metal clip
to close the back as I have a little splitting going on.
Any help would be much appreciated,
Fellow woodster,
Kevin........Montreal
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/26/12 - Hello,
I was just wondering if you knew of any wooden ski manufacturers
in Ontario, Canada? Or knew of any shops that might be able
to manufacture wooden skis?
I have been skiing on wooden skis all my life and my pair
of Trysil Knuts are about worn out. I would like to order
2 pairs........I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully
getting the skis – I really want to stay with wood
skis and can’t find any up here!
Hi Greg, super nice job on the site and thanks
for posting info/pics on the Vintage
Ski Festival in Mazama. We had a great event, now we just
need a few more people!......Tracy
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/13/11 - Hello Greg,
I just wanted to thank you for your absolutely great website
for wooden skis.
Simply awesome.
I have added it to our list of favorite links at:
http://www.exoticskis.com/ExoticSkis/Links.aspx
Keep up the great work.
Wow.
Eric Edelstein
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/3/11 - Greg,
My skis came this week and they are beautiful. Well packaged
for freight and a joy to pull from the box...
I have worked on plenty of thrift store bought
wood skis in all these situations, but with this amazing pair
I want to be careful. Can't wait for snow or enough time to
head to the UP and give these a try. Thanks in advance.
Jim......Madison, WI
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
11/20/11 - Thanks for all the invaluable info
on woodenskis.com, it's been a great resource!
I saved my father's Kongsbergs (probably from
the '60s) when they moved a couple years ago and have been
waiting to put them to good use. I've been training my Siberian
Husky by "longboardjoring" (on a longboard skateboard)
in the spring & fall for the last few years and am looking
forward to adding skijoring to our repertoire. I have to pick
up a pair of 75mm boots and tar & wax.
When it comes to the wax, I've done some research,
but all the cross country skiing I did as a kid was on waxless
skis so have little experience. Thanks to your YouTube videos,
I'm comfortable with attempting cleaning, tarring, and waxing
myself, but would like some sort of "starter kit"
for waxes to get me going and experiment more over the coming
years...........Morgan in Vermont
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
11/19/11 - Skis arrived safe and sound. Very
well packaged. They were as described, so I'm VERY HAPPY with
my purchase. I'll be looking for another pair of wooden skis
from you, likely for the 2012/13 season
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Stewart in Canada
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
11/13/11 - Greg… the skis arrived and
they look great! Now its time to find some bindings. REI is
an OK source. Thanks for all your help! ........James, Ann
Arbor, MI
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10/20/11,
Hello - I love you site. I started skiing
again a few years ago on cheap hand me down skis. Over time
I found more and more info on wooden skis and started looking
for a pair to buy. I mentioned as much to my father in law
and he had an old pair of Troll's just "lying around".
I enjoyed the entire last winter on that pair and much to
my dismay, I rolled over a rock in the spring and splintered
the tail. Do you know of anyone that could repair? Or how
I could do it myself?...Chad
Chad, I would try to repair them yourself.
Try using a good, slow setting epoxy. Clamp well using wax
paper to protect the clamp from the glue on the ski....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10/4/11,
I am planning on building my own pair of
skis for my senior project and I was wondering what type of
wood is best to create a ski out of? I have heard that pine
and birch are good but I wanted to know what was the best
type of wood in your opinion....Jordon in Virginia
Jordon, Maple and Birch are two good
options, while pine would be my last choice. I'll send you
some information on making your own skis....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
8/4/11 - Hi,
I am refurbing a pair of wooden skis. They have
a slot through them for leather bindings. There are plenty
of leatherworks places around who are happy to make me a simple
strap to go over the toe. I am interested in something a bit
fancier, possible with a strap around the heel, as well. Do
you know of any plans for these that I could share with the
leatherworks places?
By the way, I love your site. The one big advantage
of wooden skis that you don't mention is that they are warm.
You can ski on wood when it is -20F and your feet will stay
warm. At that temperature fiberglass will suck all the heat
right out of your feet.
