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A Yukon high school student has been awarded two scholarships after being recognized at the 2025 Canada-Wide Science Fair, held May 31 to June 7 in Fredericton, N.B., for developing an algorithm to help skiers adapt to a recent ban on a type of performance wax.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) banned fluorinated ski waxes from the start of the 2023/24 season, prompting Whitehorse resident Sitka Land-Gillis to figure out what would be the best alternative.
Land-Gillis told the News the project involved approximately 960 data collection runs at the Whitehorse Nordic Centre over the winter, using a wide range of waxes. The data was then processed through a machine-learning algorithm to determine the best wax for specific conditions.
The project has received support from former Team Canada wax technician Alain Masson. Land-Gillis has been working with Masson to refine the algorithm for maximum effectiveness, with the hope it may be adopted by Canada’s national ski team in the future, he said.
“He helped design my testing and waxing methods. We’ve also been working together, especially since the algorithm was built, to try to make it as useful as possible for them [Nordiq Canada],” Land-Gillis said.
As a result of Land-Gillis’s efforts to help the ski community adapt to a recent ban on a widely used wax, judges at the 2025 Canada-Wide Science Fair awarded him three silver medals. The recognition came with a $4,000 entrance scholarship to Mount Allison University and a $2,000 entrance scholarship to Western University.
Land-Gillis began the project in 2024 and secured sponsorship from Skiwax, a distributor based in Thunder Bay, Ont. He told the News the company provided the waxes needed to collect data for the tool he is developing.
That same year, he launched testing at the Whitehorse Nordic Centre, evaluating four different ski waxes. He measured glide distance on downhill runs and began investigating why certain waxes performed better under specific conditions.
The algorithm’s back-end coding is now complete, but the project has yet to be developed into a full application, Land-Gillis said. He expects front-end development to be finished by fall or winter, with a website or mobile app to follow.
The tool is designed for a wide range of skiers in mind, from Olympic hopefuls and World Cup athletes to competitive skiers aiming to improve race times. Land-Gillis said the algorithm could support Team Canada and others on the international circuit.
He also hopes to make the app accessible to recreational skiers across Canada. By helping everyday skiers choose the best wax for their conditions, the tool aims to boost performance and enjoyment. A future version may include kick wax optimization, he added.
“I feel like the main goal is to help Team Canada as much as possible on the World Cup circuit and potentially the upcoming Olympics and then, yeah, just making it available for skiers across Canada to be able to use and ski faster,” Land-Gillis said.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
Jake Howarth
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