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Waxing is a very simple process and is not
as difficult as it is made out to be. First of all, on no
wax skis (skis with a pattern in the center third of the ski)
the pattern area is never waxed. However, on waxable skis
(skis without a pattern in the center third of the ski) only
the center portion of the ski is waxed with grip wax - the
wax for the temperature and conditions of the day.
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The tips and tails for both no-wax
and waxable skis are waxed with glider wax. Glider wax is
applied from the tip of the ski to a point 12 - 14 inches
in front of the binding ( I use a piece of masking tape to
mark this point) and from the heel plate or end of the binding
to the tail of the ski. For waxable skis, the area between
the heel plate and the masking tape is where the grip wax
goes.
Just remember to apply glider wax to tips
and tails of skis; do not wax the pattern area of no-wax skis
and on waxable skis apply grip wax from the heel plate forward
to a point 12 - 14 inches in front of the binding.
First, secure skis firmly to a waxing bench
or vise and clean ski bottoms with wax remover.
Use a calibrated or old iron to apply glider
wax. If you do not have an old iron and you use your regular
clothes iron cover the bottom with aluminum foil to protect
it and keep the wax out of the holes.
Generally, you want to use an iron that has
a smooth bottom. Set the temperature at warm. You want the
iron at a temperature so its hot enough to melt the wax, but
not so hot that the iron smokes.
For general or recreational skiing, I use
Swix CH7 glide wax because it has a wide temperature range.
Hold the glider wax against the tip of the iron (with the
tip of the iron pointing down toward the ski) and drip wax
on the glider areas (tips & tails).
Then iron the wax on the ski - just like
you iron your clothes, moving the iron back and forth until
wax has melted.... about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not leave the
iron in on spot too long because excessive heat can bubble
the skis base. In other words - keep it moving.
Let the wax cool indoors 15 - 30 minutes and
use a plastic scrapper to scrape off the excess wax and make
the bases smooth. Don't forget to scrape the wax out of the
center groove. The bases can then be polished with a cork,
fibertex or a nylon stocking.
Generally, you will glide wax your skis once
or twice a year. If the bottoms look whitish or ashy gray,
the you need more glider wax.
On waxable skis, the kick area (from the
heel plate / end of the binding forward to about 12-14 inches
in front of the binding) you initially put special green or
green kick wax. You never put glide wax in this area because
grip wax does not adhere well to glide wax.....like oil and
water dont mix. Apply/crayon the wax on and use your iron
to smooth it out.
Don't forget to
wipe off the bottom of the iron first with a rag so that you
dont get glider wax in this area. Do this about three or four
times - this protects the base. Now you are ready to apply
the wax of the day. Iron in one layer of this, the put on
a second layer and smooth it out with a cork
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 |