Thanks,
S. Hansen.....Wisconsin
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
7/18/11 - Hello,
I live in Australia and I have a pair of Bonna 2000 waxless
that I bought around about 1978. Are they wood or fibreglass?
They were used once. I am wondering who would benefit from
them now?
Anyone in Australia you know who would appreciate them?
I love looking at your website, thanks, it is great.
I send you new information about the our new
contact info and web pages from Lahti Finland.
Lahti
Suomi Hiihtomuseo
Displays, good library, 10% in languages other than Finnish.
Best regards
* * * * * * * * *
Suvi Kuisma
tutkija/ curator
Hiihtomuseo/ Ski Museum
PL / POB 113
15111 LAHTI, FINLAND www.lahdenmuseot.fi
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2/5/11 - Greg, Received my Troll skis today
and I can not thank you enough, I think they are the most
beautiful skis I have ever laid eyes on!
I can not wait to try them out, beauty and function ...what
could be better. Until I came across your web site I thought
I was the only one that had an interest in wooden skis, now
I see there are a lot of us out there!...John, Central Bridge,
NY
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2/5/11 - I just found your website - Wood N
Skis. What a delight was! I was so happy to find a site devoted
preserving wooden skis, skiing and that skiing on these kind
of skis has not died.
I am 72 and I live in Ontario, Canada. I had not been cross
country sking for a number of years but now have moved to
an area of abundant snow. So I needed to get out the skis
and get them ready. I found your site while searching for
waxes for my "woodies".
I have a pair of Madshus's. I bought them as far as I can
remember between 1968 and 1970. At that time I could not find
cross country ski available in Canada. I ended up buying a
pair directly from Norway. (My grandparents came from the
Hallindal area, and an little community called Dokken. I do
not remember if there was a model name for the skis. There
is a # On them - 200 65986. I do remember however, that they
were advertised as the same ski the King of Norway used. Perhaps
they may have been called a Royal Madshus?...Derwyn, Ontario,
Canada
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/27/11 - Greg,
I just wanted you to know what a TREMENDOUS
birthday gift those skis were for my mom.
She told my dad the day before she turned 70
that she wanted to “ski out of the decade of the 60s”
by a cross country ski up “Cache Creek.”
He said, “great, get ready…” She did and
when she went to the back of the car once at the trail and
he had the skis there with a bow (all mounted with new NNN
bindings…)
She flipped out! Thought they were her good friend’s
skis. Couldn’t believe I had done this or found such
a “beautiful” pair of Madshus ever! She LOVED
skiing on them, said they
had real camber, couldn’t believe they were hers, hadn’t
realized how old and lifeless her old had become. She said
she would be skiing on them for the next 40 years!
What a huge success thank you thank you.
Best, Lynne...Jackson, WY
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/23/11 - Greg,
The brand STRIDE
was registered by myself in 1972. I had graduated from Cornell
Business School with an MBA in 1970 at the age of 22!. I went
to ski and train in the winter of 1971-2 in Finland at the
National training center up in the interior of Finland with
a group of Canadian skiers. I had the pleasure of skiing many
long distances with the famous Finn Olympian Eero Mantyranta.
I soon recognized the commercial possibilities of the sport
and visited factories in Finland, Sweden and Norway getting
all sorts of samples and a complete product line to brand
STRIDE. I gave up racing to promote the commercial side of
the sport! I soon had customers coast to coast in Canada and
through an associate firm Dovre SKi Binding in West Concord
Mass we distributed many thousands of skis, boots, poles and
bindings across America as well...Christopher, Tremblant,
Quebec, Canada.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/14/10 - Dear madam, sir,
My father and I live in The Netherlands. We
would like to make our own solid wooden ski's from ash. We
have experience in wood working bur never made ski's before.
The ski's will be used for general tour skiing
in the forest.Can you perhaps supply us with a building scheme?I
would be very gratefull.
With kind regards, Merijn W., Netherlands
Merijn,
See attached information from an article
that was published in Fine Woodworking Magazine in 1981 and
from Popular Science Magazine in 1937. There should be enough
information that you could build your own skis.
