the first wax on a new pair of skis.

[Neaps]

Not sure if this is a myth, nonesense, or what... but i was told the very first layer of wax ever put on a ski should be a very cold / temp that gets deep into the pores and acts as a first coating base layer for all waxes thereafter. Anyone else heard this? Does it matter? Is there any science in this? Sounds like bollocks to me.

[keksie]

just use the cheapest wax you can find and warm wax like 10-20times. and i've actually heard soft waxes (high temp) works better.. because err.. its softer and gets into pores better

[XXX-er]

I heard soft wax to begin with ,on new skis I thro on a bunch of warm wax ,heat and let cool completely without scraping ... repeat as many times as possible

[skifishbum]

Hot box or repeated base prep (ie warm wax) with hot scrapes.
Or cold or condition dependent wax after every ride till you get the pores saturated and base fast

[backplayer10]

to set the truth about waxing once and for all......

i worked at a ski shop and the guy that showed me has been doing this for decades. he is like the godfather of waxing around here.

the first thing you want to do is put down a warm temp wax and scrape it off while its still hot. this gets all the dirt and abrasions off the ski surface that are left over from the stone grinding at the factory. then you want to put a normal coat of warm wax on (like a 28 to 35 degree) right away and let it sit until it cools. then scrape and apply another coat. after that you should work your way from warm to cold wax - as the temp increases the warm wax will be left and the cold wax will 'melt' away. thus the wax in the pores of the ski always have wax in them. if you use a cold weather wax, then when it gets warm outside the wax gets soft and comes out right away.

any questions just pm me.

[snowful]

to set the truth about waxing once and for all......

I bout fell off my barstool

i worked at a ski shop and the guy that showed me has been doing this for decades. he is like the godfather of waxing around here.

I hope "here" isn't Texas.

any questions just pm me.

nah i'll just post my question in the thread.

after that you should work your way from warm to cold wax - as the temp increases the warm wax will be left and the cold wax will 'melt' away. thus the wax in the pores of the ski always have wax in them. if you use a cold weather wax, then when it gets warm outside the wax gets soft and comes out right away.

WTF are you talking about.

[HankScorpio]

WTF are you talking about.

Took the words right out of my mouth. That has to be biggest waste of wax and time I've heard yet.

[skibumnh]

as the temp increases the warm wax will be left and the cold wax will 'melt' away. thus the wax in the pores of the ski always have wax in them. if you use a cold weather wax, then when it gets warm outside the wax gets soft and comes out right away.

I thought cold waxes were harder and had a higher melting point.

[Vicious]

Who has the time to wax a million times before skiing your new sticks? Just throw some wax on there and go ski.

[Neezer]

OK....so this is a total JONG question from a total JONG, but I have heard both sides of the argument....I bought my first new pair of skis this summer, and I asked about waxing them before i hit the slopes....Do i need to wax them before i use them if they are brand new? The guy at the shop said i wouldn't need to. I've heard that I do need to...which is it?

[ill-advised strategy]

just use the cheapest wax you can find and warm wax like 10-20times. and i've actually heard soft waxes (high temp) works better.. because err.. its softer and gets into pores better

word for word: X2

and neez, you JONG ...you don't "need" to wax alpine skis ever really. It's just something to do if you like your skis to glide well.

[skibumnh]

Most of the waxing techniques spoken of here are derived from the need to go hundredths of a second faster than someone else down an slope.

If you are really gung ho about waxing, I recommend this instructional dvd.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Who has the time to wax a million times before skiing your new sticks? Just throw some wax on there and go ski.

I agree.

When I race world cup events though I have the team tech do the hot to cold wax thing for me. it works pretty good for the first 50 yards or so out of the gate when you really need accelerate and close any time gaps.

[Neezer]

word for word: X2

and neez, you JONG ...you don't "need" to wax alpine skis ever really. It's just something to do if you like your skis to glide well.

cool. thanks for the help!

could I get some other opinions just as useful as YetiMan's?

[gramboh]

Assuming this is for all mountain/pow etc. sticks just buy cheap warm wax (0-10c) and do a couple hot scrapes (scrape right away) to saturate then use a mid temperature wax(-4c to -10c). Why waste the effort with hot boxing, 30 waxes etc. on all mountain skis, crazy. You don't need to wax new skis at all, doing so just helps you glide better which is good for lazy people like me.

