2011 Madshus Nanosonic Tested

by Mark Waechter, Nordic Ultratune

In the days just prior to departing for the Olympics, I was able to test a few pairs of the 2010/2011 Madshus Nanosonic skate skis.

The 2010/2011 Nanosonic is all new. Only the name remains the same. The Madshus ski has a completely new shape - the entire design is changed. Yes, the graphics are updated too, of course, but the whole ski is new and that's worth discussing.

The Design

Anyone who has seen the Madshus skis in the past ten years is familiar with the top-side shape - the curved hump/spine that runs lengthwise - it's the Madshus shape that has been constant throughout the Hypersonic and Nanosonic lifetime. But that's all changed now.

The new "3-D shape" is simpler and cleaner. The use of varying depth features extends all the way up into the tip of the ski to reinforce the perimeter of the shovel, allowing a light tip with some engineered control of the tip flex and tip strength. Through the middle fore-body of the ski, the profile is smoothly continuous, and avoids any discontinuities that would create "hinge-points". The effect is visually very clean and simple and elegant. It looks great, and it is a smart design.

The middle section is squared-off and has the standard black NIS plate. This is nothing new - most of the ski world is now using these plates on the skis. Adjustable bindings and NO SCREWS are both a great idea.

I spent a lot of time discussing the top side of the skis because the Madshus design actually uses the shape for structural purposes (not a new thing with skis - Atomic also relies on topside shape in the ski design).

The tips of the ski are trimmed down compared to the past Nanosonics, and the length has been reduced. They're still calling the skis "185, 190, 195cm" because the running surface length hasn't changed, but they measure about 3.5cm (1.5 inches) shorter than before. There's also a noticeable up-turn in the tail that makes these skis the easiest skate ski to ski backwards on! Weight for a single 190cm ski is just a few grams either side of 500 grams on the six skis I weighed. So, weight per pair is about 1000 grams. That's good; lighter than most.

The bottoms are different. There is no colored graphical insert at all. Just plain black continuous p-tex over the whole length of the ski. I gotta tell you, I really like this. It's just simple and "no baloney". Easy to work on, and simply better engineering. Lets hope that they keep the all-black bottoms. Plus, the new skis seem to stay flat better than in the past. I discussed this with Per Wiik from Madshus/Norway, and he told me that some changes were made to the layup of the ski to improve the flatness. I spent a week intentionally waxing the crap out of the demo skaters with LF6 (over and over again), and then stone ground the skis at the end of my testing, and based on my sample of 3 pairs (not a significant sample size, but more significant than "none"), I'll tell you that I'm really happy with the way they stayed flat. Thank you Madshus!

Madshus designed different versions of the Nanosonic skate ski, and it's best to describe the three different camber versions with respect to the on-snow testing.

On Snow

On snow you'll recognize the smooth neutral feel of the skis. The Madshus camber design concept remains the same on the new ski, so they still have that familiar Madshus glide. Smooth and solid.

I was testing the 3 versions of the new Nano skaters that will be available. Madshus designates them as the R, the HP, and the SC. They've tweaked the camber characteristics for these designations (especially the HP and the SC), so it's probably easiest if you toss out your old ideas about what they mean. I think Madshus should have used new names for these skis, but...

• The "Nanosonic R" skate ski has a high and active camber, and it also has some side-cut. I thought this ski felt very lively and quick through the turns.
  
  
• The "HP" has a medium-high camber and nearly straight sides. This is the ski that I think is the "all-around best". Personally, I like the way these move on the flats, since they roll inside-edge-to-outside-edge without carving away from me while doing a field skate and get a very long controlled and smooth glide. And in softer conditions they've got a little more platform in the mid foot and track nicely through the length of the ski while climbing. The fore body camber extends a little further forward than past models (this seems to be a trend in the industry; Rossignol is doing this, too), and the contact pressure area in the front of the ski closes progressively while transferring weight onto one ski. It's a good all-around camber in the front, with progressive tip flex that isn't board-stiff and it's not floppy. If these skis are picked at 5-10kg above body weight (closing pressure at -8cm), then they'll have some pop and feel pretty lively. A slightly softer pair, around 100% body weight, will be a bit more compliant in cold and soft conditions. (as a note, Madshus uses what they call the "U+" camber on this ski) If you're filling a quiver you might get a couple different flexes, or similar flexes with different grinds.
  