Veel geluk op uw project en gelukkig skiën
aan jou!......Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
11/29/10 - Having a devil of a time finding
the spreader attachment for a propane torch for waxing old
wooden skiis. Any ideas?....Sid
Otherwise, tray Amazon.com and search for
"flame spreader". I found one there.......Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
11/28/10 - I just discovered your business yesterday.
I am very impressed with your inventory and whole approach.
The wooden ski inventory is remarkable.
I've been nordic skiing since 1963 up here in
Alaska and remember many of the great brands, e.g. Jarvinen,
Asnes, Lampinen, etc. So, it is with great pleasure to see
these again. I do think wooden skis are the best in certain
conditions, particularly in dry snow. But you guys already
know that!
Anyway, I plan on buying a pair in the near
future. Have you shipped to AK much?
Charllie..........Anchorage, AK.
Ed: Charlie, Thanks for the nice comments.
Yes we have shipped many pair to Alaska. Let me know what
you need.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
11/6/10 - Thanks for all the great info on
wooden skis. I've been getting together some cross country
skiing gear for the coming winter, and purchased a couple
of pairs of Splitkein Spesial Bass skis with Troll bindings,
thanks to your website's encouragement. A pair of BC 3 pin
boots I have that fit very nicely in Rottefella 75 mm bindings
didn't fit quite right in the Trolls; the Troll bindings seem
to be just slightly wider (maybe a 1/16 or a 1/32?). The wire
bails seem to be closer to the base of the binding too. Are
they made for a thinner soled boot? ............Jonathon
Jonathon, 3-pin bindings are slightly
different between manufacturers. You mention that the Troll
bindings are wider. 79mm bindings are 4mm or slightly more
than 1/8" wider than 75mm bindings. Usually, the larger
bindings are for larger boots. Sometimes BC boots have thicker
soles, which means that you might need a 75mm BC binding......Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3/16/10 - Great to find that there are others
out there enjoying wooden skis:-)
For me wooden skis for years was the only option. My "Åsnes
Veteran" that I bought new in 1982 has served me well
since then. Ten years later they got company of my first pair
of plastic-skies, my Åsnes Sondre mountain-skis. Moving
to the west coast of Norway, cross-country skiing in wet snow
was not ideal for my wooden skis. A few years later I returned
east, outside Oslo with a drier climate and colder winters.
The latest winter has been the best for years, with 1,5 meters
of snow and weeks of 15-25 celcius below! Lots of kilometers
on my Åsnes Veteran.
Wooden skis are still something people just throw away here.
You can get as many as you like of them for a few dollars
on a flea-marked. So if you´re visiting Norway, look
up a one of these and get you a pair of skis:-)
Funny to read "The Cradle of Skiing" on your web;
my wife is from Telemark, our youngest son is named Sondre,
and both my wife and I are now preparing for this years Birkebeiner
ski race from Lillehammer to Rena, that takes place this weekend.
Enjoy your (wooden) skiing!
Regards,
Mads.....................Norway
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3/9/10 - Can you give me any info on these
skis? .....Jeff
Jeff,
I received one other email like yours in
2005 asking the same question about
identical skis. There were no answers. I suspect that these
skis were from
Lapland in Norway used by the Samis. Latu means "ski
track" or "ski trail"
in Finnish. Given that Sweden, Norway, and Finland meet at
the top, I think
that the name carried over from Finland to Norway. Looking
at the logo at
the tip, it looks like a Sami image. The long, pointed ski
tip is also an indicator of Sami skis.
The skis look like they were made in the
1960-70s. I'm also basing my
information on the previous person who had an identical pair
of skis to
yours.
Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/24/10 - Just wanted to let you know that
my daughter received her skis in Halifax and mine arrived
same day out here in Alberta. Both sets are great! I had the
Asnes Tur-Modell's out today for a quick 10 km. in the mountains
west of Calgary and I'm thrilled with how they look and feel!
It brings back such fond memories of my first pair of touring
skis (Toppen Tur-Lett's, back in the early 80s...)
Thank you so much for finding such wonderful skis for my daughter
and me!
