Ski Wax

Ski Waxing Instructions

There are two different categories of ski waxes; they are grip wax and glide wax. Glide wax is used on Nordic and alpine skis, as well as snowboards. This kind of wax is designed to optimize the thickness of the film of water between the ski and the snow. Grip wax, on the other hand, is specific to cross-country skiing with a classical technique. Glide wax is selected based on snow temperature, crystal structure and humidity of the snow. Packaging of waxes will usually have a guideline for users to use so that they get the best kind of wax. This kind of ski wax is applied to the glide zone of the skis which is usually they entire base except for the raised tip. Grip wax comes in two varieties: kick and klister. Kick wax is firm and is to be used for new snow with a definite crystal structure as well as for older cold (below freezing) snow. Klister wax is semi-liquid and comes packaged like tooth paste. Klister wax is much more difficult to apply and works well in icy conditions or warm and wet snow.

Ski Waxing Techniques

Glide wax can be applied in a variety of ways. The most tedious method also produces the best results; this is hot waxing. Selected wax is heated up with a waxing iron, melted and dripped, or “crayoned”, onto the base of the ski. The ski wax is then ironed onto the ski at a temperature between 100 and 130 degrees C. After the wax has cooled, the excess is scraped off with a plastic scraper and then brushed with a brass, horsehair, or nylon brush to remove excess wax.

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The cheaper and easier alternative to the above method is hair dryer paste waxing. Using a paste or rub-on wax, heat the base with a hair dryer and add a layer of wax to the ski. Then the wax is melted with the hair dryer and brushed with a nylon brush. The easiest of all methods for glide waxing are paste, liquid, spray-on and rub-on waxes. These also offer the least performance and require frequent re-application. All that is required of this method is to rub on the wax, let dry, and buff with a waxing cork.

Traditional hard kick wax is crayoned onto the kick zone of a ski and then rubbed with a natural or artificial piece of cork, also called “corking.” This can be done several times and the more layers of hard wax there are on a ski, the more durable the wax will be. The liquid form of kick wax can be spread onto the kick zone in a thin layer and left to dry for about ten to fifteen minutes in a warm room. This is easy, does not require corking, but under extreme circumstances may not give the best results. Klister wax comes in tubes or spray cans and should be applied in a warm area. The ski wax is squeezed out and spread onto the kick zone. Racing techniques allow for klister wax to be combined with hard wax to ensure long-lasting effects, although this is not a good idea for recreational skiers.

Removing Ski Wax

Ski Wax can be removed with commercial solvents which use citrus oil and are safe and environmentally sound. Wax can also be dissolved with gasoline, which is highly flammable, benzene, which is a carcinogen, and ether, which poses an explosion hazard.