The U.S. cross-country ski team credits its mobile wax truck, Yolanda, for recent Olympic successes in Italy. Ben Ogden secured silver, ending a 50-year drought for American men, while Jessie Diggins earned bronze in her third straight Games. Technicians in Yolanda prepare skis meticulously for varying snow conditions.
America's cross-country ski team achieved historic results at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, with Ben Ogden winning silver—the second U.S. men's medal in 50 years—and Jessie Diggins claiming bronze, her third consecutive Olympic medal.
These podium finishes owe much to the team's 10 ski technicians, who prepare equipment before each race. They apply specialized wax, scrape and brush skis, and test them on snow. The technicians travel Europe in Yolanda, a custom wax truck serving as their mobile workshop for World Cup events, which rarely occur in North America except for one in Lake Placid, N.Y., in March 2026.
Named after a line from the movie Pulp Fiction, Yolanda was acquired eight years ago, replacing inadequate storage setups. Led by Wax Boss Oleg Ragilo, an Estonian with the team since 2008, the truck expands when parked, accommodating eight technicians at once. It holds about 600 pairs of skis for the team's 16 athletes, each with around 30 pairs tailored to different snow types.
At a January 2026 World Cup race in Goms, Switzerland, Diggins finished second in a 20-kilometer classic event and praised the wax team: "Honestly, today I feel like the win belongs to our wax team. I had amazing kick. I was just so, so impressed, that was super crucial to success today, especially for 20 kilometers ... like, you can't fake it for 20K."
Ragilo described the interior: "So, all the magic happens over here. It's called like the kitchen side of the skiing." The team adjusts wax for factors like snow temperature, density, age, type, and weather, crucial in races decided by hundredths of a second.
Coach Matt Whitcomb called Yolanda the best truck, despite smaller size compared to double-deckers used by Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Costing $750,000, it was easier to fundraise for than travel expenses, Whitcomb noted: "One thing cool about Americans is when you want to raise money for, say, plane tickets or hotel rooms, you really have to convince people. But if you want to raise money for a truck? People get pretty excited."
Yolanda features a refreshment station with coffee and assorted liquors, some homemade and aged. Podium traditions include toasting with Aquavit and adding star stickers to the ceiling.
