· Getting Started · Waxing Instructions
· Waxing and Temperature
As the race season approaches, we receive more and more questions about how to set up new skis and what is the proper waxing technique. Various wax manufacturers have different approaches to the process. The big question is WHICH PROCESS IS BEST FOR YOU?. In reality, most processes can work well as long as the approach is consistent. Remember that waxing skis can be as much science as art, therefore, the process is as important as the wax. Just as one wax is not optimum for all conditions, neither is one ski flex or base structure. Waxing is a learned process. Every time you wax and test your skis, the greater your reference base for prepping your skis the next time out. Therefore, every time you wax and test your skis, the faster your skis should become. Not only are you attempting to optimize the waxing process, but you're also optimizing the base structure and ski flex for the various ski conditions. So never miss an opportunity to improve. Take a minute to glide test your skis. If yours are consistently the fastest in the crowd, congratulations! However, if your skis are slow, maybe you could use some help. To get started, a few things
are important
To start with, choose three basic waxes; a cold wax 10 F and colder, an intermediate wax 15 to 25 F and a warm wax for 25-35 F. Learn the temperature ranges and conditions these waxes work in first. The wax arsenal can be expanded as experience is gained. The main thing to learn is why skis are fast, so the process is repeatable. These waxes are available in the Waxing Kits A large inventory of wax
to start with will only confuse the process and results. At least in the
beginning, use the "KISS" method - keep it simple stupid. Too many
waxes early in the learning process is almost guaranteed to complicate
your life and provide less than consistent results.
When waxing skis, always work the ski from tip to tail (scrape, brush and iron), never in the reverse direction. As skis are made fast by layers and layers of wax, never use wax remover to clean the glide zone of a ski, unless extreme conditions prevail; skied through oil, cow pies or something equally nasty. Instead, clean the ski by melting and ironing in a soft layer of wax on the base, then scrape it off immediately with a plastic scraper. Repeat the process if necessary. If the base is damaged, now is the time to make any repairs. Remove gouges with a metal scraper, remember to scrape in long sweeping motions with even pressure from tip to tail. Then you'll need to remove any ski base fibers with an abrasive pad. In the event of major damage, take to your skis to a local ski shop for an assessment. A more aggressive metal scraping may be required or possibly stone grinding. Set the ski base structure for the ski conditions. (Structure is the height and number of hills and valleys within the ski base). New skis generally come with a medium structure and works well under a wide variety of ski conditions. The exceptions being extremely cold, dry snow or warm, wet snow conditions. Softer waxes generally require more structure and hard waxes less structure.
Wax coverage should cover the total width of the ski base.If the ski is gapped on one side or the other, this is an indication the base may not be flat or you may need to drip more wax on the ski. If the ski has wax gaps, additional metal scraping may help or stone grinding will be necessary to flatten the ski base. Sanding may also flatten the base, however, sanding a ski base is somewhat a lost art since the development of stone grinding. I would not recommend sanding a ski without getting some experienced help. Allow the ski to cool completely before scraping the ski with the plastic scraper (never use a steel scraper here). Ideally, the ski should be allowed to cool in a warm environment (it may be OK for you to go from the sauna to the snow but is not advised for your freshly waxed skis). This is especially true with soft waxes, as they crystallize slower and take more time to set up. If you're applying more than one coat of wax, scrape the ski between each waxing. The scraping process opens up the micro-structure of the ski base and the ski will be able to absorb more wax. For racing skis, give the ski a minimum of two coats of wax. After scraping, brush the
ski to clean the base structure using a coarse brush first, followed by
a fine brush and then polish with a cloth. The new roto brushes work well
for polishing skis, however they take some experience to learn. If you're
just starting to learn how to wax, hand polish the ski. Plus by hand polishing,
you'll develop a positive Karma with your skis - just kidding. Do not use
an abrasive pad to polish the ski base after waxing. This just removes
the wax as if skiing 50 K on abrasive snow.
Step-by-Step Waxing Instructions 1. Always work the ski from the tip to the tail. (never in reverse direction). 2. Clean the ski.
Repeat step 4 at least once 5. Brush the ski with a fiber brush to clean the structure and polish with fiber cloth.
Iron Instructions 1. Follow the Fast Wax instructions for preparing and waxing the ski base. 2. Apply Flite powder to the ski base and distribute evenly. 3. Iron in from tip to tail, even pressure and steady slow speed with the iron (low heat). 4. Cork the ski from tip to tail, use high pressure rapid speed to make powder blend into the ski base. 5. Let the ski cool slowly. 6. Brush with coarse then fine brush always working the ski from tip to tail. 7. Polish ski base. Corking Instructions
When selecting a wax, sometimes we have to trust the weather report. However, even with our super weather forecasting models, occasionally an unexpected front comes through in the middle of the night changing conditions. If the skis must be waxed the day before a race and conditions are uncertain, try to select a wax slightly colder than the expected conditions and apply a lighter structure than required. This way, if the temperature change is warmer than expected, structure can be added at the race site with one of the new, easy to use rolling rilling tools on the market and your skis will be OK. The best bet is to have a back up pair of skis waxed for alternate conditions. Try not to error on the side of waxing too warm. Going from a warm wax and large structure to a cold wax and polished skis is difficult to accomplish at the race site. Select waxes by snow temperature. Many times with large air temperature swings, the snow will remain constant or lag significantly behind the air temperature, especially in wooded areas.
Everyone will have a few extra twists they think improve their skis, here are a few of mine.
New Skis
Artificial or man-made snow - referred to from here on as SNIRT, a combination of snow and dirt Keep in mind as we make recommendations for SNIRT the 80 – 20 rule applies: the general rule is good 80% of the time. Remember SNIRT is a hard particle of ice, not a hollow flake of snow and does not soften or melt as easy as snow. For this reason wax recommendations will change slightly from those for natural snow. In temperatures below freezing, wax a little harder than normal with more structure and a stiffer ski. In temperatures above freezing, wax cooler with a larger structure. SNIRT holds more moisture in cooler temperatures, however, SNIRT does not mush out as easily in warm temperatures and the base under the SNIRT is generally ICE. General recommendations: cold dry wind from the north
Structure
If several pairs of skis are available, try to set a pair of skis up for each condition. Here stone grinding will help. Use a fine grind for cold and increase the size of the grind as the temperature warms. The ski technician should be able to maximize your skis performance by matching the proper stone grind, with the ski flex, with the snow conditions. If you plan on having your skis stone ground, be sure seek out a shop that specializes in Nordic skiing, not downhill skiing.
Miscellaneous
Select waxes by snow temperature. Many times with large air temperature swings, the snow will remain constant or lag significantly behind the air temperature, especially in wooded areas. If possible, always test your skis on the trail not in the stadium. Cold, clear or windy conditions or cold new snow; anticipate abrasive snow and wax for colder than expected temperatures. Low areas, woods, generally shaded areas; wax for colder than expected temperatures. Warm nights, new snow; expect moist snow and use structure and fluorinated waxes. In addition, overcast conditions are generally humid, and fluorinated waxes typically work best. The main thing to remember, be consistent with waxing. Use the same process each time and develop a waxing log the same as a training log, noting structure, temperature, snow conditions and performance. Wax your skis often, the more skis are waxed, the faster the skis become and the better you become at waxing. Test glide skis often. Use a steep down hill for high speed evaluation, low angle hills for slow speed and up-hill for performance. Many times top racers choose a race ski by the way it climbs. Most of all, have fun and ski often. Please contact Dan Meyer
at fastwax@visi.com with any technical
questions or comments on the Fast Wax website.
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