  
• Finally, they're calling the ski with the lowest and stiffest camber the "SC". They intend this ski for wet/soft conditions. (Madshus has referred to this camber as the "U++" in their past world cup models) Personally, I consider this a more specialized ski. The difference between this ski and the HP are a little subtle. The camber firms considerably just before final closure, and the ski sits lower to the ground at rest. Also, there's more of a "hot spot" in the contact area in the front (good for wet stuff), and a little bit more noticeable tip-splay. This ski will have to be selected at about 120-130% of body weight (pressure to close to 0.05mm at 8cm behind balance point) for a good fit. As a note, this is also a nearly straight sided ski (same side cut as the HP).

All three models ski well. The ski is a worthy successor to the old Nanosonic. Madshus has retained their overall ski design concept - these skis still feel very much like Madshus skate skis. They glide smoothly, and control is excellent.

I think it will be critical to get these skis fitted appropriately -- it would be a mistake to fit these versions with the same closing pressure. The models are distinctly different, even if those differences are subtle.

Odds and Ends

I brought a pile of these new Madshus skis back from Whistler during the middle of the Olympics to grind for the prevailing conditions, and I noticed that they were all the HP and SC versions (nearly straight sides). It appears that those versions are prevalent among the World Cup skiers.

Graphics! They've made the ski brighter and bolder. Less black and dark accents, and instead the new color is more of a "lipstick red". The skis look great, though the graphic details and lettering are a little bit grainy in the print resolution (...talk about nit-picking!). As in the past, the top-sheet is a glossy smooth finish. Madshus does the best job in the industry with finish on the skis, I think, and this new ski continues that trend. Very nice.

I'd like to apologize for an appalling lack of great pictures. The fore body (and tail) cross section is worthy of a nice picture (worth a thousand words...). I had to dash off to Whistler and didn't get the "money shot" that I need before leaving, and didn't get the pics at the Olympics . Now the skis are gone. As soon as I get another pair, I'll update this posting with more photos!


END OF SEASON SALE ON REMAINING SKIS

With the ski season winding down, the remaining Rossignol, Madshus, and Atomic skis and boots are on sale. As always, the skis are top quality and all skis come with a grind and hotbox service at no additional charge. Sale prices are limited to in-stock items. Send email if you have questions.

More Whistler Notes

The work at Whistler was rewarding on many levels. First and foremost, it was great to join the team from Slovenia again. I really enjoy working with the service team - Miha, Gianluca, and Stefan - and really appreciate the excellent work they do for every race. Equally enjoyable is the opportunity to see the athletes and coaches who have become good friends during the past few years.

The service work for the Olympics remained the same protocol that we've used at World Cup events for the past few years. These games may be the highest priority for all the racers and service crews, but the processes and precision and focus on excellence is the same.

There is variation from day to day, but I think the most memorable were the few things that were constant throughout these two weeks, that marked the start of every day:

First, Miha and I would find a Starbucks and get a cup to go and head for Whistler Olympic Park. Driving the Subaru through the various security checkpoints every day. As one of the few private vehicles that seemed to be doing the daily trip up the hill, we became familiar and conversational with the security officers in "the big tent" who would ask the routine questions, check accreditation, etc, while other officers scanned the bottom of the car with mirrors. Then parking in the exact same spot, just to the left of the final security officer (a "blue coat" volunteer) at the bottom of the walk-way up to the cross-country venue. The same every day.

Then, in the early morning, Stefan and I would begin with ski testing starting just before dawn, with headlamps. Some days we'd be the only ones on the test tracks, and other days there would be 3-4 other service teams sharing the same tracks (often sharing the same set of timing wands).

After that, things would change up a bit depending on which races we were preparing for. But I think I'll remember the start of each day the most vividly. It was the start of the day that had the routine that became so thoroughly ingrained.