Ron in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/19/10 - I thought you might like to know
that I skied my Bonna 1800s to an overall Wooden Ski Division
win in this past weekends Seeley Classic 22km race. I skied
them well enough that I also managed to finish in the top
100 of the race (300+ entrants) overall and top 25% in my
55-59 age group. In other words I had the Bonna's cookin'
and competitive. :-)
Mark.....Rhinelander, WI
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/4/10 - We got hit with a two-day mini-northeaster
so I gnawed open the package from FedEx, screwed the part
onto the ski and zipped across the street to a local park
I use when time is of the essence. Again, I thank you so much
for your generosity...I will continue to tell others about
your website.... You were an unexpected Christmas gift because
none of the ski shops in and around Massachusetts could be
bothered with my plight. Even places in Vermont couldn't help
so you can imagine my immense gratitude. You made my New Year.
Thank you many times over.
Sincerely,
Johanna.....Massachusetts
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/12/009 - Hi Greg, I was just looking online
for a refresher on pine tarring my wood skis. I liked the
first one I read - and when I reached the end I discovered
it was yours! A name I know I can trust.
I was dismayed to read the part about sanding my skis - they've
not seen sandpaper in 35 years.... that may be too much for
them...
Today was our first time on the boards for the season - we
did a few rounds at Cleary Lake, one of my favorite early-season
parks. 'Twas a lovely day, sunny and warm. And those wood
skis did just fine - the skier was a little rusty though.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!......Julie N., Minneapolis,
MN
Editor's Note: Julie was one of the handful
of women in the state of Minnesota to race on wooden skis,
while in high school in the 1970s.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/12/09 - Just wanted to know that we received
the beautiful skis and are "over the moon". We are
so glad that we found you and the amazing skis. A thousand
thank yous and have a Merry Christmas!....Tara and Greg, Calgary,
AB.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/4/09 - Hello! First off, thank you for the
fantastic website on wooden skis. Its the only one I have
been able to find and I have found it wonderfully informative.
I am interested in building my own laminate wooden skis, with
the assumption of following the graphic you have on the website
outlining the use of hickory, beech, ash, and spruce. While
the actual construction seems "relatively" straightforward,
Im surious as to what an optimal camber would be for a 210cm
ski of that design style. I have a set of modern wax less
skis, would the camber be similar to those? I would really
appreciate your advice/input.
Many thanks!........Alan D.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12/2/09 - Great website. I live in Petersburg
Alaska on a 10 acre muskeg and am an avid wooden skier and
have been for over 40 years. I've about 8 pairs of wooden
skis (mostly Bonnas) and am looking for a single 1800 @ 215cm.
Got one? I broke it's mate on Angle Peak near Togwotee Pass,
Wyoming 15 years ago. BTW, I made the first ski descent of
the South Teton on US Army oak 7' skis in 1972 or 3. Thanks.........
Doug
10/10/09 - I am a student at Prescott College
in Arizona, and I am a Minnesota native. I am close to finishing
school, and in the process of developing a senior project.
Skiing is my passion. I am interested in preserving the heritage
of the lifestyle. I am wondering if you know about anyone
in Minnesota preferably in the Minneapolis region that continues
to manufacture wooden skis. I am interested in finding someone
to apprentice under, in order to preserve tradition, keep
wooden skis alive and pass it to the generations that fallows
mine. I would greatly appreciate any information.
Cheers,
Kyle
Kyle: Northhouse Folk School in Grand Marais
makes wooden skis for classes that it offers. They have classes
coming up in November for ski making.....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9/23/09 - I learned to XC ski in the mountains
of Pennsylvania in the late 1970's and always rented the woodies.
Also, I remember the great pine tar smell and how the shop
hand waxed the skiis before sending you out on them. When
I did buy skis I bought plastic bottomed skis. I now live
in Colorado and ski only several times a year and want to
get back into it.
And I found some great old 3 pin boots in
a used shop that are a bit heavier but fit like a glove. The
heavier boots may be good for my novice tele turns, although
ill be primarily skiing on groomed trails but you never know.
