Sticky spring snow wax

[Cocximus]

Would a spring specific with floruro wax make a worthwhile difference in super sticky spring snow? I use herthel hot sauce and it's great during winter and spring, but my bases are too sticky in some late spring conditions.

[bovine]

Use Zardoz Notwax- liquid fluro that you apply with an included felt applicator. One application lasts a day.

[Shredhead]

Wax helps, I think structure makes a bigger difference.

[Sirshredalot]

Use Zardoz Notwax- liquid fluro that you apply with an included felt applicator. One application lasts a day.

I love the notwax, but I find that it lasts for a few runs at best.

[SKIP IN7RO]

I use herthel hot sauce and it's great during winter and spring, but my bases are too sticky in some late spring conditions.

Hertel makes a Spring Solution http://www.hertelskiwax.com/Ski-Wax-...g-5bar-ski.htm

[Cocximus]

Hertel makes a Spring Solution http://www.hertelskiwax.com/Ski-Wax-...g-5bar-ski.htm

But does it make a noticeablr difference? I don't care for 1/10 of a second.

[schindlerpiste]

SWIX 10 (Yellow)

[GoldMember]

Would a spring specific with floruro wax make a worthwhile difference in super sticky spring snow? I use herthel hot sauce and it's great during winter and spring, but my bases are too sticky in some late spring conditions.

I use Hertel hot sauce, too during the main part of the season but it doesn't work well in spring snow. I just ordered their Spring Solution wax this year and will try it but, as of now, don't know how it will work. We haven't had any spring conditions yet

http://www.hertelskiwax.com/Hertel-S...-Wax-s/125.htm

oops.. I see permnation beat me to it.

[Alpinord]

Wax helps, I think structure makes a bigger difference.

This is your 1st issue. A coarse structure will free water and moisture. You'll need to brush after scraping to free the structure vs mirror smooth which creates suction.

A low fluoro is hydrophobic and enhances glide in higher moisture and higher humidity conditions.

A colder, durable wax will last longer than yellows on coarse spring snows.

[Cocximus]

Structure? I don't even scrape my wax off. I just do a few runs in the resort then throw the skins on. I will grab the herthel spring wax.

[#######]

Structure? I don't even scrape my wax off. I just do a few runs in the resort then throw the skins on. I will grab the herthel spring wax.

umm, well okay.

I heard this prevents early onset backcountry dimensia...

[detrusor]

Second the yellow swix

[mattig]

Buy from a mag. There's a legit option right in this very thread. Terry's (alpinlord) big old boxes of Briko Maplus universal red/yellow can be ordered in any combination and are a great value for those of you just trying to keep your skis waxed as opposed to win races.

Just switched to my yellow bricks for the season.

[old goat]

Structure? I don't even scrape my wax off. I just do a few runs in the resort then throw the skins on. I will grab the herthel spring wax.

there's your problem. Structure matters in the spring. Of course most of us don't want to grind a coarse structure into our skis that will have to be ground off the next winter--spring structure really sucks in winter snow. What works for me more than anything is never riding a flat ski if I can help it--even on a flat cat track a little edge and a little turning is a lot faster than grabby flat skis.

[gregL]

SWIX 10 (Yellow)

SWIX LF 10 is worth the extra money.

[NW_SKIER]

SWIX LF 10 is worth the extra money.

Fuck yes it is. That is my go to for sticky snow. Even with winter base structure you can slide easy down glue snow. Love it. It is spendy though.

[Alpinord]

there's your problem. Structure matters in the spring. Of course most of us don't want to grind a coarse structure into our skis that will have to be ground off the next winter--spring structure really sucks in winter snow. What works for me more than anything is never riding a flat ski if I can help it--even on a flat cat track a little edge and a little turning is a lot faster than grabby flat skis.

I've had good luck micro-managing coarser structure in colder snows by moderating it using super hard green wax to fill in during hot waxing. Then you simply don't brush it all out of the structure. You can then apply a blue or purple over scrape and brush.

To free the structure of the hard green for wet snows, a steel brush works great. A roto takes seconds. Then you can apply a warmer wax over.

The green provides a very good and durable base protection layer year round. This is especially beneficial for frozen, abrasive spring snows.

An LF can be beneficial year round in higher humidity and may help colder (and more durable) waxes run better when the snow gets moist or a wet storm.

