At 76, marathon cross-country skier, Fred Wall, is still representing Jasper.

Wall competed in the 55-kilometre Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival in Edmonton on Feb. 13, a race in which the competitors must race with a 5.5 kilogram pack on their back.

This modest man is very enthusiastic about marathon skiing. He says that it’s all about the wax.

“That was the problem this year. The forecast was for -2C (degrees) in the day time, then it started at -10C (degrees), and stayed at -10C (degrees) for 48 hours,” said Wall.

“It never changed a degree.”

Wall said it snowed on Friday night, and with the unexpected temperature, compounded the difficulty of the race.

“That was the longest it has ever taken me.”

Carrying a 5.5 kg backpack, and skiing both up and down hill, took Wall six hours 19 minutes 14 seconds to complete the 55 km race.

Last year, Wall skied the same race and it took him considerably less time, at five hours 48 minutes 40 seconds.

Wall explains how wax makes the biggest difference in his performance.

“Waxing is everything – and technique – but if your wax isn’t right you can’t glide,” said Wall.

“You can only go up hill so fast, but if you have the right wax for gliding you make up time on the downhill.”

Regardless of the wax, Wall finished the Edmonton race this year in third place in his age group of 70 to 99.

Wall has been a prolific skier since he moved to Jasper in 1956. He says he has no favourite trails, but enjoys them all equally.

Of the six marathon races he’s competed in, Wall says his favourite was Norway in 2005. That race, he said, was fifty-six kilometres, and he finished in five hours 49 minutes 53 seconds.

“It was such a beautiful day,” Wall said. “All these people camped there all day. They dug a hole in the snow and had their little camp stove there.”

“The whole family is cheering as I went by. The whole distance was just marvelous – its just unbelievable.”

Wall said Norway was the most enjoyable by far because of the scenery and the people.

Although Wall would like to race again next year he says he is going to have to wait and see.

“I have a bad hip; I’m going to need a hip replacement down the road. But skiing is such a nice smooth sport,” said Wall.

He said the best thing about cross-country skiing is the fact that it is good for older people because it doesn’t have the impact like jogging and other sports.

“Skiing,” he said. “You cannot beat it for an overall exercise.”