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Waxed skis are worse than unwaxed skis!

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*542*
Posts: 1224 - Karma: 19
http://epubl.ltu.se/1402-1757/2006/03/LTU-LIC-0603-SE.pdf

for everbody that doesnt want to read all that, the concluded that uhmwpe bases glide better when they are scraped (not grinded) compared to when they are waxed. the project deals with xc skis, but an xc ski glides just the same as downhill ski. if you get a stone grind that will mess up your base. if you scrape your base with a metal scraper, then it will glide better than if it was waxed.
Jun 24 2006 12:16AM
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NWFlow
Posts: 1557 - Karma: 61
There was an article in the Economist a few months ago saying the same thing, but the test was conducted with downhill skis.
Jun 24 2006 12:20AM
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*542*
Posts: 1224 - Karma: 19
damn....so this has been posted before?
Jun 24 2006 12:26AM
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sicmainefilms
Posts: 167 - Karma: 10
XC bases and downhill bases are constructed, cared for and ground differently.

XC skiing generates significantly less heat from frictional force and functions on a different glide principle than downhill skis.

Don't beleive everything you read, particularly when its out of context.
Jun 24 2006 1:12AM
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St.Steezy
Posts: 4228 - Karma: 20
yeah I remember watching something on this a couple monthson dailyplanet
Jun 24 2006 1:44AM
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hendrik.
Posts: 6715 - Karma: 267
that doesnt really make sense, as the whole point behind tuning a ski is so that it will create a layer of water under the ski, and be able to eject that water so the ski doesnt get sucked in
Jun 24 2006 3:29AM
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albatross.
Posts: 4380 - Karma: 772
i would love to agree but all my skiing experiences beg to differ.
Jun 24 2006 3:50AM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
well you can believe that all you want, but just ski untill your bases are all dry, and enjoy feeling the friction
Jun 24 2006 3:50AM
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tom_nz
Posts: 321 - Karma: 10
fuk nos
Jun 24 2006 5:04AM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
Yeah, I definently enjoy waxed bases on powder days, more so than non-waxed...
Jun 24 2006 5:35AM
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Burrito
Posts: 1864 - Karma: 930
This sounds like one of those things that is true in theory but not in practice. For example, you'll hear many times that boiling water freezes faster than cold water. Supposedly, boiling water has less extra crap in it (i.e. it's a higher percentage of straight H2O) and will therefore freeze faster. But do it yourself with you freezer at home, and you'll see what's what.
Jun 24 2006 9:07AM
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hk_
Posts: 1403 - Karma: 12
Yeah!
Jun 24 2006 9:21AM
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fakie_jibber
Posts: 341 - Karma: 10
You might want to give this to every ski team in the world.... I heard those guys wax their skis before every race, like in the last Olympics.... trust me man, those guys know it more then anybody.. and if they're waxing to gain 0.001 sec... try to convince them not to wax...
Jun 24 2006 10:37AM
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canadianskier
Posts: 601 - Karma: 184
ive seen this on tv, but xc skis are completely different, they have glide zones and grip zones and all sorts of crazy shit
Jun 24 2006 12:05PM
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r.w
Posts: 3489 - Karma: 18
i watched this on tv a while back
Jun 24 2006 12:07PM
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STAUSS
Posts: 8232 - Karma: 3,311
same. i love having waxed skis.
Jun 24 2006 4:49PM
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ktollefson_1080
Posts: 2061 - Karma: 183
im gonna go with just waxing my skis
Jun 24 2006 5:03PM
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roussillon
Posts: 1305 - Karma: 170
The best is to wax your base like before going to bed, let the shit penetrate the base and scrape the next morning just before hitting the slopes. like that, you get rid of the wax you don't need, a.k.a. the wax that sticks on snow the 3 first run before going away. that what I always do and did when I was racing. the best
Jun 24 2006 5:09PM
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Tinga
Posts: 11349 - Karma: 2,333
... this pisses me off there are too many errors in this thread that i can not correct them all. all in all you need to wax your skis. it keeps the bases working. your ski creates friction with the snow enough for it to melt the snow. the wax repels this water so that your ski moves if you do not wax your skis it will melt the snow but will not repel the water as well as waxed skis would. suction comes into play when there is too much water and your bases is flat. its more of a structure issuse than wax choice. when you dont have path ways for the water to run off then it gets all sucky so there needs to be little pathways for the water. but if it is really cold and dry you need a firmer wax cause the ice crystals that are the snow will stick into your bases and a more flat base cause there will be less water. pm me with any mre questions
Jun 24 2006 5:41PM
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poofartpee
Posts: 7436 - Karma: 1,538
thats pretty cool to know
Jun 24 2006 5:50PM
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hollygrove
Posts: 7845 - Karma: 93
Good. he, had just cleared everything up.
Jun 24 2006 5:51PM
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CTD
Posts: 6300 - Karma: 348
WOW. this is soooo wrong. what he said^. waxing your skis reduces the static cling created as the water molocules glide across the base. it reduces friction considerably, and keeps the bases from drying out. dont believe everything you hear. and what they are talking about, are the fish scale like areas on XC bases, where excess wax can build up, and without scraping it, it creates more friction. so ya, dont not wax your skis.
Jun 24 2006 6:36PM
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doitbig
Posts: 4818 - Karma: 315
well considering the wax absorbs into pores in the base then you scrape the excess...you're kinda right? but with those pores exposed the water created during friction under your skis has a place to chill and slow you down.
Jun 24 2006 7:29PM
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MLB
Posts: 4462 - Karma: 298
Static.....where the fuck do you get the static....last time i check when you rubbed wax up against snow you did not get a shock.....snow is not a wool sweater dude.

