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Iconic Aspen Mountain Lift 1A with Downtown Aspen in the Background. Wikimedia Commons Photo.
Many high level skiers will tell you regularly waxing your skis is underrated. Wax creates a smooth surface on ski bases that increases glide and control. However, ski wax is also very temperamental. It usually needs to be reapplied after only a few days on snow. The best type of wax also changes with the temperature so the wax you use in mid-January is different than the one you use at the end of March. A recent study has also shown that ski wax leeches into the snow, which then melts and can enter the local watershed. Wax has been linked to ever-increasing levels of toxins in everything from mountain streams to local wildlife to the technicians who work with the stuff regularly. In a time when winter resorts are striving to reduce their environmental impact, ski wax may be the next thing to go.
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Aspen Skiing Company has already been working to reduce the amount of ski wax on their slopes and think they’ve found a long term solution: DPS Phantom Glide. DPS developed Phantom for permanent, waxless glide on their skis, and sells it as a wax-less alternative you can put on any ski or board. A group of ski rental managers, ski patrollers, and other locals in Aspen have been experimenting with DPS’ updated Phantom 2.0 over the past year and based on the results, Aspen Ski Co. has decided to apply Phantom 2.0 to more than 2,300 pairs of rental skis. Check out how Phantom works below.