[schuss]

Waxing skis does also help to prevent damage, as otherwise the bases tend to be more vulnerable to damage. Or at least that's what one of my friends who used to run a shop said. I think he works for wintersteiger now.

[splat]

I agree.

When I race world cup events though I have the team tech do the hot to cold wax thing for me. it works pretty good for the first 50 yards or so out of the gate when you really need accelerate and close any time gaps.

I thought Bode waxed your skis?

[highflyingpilot]

Most of the waxing techniques spoken of here are derived from the need to go hundredths of a second faster than someone else down an slope.

Bear in mind that well waxed skis can be a lifesaver on a traverse.

[snowful]

Bear in mind that well waxed skis can be a lifesaver on a traverse.

Just having fast skis makes the sport a whole lot easier, and more enjoyable.

[focus]

1. Fast skis are more fun.

2. It isn't rocket science.

3. Why let cool and scrape between coats if you're slapping on multiple coats of the same temp wax? That's retarded. (hotscraping to clean is a diff. issue)

4. Cold temp wax doesn't have a lower melting point. If you think this you've obviously never tried to iron ch4 or similar to a pair of skis.

[irul&ublo]

I thought Bode waxed your skis?

Not his skis...his gnads.



Base prep wax is really soft. After grinding hot scrape to clean bases and then wax, cool, scrape 3x. Or...

Buy some bulk swix universal or something similar (2 temps, warm and cold). Wax and scrape every few days. You're not on the fucking world cup.

waxing video

[XXX-er]

1. Fast skis are more fun.

2. It isn't rocket science.

3. Why let cool and scrape if you're slapping on multiple coats of the same temp wax on? That's retarded.

4. Cold temp wax doesn't have a lower melting point. If you think this you've obviously never tried to iron ch4 or similar to a pair of skis.

exactly


having fast skis is not so big if you are just going downhill but if you ski XC you will see and feel the difference in a well waxed ski . Wax a new ski once and go out for a 2 hr skate in cold icy conditions you will see the bases go whitish where the wax is gone .take that same ski and wax it 20 times and you might get 6 hrs out of it before the bases go white


I don't scrape if i am trying to load the bases I leave the wax on until the last time when i scrape most of the warm wax off and do the final wax for the current conditions.I believe the main thing is to let the ski cool off completely before heating it again so when I am trying to get wax into the base's I will leave wax on and reheat it in the morning ,after work ,after dinner ect

I do find colder wax is harder to apply ,it may melt at the same temp but it seems harder to melt so whats going on with that?


apparently the finns like to hot box their skis in the suana

[irul&ublo]

[backplayer10]

in my defense:

the people that criticize my technique dont really seem to have a great argument and thus dont sound like they know any better than i do. second, i waxed hundreds of skis a week at my last job and probably have more waxing experience then most of you. third, THINK ABOUT THAT!! why is a cold weather wax a cold weather wax? if all waxes melted at the same temp why would there by different waxes? whats the point? the waxes are made to melt at certain temps to provide a smooth surface. think about the logic of putting a warm wax on then scraping and putting a cold wax on. the layers might actually do something if you do it right. not waxing your skis can make them dry out. i have seen this before and thats one of the reasons they invented stone grinding. if they dry out and the pores get rough then your ski doesnt glide that well. you will see a difference here. if you choose to neglect it and think skiing on crap bases is fun then go for it. you obviously dont need wax. and if waxing is such a optional application, why does every shop in the county (even the ones in texas im sure) offer waxing? if you really want to see the difference in waxes and how waxing works then ask a xc skier. if you still dont get the whole waxing thing then thats your deal, dont chastize me for trying to educate someone about it.

and the people that dont get it but still put their $.02 in are the reason i said ill set the record straight and you can pm me questions.

[tsproul]

why is a cold weather wax a cold weather wax?

Because it causes the least friction when temperatures are 'cold.' Something to do with the way the wax interacts with the snow crystals to make a nice microlayer of water which all gives the least friction. That's about as much rocket science as I'm capable of.

if all waxes melted at the same temp why would there by different waxes?

melting point is only one property of any given chemical.

think about the logic

Well said. Now, if only......