13 Oct 16
Did you know that if your skis are waxed they glide and turn much easier? If your skis are waxed the bases are nourished and therefore not so susceptible to damage and they will not dry out or deteriorate.
Wax can be applied in two ways – hot ironing wax into the ski, this gets deep into the base and lasts a long time. Wipe on paste wax is quick to apply but wears off quite quickly, ideal as a top up wax in between hot waxing.
Look after your skis with these four quick steps to ski hot waxing…
Equipment needed:
Waxing iron – Use a specific ski waxing iron. They have a thicker base that spreads the heat and stops you overheating and damaging your ski base.
Wax – Available in a multitude of different versions: universal all temperature waxes, or more specific to snow conditions and temperature. Universal waxes are an easy option and work in most snow conditions, but temperature specific waxes run faster.
Plastic scraper – The thicker the better to stop it bending when you push against it.
Brush – Horsehair is a great finishing and polishing brush. Nylon and brass are also popular to use beforehand.
STEP 1 – Applying the wax
Hold the iron above the ski base. Hold the wax against the iron and drip the wax in a zigzag pattern along the ski
STEP 2 – Ironing the wax smooth
Run the iron along the ski base to spread and smooth out the drips. If the iron feels like it’s sticking, drip on a little more wax.
Caution: Always keep the iron moving so you don’t overheat and damage the ski base.
STEP 3 – Scraping the excess wax
Allow the base to cool to room temperature. Once cool use a sharp plastic scraper, tilted away from you, to scrape all excess wax off the skis. You want to remove all the excess wax from the surface of the skis, as it’s what’s on the base that makes the ski run fast.
TIP: Hold your thumbs in the centre of the scraper to help stop the scraper from bending and making the base concave.
STEP 4 – Base finishing
To smooth and polish the base, brush a number of times with a horsehair or nylon brush.
TIP: Horsehair is the best brush to finish with, as it’s polishing and anti-static allowing the skis to run better and not pick up any dirt
For more detailed information download Ski Bartlett ‘Guide to Ski Servicing’
