Ever wondered who some of the waxers are behind the infamous Norwegian National team? Or maybe what their thoughts are about structure, spray-on glide waxes and testing? We're pleased to introduce Even Kvemo to the nordie-verse.
Alternatively, if you are more curious how a little brand like NORDJÖRK managed to befriend Even, you're not alone. The truth? Even manages the Norwegian Wax Team's social account and stumbled across our ski ties on the grid in 2022. A friendship built around likes, shares, comments, and eventually turned into gift giving. It seems that Even and the rest of the Norwegian National Team waxing crew dig what we were putting down and the rest, as they say, is history.
With that, let's get to it.
ambassadörks
Even: Norwegian National Team Wax Technician
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Your family, hobbies, etc.
My name is Even, 34 years old, live with my family of 4. Kristine, my fiancé, Lone Annie (3,5 years) and Lukas (2 years). My hobbies are training, skiing, running, biking, hunting, watching movies/series/youtube, ski-touring and in general, being outdoors.
2. Do you ski in your free time? Skate or classic?
Yes I do! Both classic and skate, ski and rollerski.
3. How did you become a wax tech? What was that process?
I was an athlete until junior age and my father was always waxing for me. And then he started waxing for a region team, that I also joined after I quit racing. And then I worked my way up to recruit team and finally the national team.
4. Where is your favorite place to ski?
There are many places that I like to ski! Engadin is nice, «Bymarka» in Trondheim is super when it has a lot of snow! Minneapolis was also cool! But when is crust, there is fantastic to ski some places at home!
5. When traveling with the team, what venue/location do you love the most?
Davos has always been a favorite! But Canmore and Minneapolis had been amazing if we could have had our truck there, haha!
6. What's your favorite way to celebrate the end of the season?
With a party with colleagues, athletes, and others in the World Cup!
7. How do you spend your summers?
Mostly home with my family, training and maybe some work!
8. What's the best way to stay in shape for being a wax tech?
Just normal training with running, rollerski, biking etc!
ambassadörks
Even: Life In The Wax Truck
1. What is the team snack/drink when working long hours?
Haribo, chocolate (Nidar), nuts and maybe a beer!
2. What happens to all that cheese?
Some athletes bring it home, we waxers get some during the season.
3. Pranks or trickery?
It happens! A bit more some years ago! But we try to behave and not go over the line!
4. Favorite tunes?
Our own song of course! NorXCWaxteam by Even Kvemo!
5. Outside of the skiers themselves, who was the most famous person to ever visit the truck?
I know some from the royal family in Norway have been there, not sure about the king, but I don't think so! And maybe some sports ministers from other countries.
6. Do you take turns driving the truck? Who gets to ride shotgun?
Actually not, we have our own driver. But he helps us with testing and cleaning skis, etc, when he sometimes stays for the World Cups.
7. Do you and the wax team carpool to the venues?
Yes! Sometimes we use transport from the venues, sometimes we have our own cars standing at airports in Europe.
8. How many bottles of wine did Jonas smuggle out of the US?
Hehe, I think around the quota, so 4-5? 😂
ambassadörks
Even: Waxes, Waxing, Waxness
1. After the ban on fluoros, are there any standout glide waxes you like?
I'm not that into the glide products, since I have responsibility for athlete skis. But PS6 from Swix is very safe, Rode endurance maybe, some from Vauhti, and a local product close to where I live.
2. How many layers are you putting on race skis, especially for longer distances?
It really depends. Sometimes only one layer of solid and one liquid, maybe only one solid, but we have had up to 6-8 layers.
3. Are the new liquid waxes playing a role?
Some are good, but some are really bad! 😂 But it makes waxing training skis very easy!
4. With a grinder on site, are you still hand-structuring?
Yes!
5. How many different combinations of wax do you test on a typical race weekend?
In kickwax from 10 to 15 if the weather is stable, and for glide 16-24! A bit more if the weather changes!
6. Once a final wax choice is made by the glide/kick wax leader is each athlete allowed to make any additional tweaks?
The athletes mostly ask for more or less kick. They are not that involved in choosing products. They mostly choose between 2-4 pairs of their skis after we waxers have sorted for 8-16 ish pairs.
7. Do members of the wax team have specific duties? How are the glide and kick wax teams determined?
Yes! We are 7 waxers with responsibility for athlete skis, 1 head of kickwax, 2 waxers with glide
responsibilities and our boss. We try to have the same people at the same job for as long as possible, so we have the best waxers at the best assignments.
8. Who's skis are you responsible for, and how did you become assigned to them?
This year I have Erik Valnes (4th year) Iver Tildheim (1st year) and I have had responsibility Astrid Øyre Slind the last two years when she has been on the World Cup. And we also have some outside the
team that get to race, so some weekends we have new athletes.
9. On a scale of 1-10 - how important is it to cork in the kick wax? Why can't I leave it clumpy?
I will say around 7. It will smooth out after some skiing. In cold weather it's more important to get a smoother feeling. Same in new snow, if you leave it clumpy it will feel a bit heavier. It is also easier to control how many layers you are putting if you cork!
10. Do dry bases really lose races?
I will say yes? But it is also important not to prep your ski too much if you have a good grind! That’s
because if you have a good grind it's often best when it's sharp/fresh If you have a bad grind I would recommend to wax it more often!
11. Have you ever melted anything besides wax with your iron?
Actually not! Only cheese with the heat gun! Maybe heated a toast or a pizza slice
with the iron, but not melted. 😂
the closer What We're Thinking About.
That Even is a kind and decent human who took time from his traveling and waxing schedule to answer a few of our questions. Did we have more, specific waxing questions? Yes. Does it appear as though some of them didn't get answered? Also yes. But you gotta respect the player AND the game. Cheers to Even and the entire wax crew for doing the things that keep their skiers at the top of the racing game - year in/year out.
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