Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

How often do you wax?

profile picture
cdip
Posts: 1563 - Karma: 2,449
Park skis only... How often do you wax them? I never do and I might start to.
Jul 1 2015 1:29PM
40 6
profile picture
shin-bang
Posts: 4100 - Karma: 6,997
i usually just keep an eye on the bases and wax whenever they get dry and/or need it. so usually after about 3-5 FULL days of skiing.
Jul 1 2015 1:50PM
4 0
profile picture
cdip
Posts: 1563 - Karma: 2,449
shin-bangi usually just keep an eye on the bases and wax whenever they get dry and/or need it. so usually after about 3-5 FULL days of skiing.


Since I never wax, is this why I always go slower then I should lol
Jul 1 2015 2:18PM
3 0
profile picture
shin-bang
Posts: 4100 - Karma: 6,997
cdipSince I never wax, is this why I always go slower then I should lol


Most likely. Any type of wax is better than no wax. If your base starts Turning a little greyish/whitish that means it's dry or you have base burn
Jul 1 2015 2:29PM
1 0
profile picture
SofaKingSick
Posts: 9292 - Karma: 60,983
definitely start waxing your skis every few times, OP. a wax iron and some wax will cost you a little money but after that you won't have to re-invest much, just a new bar of wax every now and then.

if you take them to the shop to get waxed, that one payment will be like 50-100% of the money it'd take you to get a waxing setup...stupid expense you should try to avoid

anyway, ive never understood why someone would be into skiing but not be interested in the most fundamental interaction (skis sliding on snow) performing well and consistently. when you wax, your skiing is faster, smoother, less hooky, it's easier to initiate turns, etc etc. 100% worth it.

im not a big equipment maintenance guy, once i buy skis theyre subjected to a life of mistreatment and abuse, but even i wax all the time
Jul 1 2015 2:52PM
5 0
profile picture
a_burger
Posts: 5235 - Karma: 20,715
I wax whenever I feel I need it. Midwinter when everything is usally a sheet of ice here anyways I almost never do, but in the spring I'll do it like once a week maybe, or I'll just stop using my afterbangs and use my skis that have sintered bases.
Jul 1 2015 3:03PM
1 0
profile picture
cdip
Posts: 1563 - Karma: 2,449
shin-bangMost likely. Any type of wax is better than no wax. If your base starts Turning a little greyish/whitish that means it's dry or you have base burn


Lmao all my bases are like that no wonder they get damaged so easily. Thx for tips Im gonna wax every week next season
Jul 1 2015 3:34PM
1 0
profile picture
cdip
Posts: 1563 - Karma: 2,449
Titsandwich11definitely start waxing your skis every few times, OP. a wax iron and some wax will cost you a little money but after that you won't have to re-invest much, just a new bar of wax every now and then.

if you take them to the shop to get waxed, that one payment will be like 50-100% of the money it'd take you to get a waxing setup...stupid expense you should try to avoid

anyway, ive never understood why someone would be into skiing but not be interested in the most fundamental interaction (skis sliding on snow) performing well and consistently. when you wax, your skiing is faster, smoother, less hooky, it's easier to initiate turns, etc etc. 100% worth it.

im not a big equipment maintenance guy, once i buy skis theyre subjected to a life of mistreatment and abuse, but even i wax all the time


My father runs a decent sized ski shop in ontario and Ive never had them waxed once. I will go there. Now I can be even more speedy haha!. Does it give any freestyle benefits? Smoother rails? Butter?
Jul 1 2015 3:36PM
1 0
profile picture
Deviate
Posts: 273 - Karma: 240
I think there is some misconception here and on the site in general, bases which are made of plastic can't really "dry" out. What you see after using your skis is wear and also contamination which sticks to the base of the ski. There are different snow types and different waxes for each of them, I tend to wax when the snow changes in order to make sure the skis go smoothly.

