Joergen Brink (SWE), who set a new course record for the 90-kilometer ski race from Saelen to Mora when he won the event for the third straight time in 2012, shares his tips on picking skis for Vasaloppet.
“I would go for a pair with medium flex. Exactly how stiff you can go depends on how efficient your technique is, but I would definitely not go for a soft pair,” says Brink, who is aiming for his fourth straight Vasaloppet title on Sunday.
Brink also points out that the conditions will change between the start in Saelen where it often is very cold and dry, and finish in Mora in the afternoon. You have to realize that your skis are not going to be perfect all the way, and that is something to keep in mind when picking a structure as well.
“Choose a somewhat coarser structure than what the temperature in Saelen suggests. More structure tends to be better in the long run, and it’s a long run,” says the Madshus Marathon Team racer.
Every year, there are several elite skiers who ski Vasaloppet entirely without kick wax, relying only on double-poling. Brink is not one of them.
“I will go with kick wax,” Brink says.
When Brink won the 2012 Vasaloppet, he was the first to win the venerable event three times in a row for a true hat trick on modern skis. This had only been done on wooden skis, last in 1962-1966 when Janne Stefansson won the event five years in a row.