Lost in the Woods by Matt Liebsch

Matt Liebsch is a member of the CXC Elite cross country ski team and a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He is an Olympic hopeful and had a very successful 2009 season… 3^rd Place at US Nationals, Mora Vasaloppet winner and American Birkebeiner Champion. When Matt is not training and racing he is helping out at Gear West or spending time with his wife and one-year-old son.

Hi All,

I am the newest addition to the staff at Gear West so feel free to drop me a line or let me know if you would like to see any writing on a specific subject. Contact me at Liebsch@gearwest.com.

This past weekend included my annual participation in the Trail Mix 50k Team relay. I have raced with my team, the Nordic Ninjas, for the past two years. Each year the Nordic Ninjas manage to win the overall team event. This happens for two reasons. One, we are all decent runners. Two and probably more important, all the really fast runners pair up with some less speedy folks or do the individual events.

This year I was a little more prepared than last year and had about 30 miles on my legs since the ski season ended. Last year I went out conservative and felt good for my 8 miles but this year my plan was to hang onto the lead for as along as possible. This leader was the speedy Gear West runner, Brooks Grossinger. By 2 miles into the race my eyes were already rolling into the back of my head… did I mention Brooks beat me by over 3 minutes last year! About the time I was ready to blow up Brooks slowed way down and stopped. We looked around and realized we had missed a turn. After standing around and trying to decide what next, a runner from behind passed by and yelled "didn’t you hear this is an orienteering race?" About 15-20 of us followed him as we bushwhacked through the woods and we eventually found our way back to the racecourse.

Once back on course the race finished well. Every year I forget how sore I can get after my first running race. Yesterday I couldn't move and today I skipped my normal bike ride into work. Maybe next year I'll learn and do a few running intervals before I jump into racing!

Best,

Matt

80th Birthday Party for Bjorn Lasserud

On Wednesday, April 15th, Gear West hosted an 80th Birthday Party Celebration for local skier Bjorn Lasserud. There was over 60 people in attendance for food, drinks, and stories to celebrate this renowned local skier.

A little about Bjorn. He is a World Master Champion many times and National Master Champion. He has lead the Minneapolis Ski Club workouts for decades. With 2 new knees, he is out on the trails every day, every season, biking, roller skiing, pole hiking, and of course snow skiing. ALWAYS with a smile on his face and more enthusiasm than most of us - for sport and for life.

Special thanks to Robin Thomas for the great photos!

Gear West's Dirtiest Event Yet

Earlier this month, Gear West hosted a fantastic Mud Run. 40 brave souls ran through ski trails on a balmy 30 degree April 4 morning and managed to find a bit of mud. Prizes were awareded to the dirtiest female and male runner. This was a low key event and no time were taken (unless you took note of your own time).

Special thanks to Robin Thomas for the great pictures!

Really cool Giro Eyewear

Every once in a while a product comes along that has the cool looks but doesn't sacrifice on form, fit, and function. Gear West's new eyewear line from Giro (http://www.gearwest.com/giro-c-2846.html) fills the gap on the best in multi-sport eye wear. Originally designed for integrated use with Giro's bike helmets, these sunglasses are snug, light, and have unbelievable clear lenses.

Thanks to a great partnership with Zeiss, Giro is able to come out with the best in a clear and non-deforming lens. The lenses on all Giro glasses are cut to perfect standards to eliminate any distortion when looking through the lens. Some lenses can deform what you're looking at usually around the edges. Images can become squashed or weird looking, but with the Zeiss cut lens (same technology used in binoculars and rifle scopes), there is no distortion or anything weird going on.

Another really cool feature of Giro eye wear is their lightness on the face. Sometimes when wearing sunglasses, there can be weird pressure points or they feel heavy, but with Giro, there is no strange pressure points. The temples sit nicely on the ears without pushing the ears out and down. Not only are there no pressure points, they are so light that it's hard to tell that they're even on your head!

I've had the chance to try out the Giro Filter and Semi Full sunglasses. With superb fit and comfort, these sunglasses are a good option when looking for a multi-use eye wear.