If you ski on a lot of dirty snow, like in summer conditions the bases pick up a lot of dirt and contamination which can be mostly removed by scraping the base with a metal scraper and using a soft wax (swix yellow) after to remove remains.
Jul 1 2015 3:58PM
3 2
profile picture
SofaKingSick
Posts: 9292 - Karma: 60,983
cdipMy father runs a decent sized ski shop in ontario and Ive never had them waxed once. I will go there. Now I can be even more speedy haha!. Does it give any freestyle benefits? Smoother rails? Butter?


oh yeah, for sure man. park/jumps/rails are all about speed and mental math. youre not doing yourself any favors by having your bases be slow (you can always shave speed, you can't magically gain 20 mph in the flats), or by making your speeds inconsistent. want to be more confident you have the right speed for everything? wax consistently.

even little turns and scrubs are smoother and easier when waxed up. there are no downsides besides the ~10 minutes you need to spend doing it
Jul 1 2015 4:41PM
2 0
profile picture
rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868
Twice a season.

I get a storage wax at the end of the season, more than anything it's to stop my edges rusting as much and they get a hot scrape to remove all the shit they pick up from spring skiing on dubious snow.

Then I get a wax just before the season, to remove the storage wax and any other crud that has got itself stuck to the bases over summer.

I've often thought about using a rub-on paste wax in spring when the snow gets wet and slow but at the same time I've never had any trouble getting speed for jumps so I don't bother at this stage.
Jul 1 2015 9:13PM
2 1
profile picture
Lemuel
Posts: 14489 - Karma: 10,640
Not often enough. Probably 4 or 5 times a year. Considering I ski around 50+ days a season, I should definitely be doing it more often. I always do it myself, I have all the tools.
Jul 1 2015 9:24PM
1 0
profile picture
Poikenz
Posts: 1480 - Karma: 3,769
To answer the question: depends on the base and the conditions- usually when they start looking dirty (white on black base or black on white) I wax them.

DeviateIf you ski on a lot of dirty snow, like in summer conditions the bases pick up a lot of dirt and contamination which can be mostly removed by scraping the base with a metal scraper and using a soft wax (swix yellow) after to remove remains.


Do you find it's because the metal scraper takes off base material? I usually steer clear of metal scrapers out of fear. Hell I can still scrape parts of my base off if I apply too much pressure with a plastic scraper. Just seems like you'd be better off just getting a base grind to cut the dirt and restructure if you go that route. Either that or wax with a plastic scraper 4-5 times depending on how bad they are.

and just to play devil's advocate plastics can be absorbent and take on water but most UHMWPE is almost completely water resistant (so you are still correct).
Jul 1 2015 9:31PM
1 0
profile picture
shin-bang
Posts: 4100 - Karma: 6,997
DeviateI think there is some misconception here and on the site in general, bases which are made of plastic can't really "dry" out. What you see after using your skis is wear and also contamination which sticks to the base of the ski. There are different snow types and different waxes for each of them, I tend to wax when the snow changes in order to make sure the skis go smoothly.

If you ski on a lot of dirty snow, like in summer conditions the bases pick up a lot of dirt and contamination which can be mostly removed by scraping the base with a metal scraper and using a soft wax (swix yellow) after to remove remains.


PoikenzTo answer the question: depends on the base and the conditions- usually when they start looking dirty (white on black base or black on white) I wax them.



Do you find it's because the metal scraper takes off base material? I usually steer clear of metal scrapers out of fear. Hell I can still scrape parts of my base off if I apply too much pressure with a plastic scraper. Just seems like you'd be better off just getting a base grind to cut the dirt and restructure if you go that route. Either that or wax with a plastic scraper 4-5 times depending on how bad they are.

and just to play devil's advocate plastics can be absorbent and take on water but most UHMWPE is almost completely water resistant (so you are still correct).


yea if you care at all about your structure you will use a plastic scraper. or ideally a roto brush or base grind. metal scrapers get rid of it way to fast. i dont even use a metal for ptex repairs either. my plastic works fine
Jul 1 2015 9:49PM
2 0
profile picture
rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868
Metal scraper to take the very top layer of hairy abraded base off before you put on a real light dry snow cross-hatch structure ;)
Jul 1 2015 11:29PM
1 0
profile picture
Deviate
Posts: 273 - Karma: 240
PoikenzTo answer the question: depends on the base and the conditions- usually when they start looking dirty (white on black base or black on white) I wax them.



