B2-Sunday News, February 24, 1980

imitations.

of an

Four novices challenge the B.C. Ski touring maraton...and life

When the one-eyed
god, Odin, gave the
secret of waxing cross-
country skiis to the
Norsemen, he was
being brutally unfair to
the rest of mankind.

As I stood m Manning
Park early last Sunday
morning watching numerous
people ritually laying out
their waxing apparatus in
preparation for the B.C. Ski
touring marathon I could

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just imagine him smirking at
the uninitiate from his oaken

throne in the hall of
Valhalla.

Because without the
proper wax, cross-country

skis are just long pieces of
wood or fibreglass which
slide backwards when you
try to go uphill and stick to
the ground when you try

going down.
The waxing of cross-
country skis is surely a

hereditary skill and it was
sheer fascination to watch
those skiers priming their
blow torches and carefully
applying not just one layer of
wax but several different

layers and on various parts
of ski.

Unfortunately EF was
participating in the same
race as them and my

knowledge of waxes ex-
tended to three different
types; very cold (green wax),
sub-zero (blue), and Lower
Mainland (a sort of violety
purple).

SPECIAL BLUE

I realized that blue wax
was the wax of the day but
ali those other skiers had
reached the conclusion (with

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING has its ups and downs and here, one of the experts in the downs portion, Don Mc-
Vicker, shows his style. The Manning Park marathon was the first race for the Penticton teacher. It was also.the most
physically exerting activity he has done in several years.

the aid of handing pocket

thermometers and wind

gauges) that not blue wax.

but special blue wax was
needed.

NOTICE OF MEETING
Kiwanis Club of tne Highlands
Sponsors of - .
RODGER DAVIS GIRLS
SOFTBALL LEAGUE

An organizational meeting will be held at Canyon
Gardens at 8 p.m. Wed., Feb. 27, 1980.

Parents, coaches and officials are invited to assist
in Organization of the 1980 softball season. Note
that this is not player registration; this will be at a

later date.
Coffee & Donuts

Kiwanis Ciub of the Highlands
John Theed 987-5507
M.M. Knowles 988-7943

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' Of course, I did not have
this mysterious hybrid,
culled no doubt from the
sweat glands of adult male
river otters.

In fact up until five
minutes before the race I did
not have any wax at all
because it was sitting in my
pack about four miles down
the road.

However aid, in the guise
of Donald McVicker,
arrived in time and I
managed to smear just one
layer of blue wax on my
brand new, never before
used, price tags still on
them, skis.

All of the above has been
a prologue to provide an
excuse for why I did not
complete the 40 kilometre
race as boasted but instead
almost expired’ while
completing the 20 kilometre
circuit.

As you may have guessed |

am blaming it on the fact
that I was using the wrong
wax which all wore off after
one kilometre anyway.

This meant that while real
cross-country skiers were
able to walk or even run up

to keep up with everybody
else figuring that since I was
used to distance running,
cross-country skiing could
be little different.

It did not enter my mind
that maybe cross-country ski

Story by PAT RICH

Photos by GILL SHAW

hills, I had to drag myself up
by my ski poles while my skis
tried to go in the opposite
direction.

There were other reasons
why the race, for me, turned
into more of an endurance
trek.

When the race started (a
most spectacular sight,
resembling the collapse of
large pile of firewood) I tned

’

racing is a sport for the very
fit and experienced and that
since I had only been out
oace before on skis this year,
I may not quite fit into that
category.

DISASTER!

To make a long story
short, after about one
kilometre I had to stop

CONTINUED ON PAGE B3

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