Mandatory common waxing will be used for the second time in tonight’s World Cup sprint in Tallinn. Everyone must use the same wax. But the waxing manager is skeptical.

Tonight marks the return of sprint racing in the World Cup after more than a month, with the last one taking place in Falun in mid-February. However, tonight’s sprint in Tallinn comes with a special twist: all skiers must use the same type of wax—just as they did two years ago.

The purpose of this measure is to make cross-country skiing fairer by ensuring that athletes compete under as equal conditions as possible. But will this be the case in practice?

Swedish waxing manager Anders Svanebo is uncertain.

Also Read: Tallinn World Cup’s unified waxing approach refined for 2025

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No Nations, Teams, or Skiers Allowed to Prep Their Own Skis

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has decided that common waxing will be implemented for tonight’s sprint in Tallinn. Swix has been assigned the responsibility for coordinating the task and logistics.

This means that Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, the rest of the Norwegian national team, and all other skiers will have exactly the same wax and topcoat from the same brand, applied in precisely the same way. The chosen method involves liquid wax.

“We are not allowed to bring any waxing irons or anything that emits fumes. The wax to be used that day is selected for us before the competition,” says Svanebo.

As a result, the tasks of the waxing teams will be slightly different.

“We will help the skiers choose their skis. They are allowed to bring six pairs of skis out onto the track for testing. From these, they must select two pairs for the evening’s competition.”

Also Read: You can’t perform magic with the skis properties: The most common mistake

Everyone Waxes in the Same Tent

The actual waxing is done by each national team’s own waxers. However, the usual waxing trailers are not available, nor are there any containers or waxing rooms to work in. Instead, everything will take place inside a large tent.

“In terms of the work environment, it’s both good and bad. It’s good that there is no smoke inside the tent, but it’s worse because there is no ventilation like we have in the waxing truck. Even without heat sources, there are particles in the air from brushes and such, which now remain suspended in the air,” explains Svanebo, according to Langrenn.com.

“You don’t see these particles, but you breathe them in while working, which makes it worse for us Swedish waxers. At least there are no irons emitting fumes.”

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Much Easier with the Waxing Trailer

This system has been tested before in Tallinn, as well as in a few other competitions. But whether this is the future of waxing, Svanebo is not entirely sure yet.

“It’s a bit too early to say. We will probably need to evaluate afterward,” he says.

For the larger nations, he believes the centralized system is not entirely optimal.

“It’s much easier when you have all your equipment in one place in a waxing truck and know where everything is. But it’s too early to say anything definitive,” Svanebo states diplomatically.

Good Idea, But…

It is unclear why FIS has introduced common waxing specifically for the competitions in Tallinn.

One rumor suggests that it is due to a lack of space for waxing trucks. Another explanation is that it takes too long to prepare the waxing trucks between Wednesday night and Friday when the competitions in Lahti begin.

Regardless, the national teams seem to have accepted the challenge. But the Swedish waxing chief admits he is uncertain whether FIS will achieve its goal: making cross-country skiing fairer and more accessible to nations with fewer resources and less expertise.

“The idea is probably good—to make the sport fairer. But I’m not sure if it will make the sport bigger. It will be exciting to see how this works out,” says Anders Svanebo.

Read More: Cross-country World Cup: Program, start lists and start times for the Sprint in Tallinn

Tallinn World Cup

Tallinn, Estonia, is the place for another stage of the cross-country skiing World Cup season 2024/2025. The event takes place this Wednesday, March 19, with a sprint race in freestyle technique for women and men.

Also Read: Cross-country World Cup: Complete program for Tallinn

See the complete program for the Tallinn World Cup below.

Wednesday, March 19: Sprint Freestyle (More details can be found HERE)

• 15:30 CET: Sprint Qualify F, Men
• 15:30 CET: Sprint Qualify F, Women
• 18:00 CET: Sprint F, Men
• 18:00 CET: Sprint F, Women

The start lists can be found HERE

FACTS Tallinn World Cup Season 2024/2025

• When: Wednesday, March 19, 2025 
• Who: Elite national skiers – women and men
• Where: Tallinn, Estonia
• What: FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Tallinn, Estonia

PROGRAM

Wednesday, March 19: Sprint Freestyle (More details can be found HERE)

• 15:30 CET: Sprint Qualify F, Men
• 15:30 CET: Sprint Qualify F, Women
• 18:00 CET: Sprint F, Men
• 18:00 CET: Sprint F, Women

Read More: World Cup calendar for the 2024/2025 Winter Season

After Estonia (Tallinn), the World Cup ends the season with a weekend in Finland (Lahti).

Are you interested in traditional cross-country skiing? Click HERE and read more about it.