Do you find it's because the metal scraper takes off base material? I usually steer clear of metal scrapers out of fear. Hell I can still scrape parts of my base off if I apply too much pressure with a plastic scraper. Just seems like you'd be better off just getting a base grind to cut the dirt and restructure if you go that route. Either that or wax with a plastic scraper 4-5 times depending on how bad they are.

and just to play devil's advocate plastics can be absorbent and take on water but most UHMWPE is almost completely water resistant (so you are still correct).


Can't say I've had an issue with that, but make sure the scraper is clean and isn't damaged or bent, do it firmly with smooth long drags and you should see dirt come off, use a soft wax after to get rid of the rest.
Jul 2 2015 6:37AM
1 0
profile picture
.lencon
Posts: 6753 - Karma: 17,183
shin-bangMost likely. Any type of wax is better than no wax. If your base starts Turning a little greyish/whitish that means it's dry or you have base burn


So I can use my ear wax since that's better than nothing?
Jul 2 2015 10:14AM
4 1
profile picture
SteezOnSkis12
Posts: 907 - Karma: 1,446
rozboonTwice a season.

I get a storage wax at the end of the season, more than anything it's to stop my edges rusting as much and they get a hot scrape to remove all the shit they pick up from spring skiing on dubious snow.

Then I get a wax just before the season, to remove the storage wax and any other crud that has got itself stuck to the bases over summer.

I've often thought about using a rub-on paste wax in spring when the snow gets wet and slow but at the same time I've never had any trouble getting speed for jumps so I don't bother at this stage.


Yes yes yes yes yes. Always maintain your skis during the summer. You really don't even need to use storage wax, a heavy layer of paraffin wax or candle. Cover your edges and don't scrape. Keep the skis in a dry area and when ski season comes around as said before scrape when ready and your skiing better then ever. As for dirty bases you want to do a hot wax. Drip the wax on the base you don't need to wait as long as a normal waxing but let it cool for maybe 30 secs after you spread it and scrape repeat process until bases are clean the do a normal wax. Same thing but wait longer before you scrape. If you have the money and time you can wax whenever you want. I am not liable for anything. Werd.
Jul 2 2015 10:53AM
1 1
profile picture
Katehill
Posts: 8 - Karma: 9
Basic Snowboard Tuning, maintenance and repair can be done at home with the right tuning kits. However, if your board has taken serious damage like deep gouges in your base, you're better off leaving the repair to the professionals by bringing it to a Snowboard shop.
Jul 2 2015 2:13PM
0 0
profile picture
trannyfinder.edu
Posts: 236 - Karma: 288
Like 2-3 times a season. Especially my park skis. Love to beat em up.
Jul 9 2015 2:06PM
0 0
profile picture
.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,485
Once. Just put storage wax on for summer then scrape it off in the fall. Never had any speed problems
Jul 9 2015 2:12PM
0 0
profile picture
kylemclean
Posts: 413 - Karma: 1,311
I wax my skis like once every week and a half but i also work at a rental/tuning shop so i do it for free. I find most people don't wax nearly enough
Jul 9 2015 3:02PM
0 0
profile picture
.lencon
Posts: 6753 - Karma: 17,183
I wax about 2 times a year. My hair doesn't grow back too fast so it's really nice
Jul 10 2015 2:28AM
0 0
profile picture
Cincher
Posts: 3403 - Karma: 535
My reasons for waxing vary greatly, but if I had to think of an average, I'd say at least once every 2 weeks, minimum.

I've been ski instructing for 2 years, so I'm in my gear a lot; Therefore my bases tend to wear out faster, leaving me slow and speedless on my off days if I didn't touch them up prior.
Also, the weather varies greatly throughout the season here in Manitoba. Winter starts out nice (like -5C - -15C), then becomes a brutally cold arctic experience ( -17C - -25C+, we shutdown operation past that), then we gradually pull out of it and enjoy a 2 week long slushy nirvana in March, where rideability gradually degrades as the slush cycles between freezing and thawing.

Basically, anytime the temperature rises or falls more than 5-10C, I make a policy to do a quick reapplication of temp-appropriate wax so I can slide at my best.

BTW, I work/ski at Springhill, a ski area famously known for being based on the side of a floodway, and being incredibly tiny, with the second tiniest chairlift in the world. No trees = no wind buffering, so you can kiss your kicker entry speed goodbye if the wind decides to cynically blow up the slope.
Jul 10 2015 7:37PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)