I did get your info./website link from the "White Grass
XC Ctr." website in Davis, WV and I skiied with Chip
many years ago when I was in college.
BTW it is snowing in the high mountains
here...
Mark C.......Colorado
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9/11/09 - Hi Greg - Just wanted to let you know
I've finished making some more wooden skis.
I have just finished a pair out of Ash which
turned out really nice. They have a sidecut, traditional style
bindings, and a more traditional tip.
I also finished two out of Hard Maple that will
have a 3 pin binding on them.
I also just came back from a trip to Europe.
My wife and I first went to Norway where we visited Ulf Ronning
from Treski.no - (I found him through your website) - and
I saw his shop and learned about the skis he makes. We also
went to Morgedal where there are two guys that make traditional
skis and do workshops there through the Ski Museum. (www.morgedal.com
is a great link I would suggest for your website) Both visits
where very inspiring.
Attached is one photo (of the ash skis) and
you can see more at my blog and flickr site.
All the best,
Paul
http://thewoodwright.blogspot.com/
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5/25/09 - Hi there
This might be a slightly strange request but
we are looking for a pair of wooden skis for guests to sign
at our wedding reception. Can you help ?
We are an English couple and we are both mad
Skiers. I used to ski for the British Army in the Land Command
Ski Championships and Elizabeth was in the English Schoolgirls
Ski Squad. Neither of us went on to do anything further but
we look forward to the thrill of skiing on our annual ski
holiday. Last year I proposed to Elizabeth on the slopes in
Killington on Bear Mountain and this year we are getting married
in London in September. As part of the day we wanted to get
our guests to sign a pair of skis that we could mount on the
wall at home and have as a memory. We have looked at buying
a pair on eBay but we are not clear on the quality and more
importantly we are not sure of whether the signatures of our
guests will really work; what pen do we use to ensure that
the ink doesn’t bleed ? Do we varnish the ski’s
afterwards or will this darken them and make the signatures
indistinguishable ? Will it all look like a black mess at
the end ?
We then saw your website and hoped that you
might be able to help us. Would it be possible for you to
advise or create a pair of “blank” skis for us
? Most of all as you have knowledge working with the materials
would you be able to advise on how best to go about preparing
them so that we can get the signatures and effect that we
want before we mount them on our wall after the wedding as
an enduring memory ? Ultimately we would like to be able to
put something on the skis to show what the occasion was.
I note that you live in a beautiful part of
the world. I work for Thomson Reuters (Thomson bought Reuters
last year) and the main Thomson site is in Eagan, MN which
I have visited a couple of times, staying in St Paul each
time. It’s beautiful country out there !
Hope to hear from you soon
Stewart and (soon to be) Elizabeth Pedler.......England.
Editor's Note: 7/26/09 - Through correspondence
with Stewart, we were able to sell him a pair of 1930s vintage
skis and have them engraved with wedding information. They
were recently shipped so that Stewart and Elizabeth can have
their guests sign the skis as a momento to the wedding at
One Whitehall Place in England. Best wishes Stewart and Elizabeth.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2/22/09 - Back in the days when the 75mm,
3 pin was the state of the art boot/binding system, the holes
in the boots which would accept the binding pins would eventually
deteriorate. After a while the boot could not be firmly clamped
onto the binding. You could attach a thin metal plate called
"smiley plate' onto the bottoms of the duckbill portion
of the boot. This plate had holes which would line up with
the pins and help keep the boot holes from elongating. Do
you know where I can find a pair of "Smiley Plates"?.....Fred
- fswark@charter.net
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2/14/09 -
Every now and then over the last 20 years
I get nostalgic for my old wooden Madshus Birkebeiners and
wonder how I could have “lost” them when I moved
from Vermont to Seattle. So tonight I googled to see if anyone
was selling some and found your website. What a great story
you have, and what a wonderful service you are doing preserving
old wood skis.
