going nordic = going ghay?

[XXX-er]

The main issue will be boots, even Salomon is moving away from SNS now so the selection is limited. If you can find some boots that work then those will be fine for casual touring.

So I been out of it for awhile ? am I to understand SNS has been replaced by NNN ?

cuz I'm all in on the SNS

[Peruvian]

So I been out of it for awhile ? am I to understand SNS has been replaced by NNN ?

cuz I'm all in on the SNS

Yup. Even newer Solly boots have a NNN sole.

[XXX-er]

I stopped the xc skiing about 10 yrs ago and just ski toured but I'm thinking the stuff I got is still current enough/ usable

[plugboots]

I stopped the xc skiing about 10 yrs ago and just ski toured but I'm thinking the stuff I got is still current enough/ usable

Well, of course, unless something’s broken.

[teledad]

Yup. Even newer Solly boots have a NNN sole.

Technically it's called Prolink but it's fully compatible with NNN and Turnamic (boots and skis). Also most of the skis (except S/Lab and some of the lower end stuff) now come integrated with Prolink bindings.

[Dr. Crank]

On the topic of glide waxing, many folks around here have stopped messing around with the hot wax and are using Vaughti liquid or Yes cold apply wax. At the ski swap the local race team waxed the used skis we picked up for a small fee using the cold apply method; told me they don’t really bother with the hot wax anymore. They can do a hundred pairs in an hour without really breaking a sweat.

I don’t know, I imagine hot wax still has its time and place…and with the cold apply it also means going out and buying more specialized stuff. As for the liquid wax, I think you still need to do intermittent hot waxing, maybe just not as often.

[Peruvian]

Technically it's called Prolink but it's fully compatible with NNN and Turnamic (boots and skis). Also most of the skis (except S/Lab and some of the lower end stuff) now come integrated with Prolink bindings.

Yup and it’s why I can’t find any SNS Profil boots for my wife!

[tellybele]

I would be weary of drying out my bases using anything other than hot wax. If you aren't using heat to penetrate (open up the base to get the wax in there) then there must be some kind of 'catalyst' for chemical penetration. Over a period of time I would think you'd be drying out and trashing your bases? I hot wax and depending on conditions and amount of use, I either wax after every or every other use. I started with a house iron and would get smoke and inconsistent results. I got a midrange Swix years ago and it has been perfect. Works great for tips-n-tails on the XC skis as well as the DH monsters

[plugboots]

From a Toko, (which is basically Swix as well), thing I just got. (Edited so it isn’t like a KD post.)

Hot waxing will always be the bedrock of ski and snowboard preparation as long as we have sintered bases. There are two main types of ski and snowboard bases: sintered and extruded. Extruded bases are what inexpensive skis and snowboards come with. They are basically plastic and do not absorb wax. The more expensive (non entry level) skis and snowboards come with sintered bases. The idea behind sintered bases is that if you make a base material that absorbs wax, you can change the properties of the base. If you hot wax with a hard wax, you can make the base more dry friction or abrasion resistant which makes the skis faster in cold dry or abrasive conditions. If you hot wax with a soft hydrophobic wax such as yellow, the bases will become faster in wet snow where combatting suction is a great factor.
——
It goes on to explain that liquid waxes work, but hot waxes last longer are better, etc. etc.

[teledad]

My understanding is that even with liquid wax, you still need some hot wax underneath to protect the bases. So you'd still be hot waxing but maybe not every day. Also you should cork in the liquid (either by hand or with a roto tool) for better durability. Given that, it's not clear to me that it really saves much time, although I can see value for races and other places where it's hard to find a power outlet. I occasionally carry some liquid wax for long skates (particularly in abrasive warm snow conditions) in case I need to refresh the wax.

[bodywhomper]

Any of you try light structuring/base refreshing with a skivisions tool (with stone) in lieu of waxing? The skivisions guy swears by it for alpine skis in non-racing situations. My experiments/observations over the past few years on alpine skis is that wax only makes a noticeable difference in wet snow/slush compared to just a base refresh with a ski visions tool. Also, a few light passes with a stone to “refresh” the bases take much less time than waxing.

[SB]

Wax on

Wax off

[ey_allen]

A shot from today. More trails opening up with all the snow around here.

[Blaster]

Adding structure with a hand tool will help for wet snow but won’t fix dry bases. Just get some of the new liquid wax from swix/toko it is way faster than old school hot waxing. You will still have to do a 1-2 hot waxes a year to keep your bases happy but all the xc coaches I know swear by the new liquid wax for its ease of use.

[~mikey b]

anyone tried DPS Phantom treatment for their nordorque skis?

[bodywhomper]

Adding structure with a hand tool will help for wet snow but won’t fix dry bases. Just get some of the new liquid wax from swix/toko it is way faster than old school hot waxing. You will still have to do a 1-2 hot waxes a year to keep your bases happy but all the xc coaches I know swear by the new liquid wax for its ease of use.

Not sure you’re aware, it’s a stone tool that removes base material https://www.slidewright.com/skivisio...uring-tool.php

And not a base structure tool, like the manual structure rollers sold by swix.

My experience (alpine skis) has been that a touch up with the skivisions tool removed material/damage from dry bases pretty easily. I’ve only encountered that damage near the surface of the base (ie I haven’t had to remove a lot of material). All based on visual inspections.

[huckbucket]

A shot from today. More trails opening up with all the snow around here.

That looks amazing. So jealous. We have cold in the upstates at the moment, but we also have brown.

[Iowagriz]

Why are these devices $300? Simple tub with the ability to warm/liquefy the wax and a roller to apply.

Give me one of those for $100-150 and I could wax my skis every other day.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

[romeo tango]

.
when i was a kid,
old timers would melt wax in a little sauce pan
then use a trim brush to apply the liquefied wax to the bases....
cool, scrape and cork

they had a dedicated pan for each wax color,
can't mix that shit ....

.

[Cisco Kid]

I pay $0 - $60 for used skis w/binding. Hot wax them with a $5 Goodwill steam iron. And I ski in jeans. I must be doing it wrong

[romeo tango]

.
don't believe the hype

is that a demon-baby?
.

[XXX-er]

after a 10yr hiatus I could barely stand up on the fucking things but it got better and the beatings will continue until the moral improves

[new yabyum]

West Tetons in splendid shape. From Teton Canyon to the town tracks. Git some.

[bobz]

Yesterday at TDXC near Truckee:

Sweet conditions, striding on blue kick wax all day.

[romeo tango]

.
game plan changed, had to punt
dorked around Lake Roosevelt NRA for a few hours

.

.