Ship hatches - subtleties and expertise

The autumn hunt is underway. Superski finds the good skiers long before the first snowfall.

Skis with the right span, length and characteristics are essential when you are looking for good skiing experiences. Not only when chasing seconds and tenths in ski races, but also if you want to get the most out of your ski trip in Marka

The work of selecting the right skis from the manufacturers' rich stocks requires experience, skill and knowledge of the skier's various needs and skiing skills.

After all, you don't want to buy a pair of skis that are ideal - for someone else.

We help you find the skis that are optimally suited for you!

What exactly is skipjack?

Superskis Peder Stadaas and Petter Fraser explain:

Part #1 – We meet. The first part of the process starts in our store in Holmenkollen. We survey your level and ambitions and familiarize ourselves with your needs and wishes. With this as a starting point, we evaluate your existing skis. Which pairs are relevant next, and - do any adjustments need to be made? To take full advantage of the ski's properties, chamber height, pressure zones and slip must be coordinated.

Upgrade. Often we come to the conclusion that it is necessary to make adjustments. Some ski pairs are worn out, others can often be relegated to training pairs, or re-grounded to another route. When the necessary adjustments have been made, we are left with the starting point for purchasing new skis. For many, an all-round pair in the right length and span is enough. Ambitious athletes like to look for something they lack, or supplement with skis that have slightly different characteristics. We adapt to the customer's budget and come up with our recommendation.

Part #2 – The hunt for the best skippers. Superski's great strength lies in the ski hatch - the work we do out at the manufacturers. Rather than choosing from a limited selection of skis standing in the shop, we travel to the suppliers in search of the "good pairs". With many parameters to take into account, it is important to have a large selection of skis to choose from; height, weight, level, lead, etc. Our selection system contains the information we need about you to find the right ski. Our picking expert makes his selection in peace and quiet and takes the time he needs.

Part #3 – The workshop refines the "raw materials"

When we have found your new pair of skis at the manufacturer's, the trip goes to our workshop.

Here the final finish is carried out. We sort and prepare the skis for grinding, measuring, assembly and preparation.  

Grinding and testing - Our sharpeners are the result of continuous testing and development in the national team system over the past 15 years. Our sharpener Terje Fardal is the mastermind behind the super sharpeners which has given Norwegian athletes the world's best skis for a number of years. Over the past year, Terje, together with Bull Ski & Kayak and Superski, has built on this development and continued the testing process to offer our customers a competitive advantage in the coming winters. Our test series with different slip variants is on snow weekly throughout the winter. 

Surveying and installation. Once the skis have been through our top maintained machine and the desired slip has been set, the skis move on to the last step in the process. Classic skis are measured and marked. Bindings are fitted and the skis are primed.

Basic prep. All skis benefit from a proper preparation or prep as we call it. Here, there are many people who are sloppy both with the treatment after a slip, but also with the regular maintenance a ski sole needs. If there is too much time between each round of sliding, the sole dries out and a lot of dirt settles in the structure. We therefore recommend storing the skis with a layer of glides as protection during periods when the skis are not in use. Also remember to clean and slide the sole regularly throughout the winter. The first step after grinding is to clean the sole before putting a glider with a low melting point on the skis. Swix PS10, Swix PS8, Holmenkol Betamix or similar work well for this. We then either put the skis in a warming cabinet or heat up the glider with a grease iron for several rounds. The lubricator's personal preferences come into play here. If you are extra eager, you can repeat this process a few times before moving on to a colder glider or graphite glider for the most eager. For most people, it is enough to go straight to the Swix PS6 or equivalent. We warm up the glider twice before drooling the skis. Thorough saturation is particularly important on cold skis, which often do not "release" properly until they have been slid several rounds and the sole has become shiny and nice. We offer three different basic preparations at our workshop. These can also be combined in consultation with us at the workshop.

Feel free to read more about our preps here.

Welcome to visit our store in Holmenkollen to get an overview of your ski park, and maybe start the process of finding your new favorite skis.