When I switched to fiberglass waxless skis,
I was so thrilled that I could go skiing on a moments notice
– I lived in Vermont where one day could be purple klister
and the next day special green. I tried not to think about
the decreased performance, but I’ve never forgotten
how wonderful it is to ski on a perfectly waxed wood ski.
I was surprised to read about how popular
the Madshus Birkebeiners were, since I never once saw another
pair back when I used them 1973-1983. Everyone seemed to have
Bonnas, and I was forever explaining that my weird unpainted
skis were really quite good. And I was dismayed because it
means they will be harder to find now.
Sooooo, if you do ever come across a pair,
in the 200cm range, I’d be thrilled to buy them from
you. Who knows, maybe they would actually be my old pair –
I do hope they aren’t just rotting in some fallen down
barn in Vermont. And again, thanks for what you are doing
in saving these old skis, and getting the word out about them.
Alison......Seattle, WA
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2/9/09 - Howdy folks, nice site.
I always figured I wasn't the only one who
knew that wood was best for all-around touring. Here's my
brief history: My age is 63 next week. Semi-retired. I live
in Price, UT. I ski on the top of the Ashleys and the Manti-Lasal.at
around 9000 ft. The Ashleys have the best powder in UT...period.
I am about an hours drive to either. I have skied a min. of
20 days for the last 32 years. Several seasons were over 40
days. I've had 30 mi. days on a snowmobile track.
Lots of full moon overnighters.I always
ski 'haul'in the freight' ie, about a 40 lb. pack...see photo.In
my youth I would ski in Oct. on wet rocks or a heavy frost,
now if it ain't powder, I go home. I gave up skiing on red
wax 25 years ago.Its Toko blue special (or Swix if I can't
find Toko) end of list.
I've skied all the new stuff, waxless, metal
edges, contacts bindings, etc. All junk. My first ski was
a pair of Bonnas, 2400's in 210. No lignastone edges. They
came with a pair of Alpha low cut touring boots and bamboo
poles. $40. I still use them for new turks who want to learn
to ski but have no equipment. I have a bunch of Bonnas in
2000 & 2200 as well as Asnes...most all skinny (what I
call track skiis.)
For the last several seasons I have been
skiing a pair of ASKEOM's . Its the only pair I have ever
seen They're wide bodies (2400) with lignostone edges. I got
them with clap trap cable bindings , but put some TROLL 3
pin bindings on . I've bought junk skis just to get the TROLL
bindings..I think they are the best, but the Marker &
Rotofella are ok.
Does anyone know anything about these skis??
Made in Norway is all I know. Well if anyone gets the urge
to kick some good powder over their gators... give me a shout.
Today was 10 - 12 in. new powder, virgin trail, skied the
storm. Day 15.
Regards, John M....Price, Utah
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2/7/09 - Dear Wood n' Skis-
Thank you very much for providing me with the Victor
C. Dunder Award. The skis were wonderful to have for a
year and my team will be very happy to be able to use them
next year. Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Kati H., Willmar, MN
Editor's Note: The Victor C. Dunder award
is given, through an application process, to motivated, first-time
high school skiers and is sponsored by the Minnesota Nordic
Ski Coaches Association. Wood N Skis contributes most of its
proceeds to non-profit ski and outdoor related organizations.
Click here to see our list
of philanthropical recipients.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2/2/09 - Hi there. I love your website! .......I
am 25 years old, and have built many things including a kayak,
and cutting boards that I sell. But I must say that I feel
the one thing I've built that I am most proud of is this pair
of skis.....Photo
I am curious if you know of any resources
on the advantages and disadvantages of different wood types
for skis (both cross country and downhill).
My skis now are out of birch, but I've heard
of skis made of hickory and ash.
If you know of any books or online resources
not listed on your website I would love to know of them.
Thanks so much,
Paul
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/26/09 - Hi,
Thanks for your site, excellent!
I found a Finnish manufacturer, check out
their website at http://www.suksitehdasylonen.fi/.
Unfortunaltely it seems to be only in Finnish at the moment.
Best Regards........Tommi L., Finland
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/23/09 - Late last season I found this site.