END OF SEASON SALE ON REMAINING SKIS

With the ski season winding down, the remaining Rossignol, Madshus, and Atomic skis and boots are on sale. As always, the skis are top quality and all skis come with a grind and hotbox service at no additional charge. Sale prices are limited to in-stock items. Send email if you have questions.

Notes from Whistler

I've been here at the Olympics for a week, and have been struggling to find time - and also struggling to find a good internet connection - for updates.

The service routine with the Slovenian crew has been a lot of work, but smooth. As usual, most of my work has been with Stefan getting the glide testing done and waxing skis. But that doesn't mean I haven't gotten a fair bit of klister on my hands. Waxing has been pretty straight-forward and the team has had good skis for each of the races. Working with Gianluca, Stefan, and Miha is great. Four nationalities, four languages, four personalities, but one goal.

The team of athletes this year consists of very experienced athletes like Petra Majdic on one extreme, to the youngest skier, Anje, who doesn't even have a driver's licence yet. A total of five skiers (Petra, Katja, Vesna, Barbara, Anje), plus two coaches, and 4 serviceman, plus a physio-therapist.

Speaking of Petra, many probably have seen the footage of her crash during warm-ups and the subsequent efforts culminating in the bronze medal. Petra's in the hospital now, and won't be able to travel for more than a week, and she's in a lot of pain with broken ribs. Her season is over, not to mention the Olympics.

Quick Turn Service?

On Wednesday, immediately after the sprint races, I loaded up the Subaru and drove back to the shop with over 40 pairs of skis for a quick-turnaround grind. I was accompanied by Stefano Vuerich, and we drove for 9 hours each way to get the skis in-and-out as quickly as possible. With a big pile of skis jammed into the car, we got stopped at the border in both directions. The border agents for US and Canada were friendly and thorough, and I guess it just seemed a little odd that two guys were driving from Whistler to Winthrop and turning around to go right back, less than a day later. No harm though, except for the time delays. I arrived back in Whistler a few minutes before midnight last night, and was up early to get the skis to the cross-country venue this morning.

That pile of skis were for athletes from Slovenia, Italy, Russia, Spain, US Nordic Combined, and also for Madshus Ski Company (they have a lot of brand new skis on hand for their sponsored racers to use). Cross-country, Biathlon, and Nordic Combined all need fast skis.

I was amazed and proud - in equal parts - to see athletes racing on those same skis today in the Pursuit! With conditions stable, more of those skis will be in play on Saturday. I'm quite sure that no secrets are given away when I tell you that the batch of skis have the same grinds that a walk-in customer can pick right off the "standard grind menu".

Personal Triumph

Today's race, the Women's 15 km Pursuit, was a big day for one of the younger skiers from Slovenia. Barbara Jesersek started today in bib #61 and finished 17th! It was a fantastic result for her - best ever. She skied a solid race, staying around 26th place through the classic portion, and then moving up during the skate, and hammering through the last couple of kilometers to move up to 17th. For Barbara it was a personal triumph. (pic from today of Barbara on the first big climb on the skate loop).

Ready for the racing to start

I've been in Whistler since Tuesday so this is my 6th day up at the race venue at Whistler Olympic Park.

The Olympics, compared with normal World Cup weeks, has gotten moving slowly. The pace is decidedly more drawn-out.

This year at the Olympics I'm rooming with Miha Plahutnik of Slovenia, one of the regular servicemen for the team. Miha and I worked together last year, so he's already familiar and the routine picked up easily. (that's Miha in the photo, in the athlete/staff dining area at the Nordic Center).

In addition to Miha and me, the service crew has Gianluca Marcolini (our lead serviceman) and Stefan Lichon. I've worked with all of the guys before and it feels comfortable in the wax cabin. For the most part, Stefan and I are testing glide waxes and Gianluca and Miha are working with grip concoctions and assisting the athletes with their ski selection tests. When it's time to roll up our sleeves and crunch through a lot of skis in the wax cabin, everyone pitches in and we work very smoothly and without much drama. Definitely no opera.

With the weather being quite variable, it has been inappropriate to try to get waxes exactly dialed-in too early. But we're testing daily and getting good information and we'll be ready to roll on Monday morning.

