Ski wax
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Ski wax is a material applied to the bottom of skis or snowboards to help them perform on snow.
Type of ski wax
In general, ski wax can be broken down into two categories: "kick" and "glide".Glide wax
Glide wax describes a range of waxes which can be applied to Nordic and alpine skis (as well as snowboards). The purpose of glide waxing is to decrease drag (hence increasing speed or give the user better control) and also to protect the bases of skis or snowboards.Glide wax is usually made up of hydrocarbons, but more expensive and considerably faster waxes usually include fluorocarbons. The exact science of the effects of glide-waxing is somewhat mysterious, but it is believed that in the process of waxing the base becomes smoother and gains the water-repellent properties of hydro/fluoro-carbons. This creates less drag as the ski glides on the surface of snow. In modern waxes, water-soluble surfactants are formulated into the hydrocarbons. When skiing, the non-polar molecules in the wax repulse the relatively polar water molecules between the base of the ski and the snow, reducing friction. The effect of the added surfactants can be demonstrated with a droplet of water on a clean surface; the shape of the water droplet will flatten out when a small amount of soap is added to the droplet. Although the sufactants in soap are different to those in wax, the underlaying principle is similar. This allowed the introduction of all mountain, all temperature wax.
Kick wax
Kick wax describes a variety of waxes specific to cross country skiing. This wax comes in two forms, "hard" and "klister". Hard wax is a tar-like substance which comes in a small canister, used for new snow and/or snow that is "cold". Klister is a semi-liquid which comes in containers similar to toothpaste containers. Klister is notoriously sticky and deserves its reputation as a difficult wax to use, but excellent when used in old snow or snow that's relatively "warm."Although the nuances of kick waxing are incredibly complex, all kick waxes serve generally the same purpose. The wax is applied to the portion of the ski extended out from below the region of the foot and when pressure is applied to this areas the wax grips the snow and allows the skier to propel themselves forward. This is referred to as the classical technique. What makes kick waxing difficult is choosing the correct wax. If a warm weather wax is used in cold conditions, snow may stick to the wax and increase drag on the ski. If a cold weather wax is used in warm conditions, the ski will be slippery and will not grip well.
Glide waxing process
Glide waxing is much more common than grip waxing, simply because most people use downhill skis, waxless cross-country skis or skate skis. Waxless cross-country skis usually have etched gripping surfaces that eliminate the need to apply grip wax. Also, the glide surfaces (the front and rear uncambered areas) of all classic skis are glide waxed. There are typically three types of waxing:Hot waxing
This method, albeit tedious, offers the best performance. It requires a waxing iron (see below), nylon brush, and a plastic scraper. Wax appropriate for the anticipated temperature range is heated up against the iron and melted, dripping onto the base of the ski. The wax is then ironed into the base at 100 C to 130 C, keeping the iron moving so that the base does not overheat: the base should be hot enough to keep the wax liquid for a second or two after the iron passes over it, but never scalding to the touch. After allowing the base to cool for 8 to 20 minutes, the excess wax is scraped off from the front of the ski towards the back, then the ski is brushed with a nylon brush in order to remove excess wax from the base and expose structure in the base. If the wax starts to smoke it means the low-melting-point ingredients are burning and dissipating into the atmosphere. This changes the wax formula resulting in a brittle application. In this case the temperature of the iron should be turned down slightly until the wax stops smoking.
Waxing Irons
- Special-purpose ski waxing irons have no steam holes. These irons are ideal for waxing because their thick bases keeps the heat even and spread out over the entire surface resulting in better wax penetration and eventually faster skis.
- Clothes irons are very inexpensive, have the requisite flat base, and will heat to the correct temperature (hot enough to melt the wax, but not so hot that the wax smokes). The steam holes do not do any harm, as long as the steam function isn't used. A clothes iron that has been used to wax skis should not be used to iron clothes, as the wax residue left behind on the iron would likely ruin clothing.
Hair dryer paste waxing
This method is a cheap and easy alternative to the hot wax method. The preferred wax is a paste wax or rub-on wax, as opposed to the solid waxes used for hot waxing. Simply heat up the ski base with a hair dryer, then apply a layer of wax and reheat the wax onto the base with the hair dryer. After it cools down, buff the wax with a waxing cork. A scraper can be used to scrape off excessive wax before buffing.Paste, liquid, spray-on, and rub-on waxing
These are the simplest waxing methods, though they offer the least performance. Generally by casual skiers, all that is required is to smear/rub-on a layer of wax onto the ski base, and let it dry (ranging from 15 minutes to an hour, though generally longer drying times provide the best results) before buffing it into the ski base with a waxing cork. Waxes applied by these methods will offer some performance initially, however they don't last as long as a hot-wax and will require frequent re-applications to maintain the same level of performance. Best of the high fluoro paste wax is by Maxiglide. Their XC formula for cross country skis and Maxx-Waxx by Maxiglide is for alpine and snow boards.Grip waxing process, Cross-Country only
Hard Wax
It comes in an aluminum can and is crayoned onto the kick zone of the ski. It is then rubbed into the ski with a cork. Sometimes, it can be more effectively ironed into the ski to allow better adhesion. Usually several layers of wax are needed for the application to last.Klister Wax
Klister wax comes in a tube and must be applied warm. It is squeezed out of its tube onto the kick zone of the ski, and then spread using a paddle or with a thumb. Some people use a hair drier or iron to heat it up. Klister wax is often applied in combination with hard wax to ensure lasting results.History
Ski waxing began in the 1860s of America, where California gold rush miners held impromptu downhill ski races. They soon discovered that bases smeared with dopes brewed from vegetable and/or animal compound helped increase skiing speeds. This led to some of the first commercial ski wax (even though they contained no wax at all), such as Black Dope and Sierra Lighting; both are mainly composed of sperm oil, vegetable oil and pine pitch. However, some instead used paraffin candle wax that melted onto ski bases, and these worked better under colder conditions. Ski waxing has developed into a very complex pseudoscience, its advancement motivated by ski racing. Several companies are dedicated to ski wax, have developed full lines of wax to cover every condition for the maximum performance. The most recent great advancement in ski wax has been the use of surfactants and fluorocarbons to increase water and dirt repellency and therefore increase glide. Surfactants change the structure of the water created by the friction of the base as it glides over the snow.See also
External links
Science of Ski Waxes [An Article by Christopher Talbot]WaxFax [An Article by Terry Hertel]
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