Jacob Huseby joins the Falls Creek team

This article on Falls Creek National Training Centre Coach Jacob Huseby was written by Kat Paul for This Week in Falls Creek and Mt Beauty.

This year Falls Creek is lucky to have another National Training Centre coach, Jacob Huseby all the way from America! However, this year Jacob will also be working with not only the Australian national team skiers, but also those from the community to help foster young skiers in XC skiing and help continue to grow our sport from grassroots level. 

We interviewed Jacob this week while we continue to wait for a good snowstorm to roll in so we can get skiing on groomed trails!

K: Welcome to Falls Creek Australia Jacob, thank you for taking the time to sit down with us today at This Week @ Falls Creek. 
Firstly, tell us a bit about where you have come from?

J: I am from the State of Wisconsin, in the Midwest of the United States.

K: What are you looking forward to the most coming to Falls Creek?

J: I’m looking forward to working with the skiers and learning about Australian ski culture! I’ll not only be working with our National Team skiers but supporting skiers and clubs from the surrounding areas as well. The most important thing for me is to promote lifelong enjoyment of the sport at every stage of development. 

K: I hear you are an experienced waxer, what is the biggest challenge for you now that Fluro waxes are banned in competitions? 

J: When we glide on snow, we’re gliding on a thin layer of water. Anything that isn’t water, such as dirt can impact how our skis perform. The strength of fluorinated waxes was not only their water repelling properties, but their ability to repel dirt and other materials. The challenge of fluor free waxing is not only repelling moisture but also keeping our skis clean, particularly in longer races. 

K: Must be an exciting time in America with the continued success of both the women’s US Ski team and now the men’s, how has that helped foster coaching and waxing roles in American skiing? 

J: There’s a saying from former US President John F. Kennedy, “rising tides lifts all boats”. Success at the highest levels of sport does help bring excitement and energy to all levels of skier, from our youngest to our master’s level skier. The more investment in our sport at all levels supports those who have chosen to make it their career. 

K: I am sure many xc skiers here at Falls Creek would love to get some waxing advice from you. Do you have any quick tips you can give us to get our skis ready for the season? 
J: A clean ski is a fast ski! While you’re skiing, the accumulation of dirt is typically the first thing to slow your skis down. We can keep our skis clean by taking a few steps. 

1.    Make sure your wax room is tidy and clean up any dust left over after waxing. 
2.    Use a solvent based glide cleaner after skiing. 
3.    Use clean tools while working on your skis, which may mean replacing your old brushes. 
4.    When deciding what wax to apply to your skis, generally apply the colder or harder waxes as they do a better job repelling dirt for day-to-day skiing. 

And there you have it! Some great advice for the winter, I know will think about applying a harder base wax to my skis for the season. As any repelling of dirt will certainly make my life a little easier in training. 

Give Jacob a warm welcome if you see him out on the trail and I am sure he would not mind dishing out a wax tip or two... Especially leading into some races and the Hoppet!