Whitehorse resident Alain Masson, a ski wax guru and former Olympian,
is a member of Canada’s technical team assisting Olympic cross country skiers in their quest for gold.
photo : Whitehorse Star

The Yukon’s Alain Masson is known as the “wax guru” of Canada’s Olympic cross country ski team

Jason Unrau

The Yukon’s Alain Masson is known as the “wax guru” of Canada’s Olympic cross country ski team, but the top coach for Cross Country Yukon and three-time Olympian brings more than the science of ski treatment to the table.

Interestingly, Masson’s first trip to the Olympics was in the summer of 1984, when he competed in the men’s cycling road race, pedaling 190 kilometres from Los Angeles to Mission Viejo. Four years later, Masson made his Winter Olympics debut in the men’s 50-km cross country skiing event at the Canmore Nordic Centre outside Calgary, then repeated that feat in Albertville, France, in 1992, and added the 30km race to his résumé of accomplishments.

So Masson knows the pressure of Olympic competition and can offer wisdom on top of a perfectly waxed set of boards.

“Usually we’ll try to help, not only from a technical point of view ... and those in their first Olympics are probably more receptive to getting advice and feedback,” Masson told the Star.

So what kind of advice would you offer a first-time Olympian?

“Just try to relax and focus and not to make any last minute changes. Try to ignore the extra attention from everybody around,” said Masson. “But it’s a difficult thing to do in preparation prior to the race, not thinking about the importance of the event.”

The former Olympian, coach and ski technician said how well one handles the pressure related to competing in high profile events can mean the difference between winning and losing. “That’s why it’s so interesting to follow the Olympics. There are always the athletes who are favoured not being able to deliver the type of performance it takes to, and a small number who find a way to elevate their level,” Masson said. “These are the people who become successful and can cash in on major events.”

While Masson called the current crop of Canadian cross country skiers the best team the nation has fielded in the history of the sport, pressure to perform not only rests on those athletes’ shoulders.

“We want to make sure we provide our athletes with best possible equipment so we’re always a bit nervous before a race,” said Masson of feelings amongst himself and the seven other ski technicians on Team Canada. “And there’s always an element of luck where you have to make a decision (about wax) and you take a gamble ... sometimes you’re right, sometimes you’re not.”

“Some people win medals on very, very small margins so small differences can be crucial at the international level of competition,” he added.

As temperatures at the Squamish Nordic Ski Club located 45 kms North of Vancouver continue to hover around the zero Celsius mark – the most difficult conditions to select appropriate wax – Masson described it “as by far the hardest venue” in Canada related to equipment preparation that already requires incredible attention to detail.

“Any changes in weather conditions – air temperature, humidity, snow temperature, type of snow, wet, dry, the shape of snow crystal,” Masson explained of what he and other technicians must keep on top of.

“That’s why you need so many people to monitor the changes and react ... so here it’s going to be even more critical to find the right wax around zero degrees, or a few below or above.”

And Masson’s primary responsibility will be to select the appropriate “kick wax” for the classic racers, his speciality. Adding to this pressure-filled task are changes to rules in the 30-km and 50-km classic races, where skiers are permitted the equivalent of pit stops to get skis adjusted, rewaxed or replaced based on changing conditions over the course.

“Every seven kilometres or so, we’ll be able to re-adjust their skis so it will look a little bit more like a car race,” Masson said. “It’s the first time we’ve been allowed to do this so it will be a challenge.”

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