Today we’re going to cover the how and why of waxing your ski/snowboard base.
What is waxing?
In simple speak, waxing is putting wax inside the base of your ski/snowboard to make it glide better and help you travel faster on the snow.
Why should I wax?
Well.. you don’t have to wax, but waxing your gear regularly does offer benefits to your riding.
For example:
- It’ll be harder to get stuck on flat terrain
- You’ll be able to hit park features from closer (less runway required)
- Waxing regularly helps protect your base from getting dry and wearing out quicker
When happens when I wax my ski/snowboard?
As I covered in my blog post about repairing your base, your base is made up of a material called p-tex. When you heat p-tex, tiny little holes in the p-tex open up, this is similar to our skin which has tiny holes that allow us to sweat.
By putting wax into the tiny holes in p-tex, we create a surface that glides over snow more efficiently. This means you travel faster! The wax also helps you maintain the p-tex and gives it a little protection from wear and tear.
If you don’t wax regularly, your snowboard still glides on the snow, but the p-tex on your base will feel dryer and you’ll find that you travel slower than others who wax regularly.
How often should I wax my ski/snowboard?
For optimum performance, you’ll want to wax every couple days of riding. This will keep your base nice and waxed, because wax typically only lasts a couple full days of riding. However, don’t worry if you don’t want to wax that often, it just means you’ll travel a little slower.
A large majority of people only wax their skis/snowboard when they need the extra speed. For example, if I find myself getting stuck on flat terrain, I’ll usually wax my snowboard to try to increase my speed.
Go with the amount of waxing that you feel you need, waxing isn’t a must do, it’s just a nice bonus to have.
What do I need to wax my ski/snowboard?
You’ll need:
Waxing Iron – You can use any old iron, it doesn’t have to be a special iron like the one pictured below, any old iron will do. Just know that you can’t use it for clothes as well, unless you want wax on your clothes. I recommend picking up the cheapest iron you can find at any department store.
Wax – You can buy a block/stick of wax for about $10-20 at your local ski/snowboard shop.
There’s actually a lot of different waxes you can use, but for the most part, the average rider can use a standard block of ‘all temperature wax’ which works for most conditions.
For those who want to get in depth information on waxes, I’ll have another blog up soon on using different waxes and how you can select the best wax for you as well as how you can mix waxes to get the best performance.
Plastic Scraper – This is just a piece of plastic that is used to scrape off the leftover wax from your base. This will cost about $10 at any ski/snowboard shop.
Scuff Pad – This isn’t a must have, but it’s really good to have as a final step in your waxing process. You can find these at any supermarket, it’s the same thing used to clean pots and pans.
How do I wax my ski/snowboard?
Here’s a couple videos that will take you through the process.
Have fun and if you’re interested in making your wax work even better, make sure to read my next blog dedicated to choosing and mixing waxes.