We are here in Sydney for the opening ceremonies of downhill freestyle wood staining. Today competitors will try to evenly coat their wood with an oil-base stain -- not an easy task, especially with hard and soft spots in the grain. Here's the first competitor from Norway. Lots of wood to practice on there. He's off, nice even strokes, a dip, another dip and he blotches on the second pass. Too bad! Here's our second competitor from the United States. Off to a nice start, great technique. To get a more even appearance and to avoid blotching, he uses a clear or natural coat first that soaks into softer, more porous grain, allowing an even spread on the next coat of oil-base stain -- without blotching. It's the sign of a pro. Look how smooth that oil-base stain looks. It's a winner and a run for the gold. And that's the On The House tip for today.