"Dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of skiing with wooden skis"



 

Contact Us:
greg (at) woodenskis.com

About Woodenskis.com

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Pete Fosseide

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Skiing History Magazine

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Birch Ski Making

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© 2006-2023

Woodenskis.com

Tofte, Minnesota USA

NEWS AND INFORMATION

$$$ - We buy and sell wooden skis- $$$

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Restoration of 1940s Gregg-brand Wooden Skis

Click here for the interesting renovation story by Mike Brown

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57th annual Turkey Trot
Fairbanks, Alaska

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

Buy it now here  

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Read about the history of Rottefella ski bindings

 

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Personal Memories from the Landsem Ski Factory

Read about Edgar Kattem's experience, while working at the Landsem Ski Factory from 1968 to 1981.

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 Polish Skis

Polish wooden ski information.

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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.

Click Here for photos of the event

2020 Ski in Tweed will be held on Saturday, February 29 in Oslo, Norway.

Information on 2020 event is on Facebook.

 

 

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Vintage Ski Fest 2018

Mazama, Washington


Photo by Chad Gregg

Click Here for more photos

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Rindal Ski Museum

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

Check us out on Facebook, where we frequently provide updated information.
https://www.facebook.com/woodenskihistory/

Check out these great video clips from the early 1970s

Ski Binding Promotion

This video is from 1970-1973

Inside a Norwegian Wooden Ski Factory

This video is from 1974 in the Eggen Ski Factory

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.

 

Ski-Making Video from Norway

Treski i Valdres from S Ensby on Vimeo.

Read about this amazing man, Jackrabbit Johannsen

Also, check out this great video.

Dowe-Ski

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.

Video from Norway on Wooden Skis

Ole Kristian Ødegård makes skis the old way. Click Here for video

Video of Early Finnish Skiing

Click Here for You Tube video of early Finnish skiing and ski-making.

Images from the Finnish Defense Forces

The Finnish military has uploaded hundreds of photos from WW 2.
Click here for a link to the photo set of ski-related photos.

Video from 1941 on Ski Care

Click here to see this video from 1941

Hand-Crafted Skis in Minnesota

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.

Norwegian Skiers on Wood


Photo by Rolf Ohman - http://www.osloby.no

Skiers re-enact skiing on 1950s equipment and compare it to today's gear.

 

Ski-Making Video from Norway

Ski Building

Read here about the ski-building experiences of the base commander of the King Edward Point Research Station

 

Folding Wooden Skis from 1940

Swiss Vintage Ski Website

Skiing on Wood in the Early 1930s


Thanks to Jeff at Out Your Back Door for the link

 

Snip from the Past

"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.

COMMENTS

 

All of our current comments are now on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/woodenskihistory/

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7 February, 2019

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf7Tb5BuG38

Thank you for your work!

Trent Herbst 4th Grade Teacher

Community School, Sun Valley, ID"

 

2 November, 2016

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]

If you're ever out here in the East I highly recommend Whitegrass Ski Touring Center run by Chip Chase !!!

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

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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

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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

http://flickr.com/gp/corinaandoliver/ALRwso/

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

or download here: http://woodenskis.com/LeatherTelemarkBinding.pdf

Greg

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12/20/12 - O'Mighty Wooden skis,

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Kind regards, ALAN CHAMBERS MBE FRGS

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

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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

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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

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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

a Greeting
David Suarez.....Argentina.

Editor: David sent photos of Norge-Skis from Oslo. Click here for information on David's skis.

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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?

Thanks

Dave.......Ontario, Canada

Dave,

Yes, Paul Terpstra from Ontario makes beautiful wooden skis. You can find him at http://www.terpstrawoodworks.com/........Greg

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1/24/12 Dear sir,

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!

Blaine Walden, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

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1/12/12

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Yours sincerely,
Jacinta Dalton
Newcastle, Australia.

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6/13/11 - Hello!

You have very interesting web pages.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

Sid,

Bjorn Hanson of Out There Sports might have something that works. He says that he sells a "tar torch". See http://outthereshop.com/WoodenSkis2.htm

Otherwise, tray Amazon.com and search for "flame spreader". I found one there.......Greg

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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.

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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

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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

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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

 

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

http://dougleen.com/ontheroad/2008/02/23/ski-touring-at-totlandlanglaufen-in-totland/

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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

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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

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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/

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

 

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