As a general rule as I have been told by reps, product managers, shop owners, racers and rec skiers, you generally pay more for the Swix name thanks to the continued drum beat of unadventurous fan boys and girls. The wax tends to be less durable than others like Briko-Maplus, Toko and Purl, etc. All will provide equal or better performance, longer. I'd carry Swix if I thought otherwise......or was smart.

http://www.slidewright.com/ski-and-snowboard/waxing/

Edit: adding or blending in graphite helps to repel dirt and other gradoo found in melting snows.

[gregL]

I believe you, Terry, but I'm still using the two big boxes of SWIX you sold me on closeout!

[Alpinord]

Ha! I would if I were you. When done, or you give it away, you will be free to go down the path of true understanding and enlightenment.

Edit: if you watched the Torino Olympics, the nordic races were on very spring like conditions. The Italians smoked everyone and the Norwegians were out of the picture and looked like they were dragging trailers. Just saying. B-M is a major player and lots of podiums on the WC tours (alpine & nordic) and in the Olympics. Not too many below that level are aware of them.

[winecabin]

Bluebird graphite/warm temp wax. Very, very fast and lasts longer than the typical spring wax.
All other conditions, either cold or all temp Bluebird. No reason to buy anything else IMO, and yes it'll work on your skis too

[Alpinord]

Happy St Paddy's Day!




On the bench prepping a course base structure to harvest spring corn:

• Wire roto brush to clean out bases
• Ski Visions Structuring plane linear structure w/coarse stone
• 150 grit Silicon Carbide sandpaper on planing block to even out linear structure and to add cross hatch pattern
• Steel scraper or Ski Visions steel blade to moderate structure, high spots or "plastic hairies" if needed or desiredattachFull21217
• KUU bio-Citron for topical clean after brushing
• Possibly a hard base prep & protection wax and/ or graphite
• LP2 Yellow or Orange butter for the wet corn

[1000-oaks]

I normally buy from Terry, but this time am trying some high-flouro 32*-50* T5 from RaceWax. A lot cheaper than the big brands.

[RShea]

I would consider some warm graphite for an economical - especially if the snow is course spring and wet. If money is no object for the Dentists or others on here, then head over to Dominator and enter their wax selector with the snow type and it will come back with suggestions from the responses. Low Flouro to High Flouro 99 series, SRB antistatic or maybe even their Butter wax or overlays.

http://vtech.dominatorwax.com/vtech.html

[Core Shot]

On the bench prepping a course base structure to harvest spring corn:

• 150 grit Silicon Carbide sandpaper on planing block to even out linear structure and to add cross hatch pattern
  

This middle step has no explanation on your website or in this post.

From the pic, I am assuming you go diagonal on each ski, first to the left and then to the right??

how many strokes, how much pressure

How does this compare to a stone grind spring structure base?

How does it affect the edges? dont you have to touch up the base bevels?

[Alpinord]

This middle step has no explanation on your website or in this post.

From the pic, I am assuming you go diagonal on each ski, first to the left and then to the right??

how many strokes, how much pressure

How does this compare to a stone grind spring structure base?

How does it affect the edges? dont you have to touch up the base bevels?

This was an 'in the moment' insta-tip for DIYers with small windows of time and comfortable with hand tools on their own ski and snowboard plastic bases. If you had the time and cash, a deeper machine grind would have been nicer, deeper and more effective for the cross hatching. I'm not sure that the performance would be substantially different, but YMMV.

The 150 grit silicon carbide sand paper cross hatching was simply a quick and careful pass, with moderate pressure, starting at the tails. I did it in sections, first one side then the other, overlapping the strokes. These were more superficial 'scratches' than abraded 'gouges' achieved by the Ski Visions stones. The edges were not affected due to lack of real pressure or number of strokes and since I kept the block flat and didn't let it roll over the beveled edges.

To better mimic a machine cross hatch by hand and to go deeper, more time, pressure and care with either the Ski Visions coarse stone and/or maybe 60 grit silicon carbide sandpaper would be required. A linear structure is much easier and quicker to apply and works fine in wet corn, though, again, YMMV.

On my other skis for the weekend, I simply brushed out hard green wax from a deeper linear structure, before applying warmer wax. Both skis ran well on cold, frozen snows to slushy corn. Dirt and supper saturated snows, not so much. Deeper structure and graphite should help in those sections.

As I understand it, the silicon carbide sand paper cuts plastic/ptex/sintered UHMWPE material cleaner (read less 'hairies') than aluminum oxide sand papers.