The Filters are a medium sized piece and fits many face sizes. What sets the Filters apart from all the other multi-lens/multi-sport glasses is the ease of changing lenses. Giro has created the Pop Top. This is the simplest way to change lenses. Never again will you have to try and rip your frames apart and leave fingerprints all over the place just to change your lenses. Simply just flip the Pop Top on the side of the Filters' frame and the lenses are free. Insert the new lens and flip the Pop Top back down. It's just that simple. Check out this link for more on Giro's Pop Top technology http://www.giro.com/site/#/technology/sunglasses/pop_top_technology/pop_top_technology/.

The Semi comes in a full or a compact lens size. The frame sizes are the same between the two, but the lens size is a different size. The Semi Full have a bigger lens shape for medium to larger heads. The Semi Compact work really well for medium to smaller head sizes. At a competitive price point, the Semis are the way to go. The lenses can be changed with a simple amount of pressure applied on the frames. I was really impressed by how easy changing the lenses were as compared to other glasses. The Semis are light and look great on or off the field.

To see more Giro Eyewear, visit http://www.gearwest.com/.

PSI Rollerski Review by Gear West's Brodie Rau

Recently I took the PSI Rollerski for a test ski, and I was impressed. Compared to the Elpex F1, it is a tough competitor in speed, controllability, and smoothness of the ride.

The shaft is made with aluminum and, according to the PSI website, an aeronautical alloy. The wheels are a high density rubber on a lightweight alloy wheel. This combination of materials makes for a smooth and lightweight rollerski. At the same time these materials are tough and will last just as long as any other rollerski on the market.

I compared the PSI with the Elpex F1 with #2 wheels. The shaft is shorter than the Elpex F1, but this allows for more control on the downhill sections of trail. The wheel size makes up for the shorter shaft and allows for a smoother feel on rougher parts of the trail. The speed was comparable to the Elpex F1 with #2 wheels; however, Elpex was a bit faster on the downhill sections. On flat and gradual uphill sections, the PSI easily kept up with the Elpex. I could maintain a nice conversation pace with the person on the Elpex rollerskis without feeling like I was working to keep up.

The wheel speed was very similar to snow ski speed, which is good for muscle memory and overall training. For rollerskiers a bit nervous about roll speed and falling, the slower wheel speed on the PSI and shorter shaft gives that extra bit of confidence needed. Even though the wheel speed is slightly slower than the Elpex wheel, I would still use this rollerski over the Elpex. It’s a smoother ride and easier to control. I have more confidence on hills with the PSI.
Due to the materials used in making the PSI, it is a lighter weight rollerski than the Elpex F1. The lightness of the PSI makes it hardly noticeable on your feet during weight transfer. The shaft and wheel material also provide a nice dampening affect making the PSI a really smooth ride.

The price really makes this ski an overall winner. At a price of $199.99, it’s the best deal for a nice training rollerski. Even the spare wheels are inexpensive. They are $24.99 each which makes them on the cheaper end of the rollerskis. But don’t be fooled by the price as these skis are just as well built as Elpex. Overall I would rate the PSI rollerski an excellent choice for any Nordic ski enthusiast. It’s easy to ride, smooth, and controllable. The fear factor is minimal due to the ease of handling. I would defiantly rollerski again and again on the PSI Rollerskis.

To learn more about PSI, check out their website at http://www.psi-rollerski.com/english.php.

New Atomic Boots

New this year from Atomic is two different widths for the Woldcup Skate and Classic boot. The Worldcup Skate and Classic boots offer the more "S-Lab" narrower last while their new Race Carbon boots offer a slightly wider last for more average width feet.

Those who like the fit of most skate boots, but have trouble with the width, may want to try on the Atomic Race Carbon boot. It is built just like the World Cup, so there isn't any sacrifice in performance. Both the Race Carbon Skate and Classic boots are built with the Pilot 2 Carbon Pro sole and have the same uppers as the World Cup boots with the carbon stabilizers added to the skate boots.

Check out the new boots at http://www.gearwest.com/, or give us a call, toll free, at 1-877-473-4327.

New Atomic World Cup Ski

Last season Atomic released a video of their new Atomic World Cup "Cheetah" Ski....ENJOY!
SOLD NOW FOR $599.99 at http://gear-west.stores.yahoo.net/at20skskic.html