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Waxing for racing consists of two or three
applications of wax:
· Base waxing with conventional or
LF gliders.
· Waxing for the current conditions with the appropriate
LF or IR gliders.
· Top coating with fluor powders, compressed concentrates,
gels or hardening powders.
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Base waxing:
The purpose of base waxing is to alter the
hardness of the top layer of the ski base to match the conditions
and the expected abrasion from the elements. Care must be
taken with base waxing especially when the base contains softer
wax for storage and the conditions call for a harder base
wax. In these types of situations perform the base waxing
twice. The first application removes the softer wax and the
second one forms the base waxing with the appropriate hardness.
Also take note of the condition of the base
when performing base waxing. Impregnated bases in good condition
that have been waxed multiple times are usually sufficient
to base wax just once. If the condition of the base is not
race worthy, take special care especially at this stage by
performing the base waxing multiple times over.
Note that the thin films formed by any fluor
top layer additives are not meant to take the place of proper
base preparation and waxing. The purpose of the fluor additives
at the final stage of waxing is to provide the finishing touch
to the properly prepared ski base by providing a very thin
top layer(s). The thickness of the layer is comparable to
car waxing. The finished fluor layer thickness is extremely
thin, about 0.010 to 0.015 mm. Take note when selecting the
base wax; that the fluor top layer will make the overall waxing
a bit softer.
Waxing for the conditions, the second layer
The purpose of this layer of wax is to form the best possible
binding base for the fluor top layer. Depending on your desired
level of waxing, choose either LF or IR fluor glide wax. Also
at this stage, the key point is to choose the glide wax with
the appropriate hardness. Note the wax selection criteria
for this step. One fluor glider layer is sufficient, provided
that the skis are well base waxed.
Top coating the final layer
The purpose of the final top coating layer is to fine tune
the wax job (consisting of the base waxing and the middle
layer for the current conditions) to match the conditions
as best as possible.
If the conditions call for maximum durability, choose a hardening
powder. In wet conditions with a lot of suction, choose an
additive that best reduces the surface tension such as a fluor
powder.
Note that top coating is only one aspect of
a complete waxing that can not replace or fix mistakes made
on the bottom layers. A thorough job on each of the layers
ensures the total success of the ski preparation.
The selection of glide waxes in all layers
of the waxing process is influenced by the following:
The snow and air temperature,
The relative humidity, low (below 55%), normal (55%-75%) and
high (over 75%)
The structure of the snow: new or fine granule, old, coarse,
icy, dirty
The distance to be skied
The technique used: free (skating) or classical (diagonal
stride).
The air and snow temperatures
Air and snow temperatures influence the selection of the wax
the most. Follow the snow temperature. It may be substantially
lower than air temperature, especially towards the spring
in sunny weather. Take note of the degree of warming by the
sun.
Estimate the proportion of shady and sunny
spots on the track. Select a softer waxing only if you are
convinced that the warmer portions of the outing/race are
more numerous than cold areas. A waxing that is too hard is
always a safer choice than a too soft selection. This is most
pronounced in the skating technique and especially in base
waxing.
Relative humidity
Relative humidity is important criteria, especially in the
selection of the type of wax to be used. In low levels of
humidity (less than 50%), fluorless waxes are a competitive
choice with fluor waxes. As the humidity increases to 55-60%,
the advantage of fluor waxes becomes more evident. When the
humidity is in excess of 75%, the importance of fluor top
coat additives are extremely important. In high humidity the
bases are subjected to high levels of suction and. One of
Fluor's key properties of reducing friction attributable to
suction is clear in these conditions.
The snow structure
The impact of snow structure is the greatest when the snow
is coarse, abrasive or dirty. In all of these conditions,
the base waxing of the bases must be performed with a harder
wax than the conditions would normally dictate. The durability
of the harder wax is better and in coarse conditions there
is very little suction present.
This means that the harder base waxing in
these conditions does not have suction related, undesirable
side effects.
In dirty snow a hard waxing does not pick up as much dirt
as a softer waxing. The impact of this is emphasized as the
skied distance gets longer.
In dirty snow, topcoat additives should contain
fluor (either in powder, compressed block or gel form). These
topcoat additives are recommended also on coarse snow when
the snow is not exceedingly abrasive. In very abrasive conditions
we recommend the use of hardening powders for the top layer.
The distance to be skied
The distance to be skied has a particular impact on the base
waxing and the middle layer. When waxing for long distances,
the base waxing needs to begin, even in warmer conditions,
with the harder waxes (for example the green or Graphite Hard).
The base waxing and the middle layer serve to progressively
"soften" the waxing to match the conditions. The
final topcoat always needs to be ironed on in one or two passes,
with cold wax also rubbed on as the finishing touch.
The ski technique
For skating skis, the usual practice is almost without exception
to use a slightly harder base waxing in comparison to skis
waxed for classical diagonal stride in the same conditions.
This is so because during the glide portion, the classical
ski is subjected to, at a maximum, by the total weight of
the skier.
This is in contrast to the skating technique
where the ski also feels not only the weight of the skier
but the force of the skating kick. For the skating technique,
the forces on the gliding surfaces during the glide are 2
- 3 times of those in the classical technique. A comparatively
harder base waxing must be done on a skating ski so that it
will able to handle the stronger forces on the gliding surfaces.
Why
wax the skis? | How
to apply ski wax | What
is wax? | How
to Wax Your Skis With Kick Wax |
Facts
on Nordic Ski Wax | Waxing
for Recreational Skiing | The
Fundametals of Glide Waxing |
Ski
wax can slow your glide |
