Surprisingly l have had several people ask me this question. People have said that they don’t wax their skis or snowboards and don’t think that it makes a difference.
If you only ski or ride once or twice a year on a holiday trip you may not think you need more wax but you do. Over time wax wares away and must be replaced. You are gliding slower with more effort. Why work harder to turn and maneuver your skis and snowboard? Waxing them will not take very long but will dramatically change the feel of the ride.
Skis and snowboards bases are made with a type of plastic called UHMWPE which stands for Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly Ethylene. This plastic is often called by their trade names P-tex or DuraSurf™. It is a durable, fast, high-performance base material. High impact resistance and ready machinability. Hot wax applied to this base soaks in to the surface and increases glide.
The right wax will reduce a suction like drag that happens in warm wet snow. A different wax will stop the drag created by dry powdery snow. There are different types of wax for different temperatures and types of snow. It sounds complicated by it is really a simple process of reducing drag and reducing the drag will increase the responsiveness of the equipment.
Once you ride freshly waxed skis or snowboards you can really feel a big difference. They are far faster, smoother and a lot easier to maneuver from turn to turn.
You spent a lot of money to buy just the right equipment. Shouldn’t it preform up to your expectations?
If you haven’t waxed your skis or snowboard in a long time. (Or ever)
You probably think it’s going to be a messy process and take a lot of time with special equipment. You can do it with a few simple tools. 1) Temperature specific wax bar 2) a waxing iron 3) a plastic scraper 4) a stiff nylon brush 5) a soft nylon brush
We are not going to go into a step by step process right here but it is easy to do with a few tools.
Still not sure? Try a test.
Just have a ski shop hot wax your skis or snowboard for you over night. They will use the right wax for the current snow conditions. Get that new ski or snowboard feel back again! Now go ride for a day or two and see the difference that wax can make. To keep this new feel and supper glide you will have to re apply wax after every 4 to 5 days of skiing and riding on snow. Friction from the snow will slowly wear the wax away.
You can learn to easily wax your own equipment. In fact you can wax your ride all season for the price of two or three wax jobs at the ski shop. It’s not hard to do. You can do it yourself quickly with a few simple tools. You will have fun, increase the life of your equipment, and save money all at the same time. In fact as long as you are waxing your ride, offer to wax your friends ride at the same time for a couple of bucks and make a little money for the trouble.
Every ski or board shop will tell you the truth a fresh wax on your skis or snowboard will definitely improve their maneuverability and performance. It will help extend the life of your equipment and yes it will make you fast.
Find out more about ski and snowboard wax and waxing tools on our Frequently Asked Questions Page.
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