How to Wax your Skis and Boards

For this week's Friday how-to post I will give you the basic steps and tools/supplies you need to wax your ski's and board's. I am by no means a professional ski or board waxer an would like to state that upfront, however I hope that these instructions are easy to follow and allow you to get the job done.

Why should you wax your ski's or board's?
When wax is applied to the bottom of your ski's and board's it provides an extra layer of protection that makes your gear last longer. The wax also helps you go faster by having a smooth surface to glide on and it also helps you turn more easily. There are a few different types of waxes that you can use as well such as temperature specific, universal, rub-on, and fluorocarbons. Temperature specific waxes and universal waxes are very similar and require a waxing iron to apply it to your gear. However, rub-on wax is a simple and quick wax application that you can apply using a sponge. Then fluorocarbon wax are usually used by racers to help glide faster and can be pretty pricey.

  

What you will need:

• Vise for ski or board
• Waxing iron
• plastic scraper
• stiff. nylon brush
• Metal file
• rubbing alcohol
• clean rag or towel
• your favorite Wax

Step to apply wax:

1. First, place your Ski or board on a vice to hold them in place while you apply the wax. If you don't have a vice you can use an old stack of books to prop up your gear. 
2. Make sure to lock your ski brakes up or your snowboard bindings are tucked away, so that neither are in your way of applying the wax. 
3. Using a clean rag or towel dampened with rubbing alcohol wipe down your ski or board to remove any dust or debris. Allow the ski or board to dry for 20 minutes before beginning the next step. 
4. Time to power on the waxing iron. The temperature should be lower for softer and warmer waxes while the temperature should be higher for harder and colder waxes. The instructions on the wax label should tell you exactly what temperature setting to use. 
5. To start, take a chunk of wax and hold it to the iron hovering 2-4 inches above your ski or board, then from tip to tail in a zigzag motion let the wax droplets fall onto your ski or board until the base is completely covered. 
6. Next, apply the iron directly onto the ski or board to coat the entire base with an even thin layer of wax. Make sure to not hold the iron in one place for too long because that could blister the base. Apply more wax if needed and constantly check to make sure the whole base is covered from side to side and from tip to tail. The wax layer should be thin enough that one end should dry by the time you reach the other end.  
7. Next, wait about 30 minutes to 1 hour for the base to dry. Do not place it in a cold area or outside to cool faster because that can ruin the waxing job. 
8. After the base is completely dry, using your plastic scraper remove excess wax from tip to tail on your ski or board. This process is complete when the base is nearly free of visible wax. The wax will remain in the pores of your base. 
9. Then still using your scraper make sure to scrap the metal edges of your ski or board to remove the excess wax. 
10. Finally using your nylon brush, brush your ski or board for about 20-30 strokes from tip to tail to bring out the texture of the base which will increase your speed.

My biggest recommendation is that you wax in a well ventilated space and have a room temperature atmosphere to get the best results. Happy Waxing!!

For videos on how to apply wax to both ski's and Snowboard's check out these Youtube videos from REI:
waxing for ski's
waxing for Snowboard's