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Adventures in Spring Skiing with the Madshus - Hypersonic C3 Multigrip Vario
By:  Karl Saidla   (2003/05/01)

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Well, spring skiing was officially over here in Ottawa a few weeks ago, but it sure was good this year, with warm weather, and a base of snow that allowed for good skiing in some portions of Gatineau Park until the middle of April. Because I was not going to any major races late in the season this year, I really had a great time exploring various possibilities for spring skiing.

One particular piece of equipment helped to make the job a lot easier-the Madshus C3 Classic Multigrip Vario. This is a top of the line classic racing ski, but with a no-wax base! I was very impressed with its abilities in a wide range of conditions over last month and a half. In virtually all wet conditions, the grip provided is better than with any wax. For you Ottawa-types, I could walk up Penguin with no poles while using these things. Glide was comparable to other people I was skiing with in all conditions, and in some cases, was better. Notably, when the snow was very dirty and klister soon led to accumulation of that mysterious black goo, the Multigrip Varios were far superior in terms of glide.

These skis would be particularly good for racing in variable conditions, as the grip and glide remained consistent in different snow types. I was could have killed myself at Thea's race at Nakkertok for not having them, because it had been -10 overnight with new dry snow, and went up to plus 10 by race time, meaning that shady areas remained cold and dry, while sunny ones incurred varying degrees of sloppiness. Think of the confusion and havoc I could have caused getting perfect grip in all conditions, gliding without difficulty while those around me suffered and swore through that all-too familiar spring racing ritual of slipping and sticking.

Another advantage was that I did not have to deal with the hassle of waxing and cleaning skis, over and over again. I just took them from where I had left them, and out the door I went in search of new adventure. One day while skiing with Megan and Arno we came across an older gentleman searching for all the change that people had lost from their pockets over the winter and which was now appearing through the melting snow. This guy had a metal detector, a GPS, not to mention his wife, and made 80 bucks in one day doing this! Another career possibility, I guess.

Other adventures undertaken with the Multigrip Varios included exploring some infrequently used trails starting from the Chemin Eardley, and heading back towards Lac Philippe, as well as a combination hike and ski back by the Lusk caves.

If you are one of those lucky people still skiing, or planning to go to a glacier or something, I envy you. Enjoy it while it lasts, and bring a pair of Madshus Multigrip Varios along for the ride.

 
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