Wax is there to create friction.......this friction melts the snow. The snow then in turn becomes water, which you skis ride atop on. Your skis ride on a sheet of rolling water....which acts as an oil between the skis and the snow. This is what you ride on....and wax makes a difference.

Come to my town and try to gap our pimple jump on a sticky day without wax.......it is gonna hurt.
Jun 24 2006 9:24PM
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freekier1080
Posts: 130 - Karma: 10
I just leave my skis alone just how I recieved them and on spring days they work fine vs my friends who waxed going slower and more or less stuck.
Jun 24 2006 9:28PM
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Sir.Pete
Posts: 1617 - Karma: 84
go for it. dont wax your skis. i will be the one wippin by you with my skis that are waxed. FUCK YOU BITCH
Jun 24 2006 9:31PM
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skijunkiedtm
Posts: 9229 - Karma: 61
wax it scrap it all good
Jun 24 2006 9:35PM
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timmi
Posts: 12874 - Karma: 3,460
also waxing protects the base of your ski.
Jun 24 2006 9:36PM
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Poormansvault
Posts: 427 - Karma: 10
It seems like you guys are all partly wrong. Kick zones and glide zones, and scaled sections, are exclusive to classic skiing, which you shouldn't worry about because it complicates things. Thinking about freestyle (skate) skis is simpler, because they are just optimized for glide. As somebody said earlier, if this was true, than olympic teams (who don't care about how many skis they go through) would not wax skis, and they do. Ski wax is designed to prevent a sort of vacum between the base and the snow, and also to protect the base. To put it simply: both from personal experience and demonstrated by high level skiers, nobody would choose to race on an unwaxed ski vs. a waxed ski. If you have any questions about ski waxing, ask me.
Jun 24 2006 9:48PM
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SteezePatrol
Posts: 10281 - Karma: 36
I go much faster with wax, much fsater indeed. I also slide back in lineup after a good waxing, so i know it works
Jun 24 2006 9:54PM
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mattyb.
Posts: 6042 - Karma: 2,197
you would go faster if u waxed your skis, let them absorb the wax, then scrape the excess wax
if you let the wax on there then you would go slower
during the x-games they showed simon dumonts tuner, waxing his skis, then scraping and brushing the excess wax from his skis
Jun 24 2006 9:55PM
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