It had been some time since I used my Bonna 2000s and I had
a desire to come back to the sport. I was elated to find your
site because no other site on outdoor sports had any current
knowledge of wooden skis, and most responses to my inquires
suggested I save my skis as a decoration and buy the newest
equipment. This season I have been in the local woods several
times and have used the information you have posted as a refresher
course.
Now, if I am successful in losing the last 10 pounds, I will
put on my old knickers!
Thank you,
Dom G.........Boston, MA
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/19/09 - Greg--I was lucky enough to marry
up and in that process our ski collection grew considerably.
My wife is a first gen American of Norwegian/German parents.
In our collection we have a lot of woodies all in great shape
(Bonnas, Splitkeins, Anses, Skiloms). These are likley all
from the 60s and 70s. The top of our collection is my father-in-law's
Splitkein Splitkanas. He unfortunately passed away before
were were married. We recently moved and I no longer have
a good shop to have service done. I want to clean up the skis
(all of them) but had some questions.
First, the Splitkanas. The base colors are different from
the other skis. The ligno edges, which are in pretty good
shape aside from one gouge that needs repair, are lighter
brown than the other skis. Also, the bases are near black.
I was wondering about the color of the wood bases on those--it
seems they have an opposite color arrangement. What else can
you tell me about them?
Some time ago, I bought a pair of Asnes Veterans. My wifes
loves them and they ski pretty well. But I am looking for
another opinion on the tops of them. To protect them, I have
used linseed cut with mineral spirits (the same process I
use on furniture). But I want a bit more protection. I have
Epifanes spar varnish (Wood Finish Matte) that I use on my
boat. I spoke with them about the flexibility of the boat
and bought based upon their recommendation. Should I apply
a varnish to the Veterans? Or continue to use the linseed
approach?
Thanks much!! Great site, nice to see woodies
alive and well. .....Todd
Editor's Note: Todd, I use linseed oil
thinned with turpentine to refinish clear coat skis such as
the Asnes Veterans, Madshus Birkebeiners, and Normark VIs.....Greg
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/13/09 - Hi there.
I love your website! I am actually in the
process of making wooden cross country skis. They are nearly
complete. I am 25 years old, and have built many things including
a kayak, and cutting boards that I sell. But I must say that
I feel the one thing I've built that I am most proud of is
this pair of skis.
I will email you some pictures when they
are complete.
I am curious if you know of any resources
on the advantages and disadvantages of different wood types
for skis (both cross country and downhill).
My skis now are out of birch, but I've heard
of skis made of hickory and ash.
If you know of any books or online resources
not listed on your website I would love to know of them.
Thanks so much....Paul
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/12/09 - Hi,
Do you know anyone who is interested in matching up single
skis? I'm sure that there are many of these lonely hearts
out there. While wood skis were made in pairs, matched skis
are usually good to ski on. Attached is a picture of 4 single
skis I have that are looking fro a good home; a 180 cm Birkebeiner
in almost new condition, a 205 cm Splitkein Special, a 215
Asnes Tur-modell, and a 215 cm Toppen Tur-lett. I'd be willing
to either trade with someone or part with them for shipping
costs and a few dollars.
I really appreciate your site. We try to get as many people
on wood skis as possible. It's amazing how many people have
been turned off of cross country skiing due to being sold
narrow fiberglass skis, and then find out how much fun skiing
on wood is.....Click
here for photo of skis.......Norm
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1/11/09 - Greg:
Thanks so much for your website. It’s
so nice to know that I am not the only fan of wooden skis
around. I’m still skiing on my first pair of X-county
skis purchased in the mid 60’s, a much beloved pair
of Asnes tur langrenn’s. I had no idea that anyone still
made the base pine tar for wooden skis. Mine have not had
the treatment in many years, so upon seeing that the stuff
was still available, I quickly ordered some.
I recently gave away as a Christmas gift,
a beautiful pair of Bonna 2400’s (in like new condition)
to a German friend of mine, who noted to me that in Germany,
wooden skis are still treasured as well, so this is not some
quirky Minnesota thing. Thanks again for the site and information.....Dave