The first race is the 10k skate for the women. Everyone is healthy and fit and ready to race. Let's go!


p.s. Congratulations to the U.S. Nordic Combined crew on their great results today!

A look at the new NNN/NIS Xcelerator Bindings

More than any other single piece of equipment that I've seen for the coming (2010/2011) season, I'm really stoked to see the updated NNN/NIS bindings.

They're called the NIS Xcelerator Bindings. Made by Rottafella of Norway, these will be seen with Rottafella, Rossignol, Madshus, etc. labels, but they're all the new bindings with different labels.

I've been using this set of bindings for a couple weeks. Moving them from one pair of skis to another (aha... ...yes, lets not forget about that benefit of the NIS system), trying them on different skis, in different locations (fore/aft). They seem really reliable and I've had no problems at all.

The new binding are great for a few reasons:

First, they've got a new clamp mechanism that grabs the boot's bar in two places, out on the edges, for great clamping security. Holding on to the bar on both edges makes a lot of sense. Compared with the old NNN and existing Salomon bindings which hold on to the boot with one big tooth in the middle, the new system bites onto the bar tightly on the far ends of the bar. This minimizes the packing-in of snow, and it makes a very secure engagement. This isn't art - it's science and engineering.

Second, they save a lot of weight. The new NNN/NIS Xcelerator bindings are 150 grams per pair lighter (measured!) than the current Pilot skate bindings! That's over 5 ounces! That's just a crazy weight savings, and it's done without performance sacrifice. In a funny juxtaposition, Rottafella has used some metal parts in high stress places to simplify the design (the clamp lever) and allow a more solid engagement without the linkages that are required to make things work when similar assemblies are made of plastic. A simpler, more heavy duty design results in a lighter final product.

(As a note, yes that is a pizza box under the binding in the photo -- a kitchen table photo shoot while packing for Whistler.)

Third, the bumper. The elastomer bumpers provide all the flex control, and do it with a one-piece interchangable elastomer. Simple to replace, but not something that's going to pop out. It's really clever and smartly done. And NO MOVING PARTS!


Finally, it all looks great. They pared down the extra weight and made it simple, but it remains sleek and nice looking. As has been the rule with the NNN iterations, there aren't any boot compatibility issues. You can use your oldest pair of NNN rollerski boots with the new bindings, no problem.

Hey, these are really new. The date-code that's embedded in the molded plastic parts show that the mold date is Dec 2009, which means that these bindings were born just over a month ago. I'm not positive that this is a production version, or if it's a pre-production delivery (for the trade shows, and to get some feedback, etc...).

What would I change? I think I'd make the metal clamp mechanism a little more polished and clean, and maybe even fabricate it from stainless steel. Other than that? Nada. These bindings are very very good as delivered.

Right now it seems that more than half of the World Cup skiers are on NNN/NIS bindings. With this new NIS Xcelerator model, the balance of power is likely to swing even further in that direction. It's not just a home run, this binding is a grand slam.

Ultratune Goes to the Olympics

There will be no commercial stone grinding during the Feb 9 - 28th. I'll be joining the national team of Slovenia to prepare and test skis at the Olympics in Whistler.

FedEx and UPS deliveries will continue, and skis will be serviced as quickly as possible after the Olympics. Thanks to help from my wife and friends, the shop will remain open for retail sales on most days.

I will be checking email daily and will be posting notes here on the blog, so stay tuned.

Note... Congrats to Brian Gregg on his great 3 week run at the SuperTour events in WA, MN, and WI. He's now the overall leader of the SuperTour series, and will be racing at the Canmore World Cup this weekend. Photo is from EA Weymuller, taken at the Methow Valley race.

A Peek at the Rossi WCS Skater for next season...

I've had a pair of the 2010/11 Rossignol WCS skate skis in the shop and on the snow for the past couple of weeks.

The new version of the WCS skater has some changes.

First, the skis are trimmed down about 1cm. The new skis are 180, 186, and 192 (instead of 181, 187, 193). Also, the tip is cleaned up --- Rossignol has ditched the "window" in the tip and is instead using a thinner, cleaner looking flat shovel. I think this is a good thing. (Note that a 186cm Rossignol WCS is about the same length as the 190cm skate ski from Madshus for 1010/11).

