Poromaa and his colleagues won't ever be seen on an Olympic podium but it's here, in the small wax cabins at Whistler Olympic park, that the cross-country skiing races are often decided even before the competitions begin. With the unseasonably warm weather and rapidly changing conditions at these Vancouver Games, the work of the wax technicians is turning out to be even more crucial than usual.
“All these changes in conditions, it's making it difficult,” said Poromaa, the head wax technician for the Swedish cross-country team. “When the weather is stable, it's a lot easier.” When things go right, the skiers will be quick to dole out credit to their waxers. When things go wrong, they're not always as cordial.
Norwegian star Petter Northug was visibly upset after the opening 15-kilometer freestyle race, when his substandard skis quickly put him out of contention. When asked what he had told the wax technicians after the race, he curtly answered: “That stays between the wax man and me.” After taking bronze in the individual sprint, Northug was more positive.
“I had really good skis,” he said. “We know that the conditions here can change in one hour. ... But I feel good that (wax) team has good control.” It is one of the quirks of Nordic skiing that even the top athletes in the world are highly dependent on their wax teams giving them good enough glide and grip to have a shot at a medal. In the major events, the right wax is often the difference between silver and gold, and the wrong setup can put a medal favorite out of contention right away.
“The equipment makes a huge difference,” said Knut Nystad, the head of the Norwegian wax team. “You can spend 10,000 hours training, but what we do can give you that extra 10 or 20 seconds.” That's why the wax cabins next to the start area of the cross-country venue will be bustling with activity about four hours before the start of every race. Poromaa, Nystad and their colleagues will be waxing dozens of skis, then testing them on the course to see which ones have the best glide and traction - all while keeping their setups a closely guarded secret from their rivals.
When the athletes arrive, the wax teams will often have it whittled down to two different setups, with each skier choosing which one to use for the competition.
Nystad said waxing skis is part science, part “gut feeling” only developed after years of experience. With about 500 different wax products to choose from, the right selection depends on the temperature, texture and firmness of the snow.
The work includes grinding the bottom part of the ski to form a pattern of tiny grooves that suit a particular kind of snow, and then using heating irons to melt wax on top of it.
While Poromaa and Nystad are some of the most experienced waxers on the circuit, the spring-like weather in Whistler is forcing them to come up with some unusual combinations.
“Normally, there's more snow. Now we're getting rain instead,” Poromaa said. “We were prepared for a lot of precipitation, but more snow than rain.” The warm temperatures also means the snow conditions will vary in different parts of the course.
“In the shade, the snow will still be firm, and then you get out into the sunlight and it's soft,” Poromaa said.
“So you have to come up with a compromise, and judge how much of the race will take place in the sun and how much is in the shade.” It's even harder for skiers from the smaller nations, who don't have the luxury of a large waxing team, often having to figure out the conditions themselves. Jakov Fak of Croatia, who won a surprising bronze medal in the men's biathlon sprint, fell to 25th in the following pursuit race after preparing his skis for a snowfall that never arrived.
“I didn't find the good materials, and I lost too much time on the tracks,” Fak said. “We race mostly in Europe, and we know exactly what type of skis we need in Europe.
Here it's a different snow, a different climate, and it's hard to find a good material.” Poromaa said he can usually tell shortly after the race starts whether he has succeeded.
“In the first climb, if you see that they don't have any grip you know they're toast,” he said. “But that's what's appealing about this job: the incredible excitement of getting it right.”
