How to Wax Skis and Snowboards for Maximum Performance

Waxing your skis or snowboard regularly lets you ride faster, makes turning and handling smoother and more predictable, and protects your bases from scuffs and abrasion. Reuben from Next Adventure shows you how to wax from start to finish. How to Wax Skis When you wax your skis, you'll want to start with a well-tuned, structured base. Make sure the base is clean and has been recently tuned. Choosing Wax and Iron Waxes are made for different conditions, and they vary by temperature rating. When in doubt, use an all-temp wax. Heat up an iron, preferably a waxing specific one (although a clothing iron will do), to the temperature specified on the box of wax. Waxing When the iron is heated, hold the wax against the iron an drop hot wax down the clean, tuned base of the ski or snowboard. Make sure you apply enough that it will spread over the entire base, but not so much that you create copious scraping for yourself. Once you've dripped hot wax onto the base, begin to move the iron over the base, doing quick passes over each area until the wax is evenly spread over the entire base. Make sure the iron doesn't linger too long over one spot because it's possible to melt the base and ruin the ski or board. Allow the base to completely dry - the longer the waiting time the better. If the snowboard or skis will be stored over the summer, consider leaving the wax on without scraping it, to allow the wax to soak in during the hiatus period. Scraping Once the wax has dried, use a sharp plastic scraper (not a metal one) to remove the excess wax. Scrap with the scraper angled down, so it pushes wax into the base rather than pulling it up. Remember, wax should be in the base, not on it. Scrape so that few shavings come off when you run a fingernail over the base. There should not be a visible layer of wax on the base - rather the base should appear as though covered in a very thin sheen of oil, as though it is well hydrated. Make sure you scrape the wax off both the base and side edge of the ski or board. Brushing Using a horsehair brush, make medium length swipes down the base. This is to remove excess wax from the structure in the bast to increase speed and glide. Brush down every section of the base several times, until the base appears glossy and clean. Waxing is an integral part of caring for your skis or snowboard. Waxing will increase your speed, glide, and responsiveness of your skis or board. Recreational snow enthusiasts may wax once or twice a season, while more serious athletes may choose to wax every time they hit the slopes. If you have any questions, give us a call or come into the shop to chat with one of our Tune Shop technicians about caring for your skis or snowboard.