More subtle, but more important, Rossignol has reshaped the profile of the ski, making it wedge-shaped, with the heel a little lower than the toe. This is further accentuated by the NIS bindings (for those who use them) to give a pronounced wedge-shape under the foot. The intent is to help keep the weight back on the foot to improve performance. On the World Cup, skiers have been playing with wedge shaped shims for a couple years, and this is percolating through to consumer products now.

Also, the camber is slightly modified, with the half-weight camber open just a little further forward than the old WCS. The camber closes about another 10-12cm when progressing to full-weight, and this provides a great all-around front end camber, especially when combined with the somewhat more compliant tip flex than the old Xium.

And how do they ski? SUPER. All the previous detail would add up to zip if the skis weren't performers. As I've come to expect with Rossignol skate skis, they're very stable. But these skis are also fast and predictable and compliant. The WCS-2 skaters are really nice.

Finish on the skis is very nice as well. The shiny clear top is free of bubbles or cosmetic goobers. Maybe the pre-season skis are specially picked, or maybe these are a reflection of the standard production quality... ...I won't know that until autumn. Ummm, less orange and more black for next year. The tip graphics on the bottom have been changed. Very cool looking white insert, and it's smooth when you feel it with your fingers; nicely done.

Finally, the bases are nice and flat. I was able to blank these skis with one pass through the Mantec grinder... ...that requires an almost perfectly flat ski edge-to-edge. This gets a big thumbs up from me!

The new Rossignol WCS skate ski is an incremental improvement from last year's ski. Evolution, rather than revolution. But definitely a step forward. Rossignol has done a really nice job. Everyone will want a couple pairs, right?

Last Grinding Batch Before Ultratune Goes to the Olympics

This week's grinding batch will be the last chance to get skis stone ground before Nordic Ultratune goes to the Olympics.

Skis in by Thursday Feb 4th will be shipping out on Feb 8th.

There will be no commercial stone grinding during the Feb 9 - 28th. I'll be joining the national team of Slovenia to prepare and test skis at the Olympics in Whistler.

FedEx and UPS deliveries will continue, and skis will be serviced as quickly as possible after the Olympics. Thanks to help from my wife and friends, the shop will remain open for retail sales on most days.

I will be checking email daily and will be posting notes here on the blog, so stay tuned.

Note... Congrats to Brian Gregg on his great 3 week run at the SuperTour events in WA, MN, and WI. He's now the overall leader of the SuperTour series, and will be racing at the Canmore World Cup this weekend. Photo is from EA Weymuller, taken at the Methow Valley race.

Stone Grinding Schedule

The big events are on the horizon. Big events are rocking now and the schedule of marathons, 10 K's, biathlons, tours, and loppets are right in front of us.

Prepare all of your skis to run their best with a fresh grind and hotbox service. At Nordic Ultratune, a grind batch starts every Thursday and those skis are ready for shipping on the following Monday -- just 4 days later. Return shipping is FedEx Express Saver, which is 3rd day delivery. So, skis that are shipped out on Monday will arrive back to you on Thursday.

Here's the upcoming service schedule at Nordic Ultratune. Use these dates to make sure you get your skis ready before your most important races.

• Skis in by Jan 21st will ship out on Jan 25 th and arrive by Jan 28th.
• Skis in by Jan 28th will ship out on Feb 1st and arrive by the Feb 4th.
• Skis in by Feb 4th will ship out on Feb 8th and arrive by the 11th.
• PRE-OLYMPIC WEEK skis will be pushed in and out as quickly as possible.
  
• No grinding for commercial customers during the Olympics (Feb 9-28), but FedEx and UPS deliveries will continue, and skis will be serviced as quickly as possible after the Olympics.
  

You can see that there are still a few service batches scheduled before the big racing events. BIRKIE SKIERS DO NOT DELAY! There is still time to get a fast grind on your skis before your most important ski days! But don't delay... ...fast boards are a joy to ski on, and they're a real advantage.

Download a work order form here. A description of some of the new grinds is here.