Waxing Guide

What are the different types of glide waxes and how do they work?

Glide wax is formulated to bond with and be absorbed into your polyethylene (fancy name for a particlar plastic, often called "P-Tex" for short) ski base. It is designed to do two things for a ski:

It keeps the ski base lubricated and prevents it from drying out. Oxidization, or the act of combining with oxgen, is the same fundamental process that rusts a steel bicycle chain; this leads to poor shifting performance and eventually no shifting at all. That is why it’s good practice to keep a bike chain oiled. Your ski or snowboard bases turn white when they oxidize, generating excessive friction that slows forward glide and creates obvious drag during turns.
It lends to the base the proper hardness and water-repellent characteristics to glide over snow. A ski base that is waxed with a particular cold-temperature glide wax will work great when the snow is dry and fluffy and the temp is 20 degrees, but if it is left on and skied on a sunny and wet Spring afternoon, those same skis will feel incredibly sticky. Snow has different properties at different temperatures, and specific waxes provide the best glide in these particular conditions.

The glide wax we seek comes in several different forms:

The quickest and easiest to apply is a liquid wax, done by rubbing the glide zones with a provided applicator.
Paste waxes perform a little bit better but must be buffed in by hand (requiring a little more elbow grease).
By far the most penetrating and durable waxes come as solid blocks and are meant to be melted and ironed in to the ski base.

Whichever form of wax you choose, your ski base is actually meant to absorb the wax, drawing it inward like a plasticky sponge. Ski bases are porous, being endowed at the factory press with microscopic holes. The aim is not to ski on a visible layer of wax, rather to ski on a wax-impregnated base. Surface wax does nothing except create friction, which is why you polish it in (with liquid and paste waxes) or scrape it off in the case of hot waxes. The liquid and paste varities are typically termed "Universal" gliders, meaning that they work reliably in any temperature, though they don’t last as long nor work as well as iron-in waxes. The blocks of solid iron-in wax have specific temp ranges that they've been engineered for and are the best thing for ski/snowboard glide. Below is a little bit of theory to help you understand how temperature-specific waxes work.

Quick and Dirty Glide Wax Theory

In colder conditions, snow crystals are very hard and dry with sharp edges. You couldn't make a snowball to save your life because of the low moisture content. The character of your ski base must be hardened to match this snow with the application of a cold-temperature glide wax. As it warms above 15 degrees F, the friction from ski passing over snow begins to create a thin film of water. Higher ambient temperatures allow more water to be generated because more water resides in the snow. The snow itself is wet with soft, rounded edges-perfect for snow forts, snowball fights and bruised egos. Softer warm-weather waxes deal the best with all this wetness and water production to provide optimum glide in these conditions. In sum, warmer waxes are softer and colder waxes are harder. Waxes formulated for warm days have lower melting points as well, which dictates the temp setting on your waxing iron if you're hot waxing.

So How Do You Choose a Temp-Specific Wax?

As we’ve explained above, almost all temperature-specific glide waxes come in solid-block form and are designed to be melted directly onto and into your ski base, a procedure known as “hot waxing.” . A few special tools and some rudimentary skills are requisite, but the hot wax job lasts longer and works much better than the rub-on varieties. The amount of invested labor is roughly proportional to the quality of the glide, in other words.

Select the wax with the temperature range that most closely matches what you'll be skiing in. If it is 28 degrees F outside, you might choose Swix CH8, with its range of 34 to 25 degrees. That's about all there is to it folks. The temperature ranges listed on the packages actually correspond to snow temperature, but most people still just use air temperature as a reliable indicator. As you gain experience, other factors may begin to influence your wax decisions, but keep things simple to start. And don't think you are doomed to iron in new glide wax before each day of skiing; again, the correct amount to wax depends on your spare time, the tools available, how much you ski and how much performance you want out of your equipment. A hot wax at the beginning of the season and one during the midpoint is a good rule of thumb for most casual skiers. Cross-country and skate skier professionals (both Nordic and alpine), on the other hand, race only on freshly waxed boards. We at Omer and Bob's (being avid skiers and riders) hot wax our personal equipment roughly every one to three times out. Find your own niche.

Liquid Wax Paste Wax Iron-in Wax

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Bike: Johnny's 10 Bike Tips Local MTB Rides Ski & Board: How-To Waxing Guide Winter Ski/Board F.A.Q. 06-07 Ski Gallery		Waxing Guide back to FAQ What are the different types of glide waxes and how do they work? Glide wax is formulated to bond with and be absorbed into your polyethylene (fancy name for a particlar plastic, often called "P-Tex" for short) ski base. It is designed to do two things for a ski: It keeps the ski base lubricated and prevents it from drying out. Oxidization, or the act of combining with oxgen, is the same fundamental process that rusts a steel bicycle chain; this leads to poor shifting performance and eventually no shifting at all. That is why it’s good practice to keep a bike chain oiled. Your ski or snowboard bases turn white when they oxidize, generating excessive friction that slows forward glide and creates obvious drag during turns. It lends to the base the proper hardness and water-repellent characteristics to glide over snow. A ski base that is waxed with a particular cold-temperature glide wax will work great when the snow is dry and fluffy and the temp is 20 degrees, but if it is left on and skied on a sunny and wet Spring afternoon, those same skis will feel incredibly sticky. Snow has different properties at different temperatures, and specific waxes provide the best glide in these particular conditions. The glide wax we seek comes in several different forms: The quickest and easiest to apply is a liquid wax, done by rubbing the glide zones with a provided applicator. Paste waxes perform a little bit better but must be buffed in by hand (requiring a little more elbow grease). By far the most penetrating and durable waxes come as solid blocks and are meant to be melted and ironed in to the ski base. Whichever form of wax you choose, your ski base is actually meant to absorb the wax, drawing it inward like a plasticky sponge. Ski bases are porous, being endowed at the factory press with microscopic holes. The aim is not to ski on a visible layer of wax, rather to ski on a wax-impregnated base. Surface wax does nothing except create friction, which is why you polish it in (with liquid and paste waxes) or scrape it off in the case of hot waxes. The liquid and paste varities are typically termed "Universal" gliders, meaning that they work reliably in any temperature, though they don’t last as long nor work as well as iron-in waxes. The blocks of solid iron-in wax have specific temp ranges that they've been engineered for and are the best thing for ski/snowboard glide. Below is a little bit of theory to help you understand how temperature-specific waxes work. Quick and Dirty Glide Wax Theory In colder conditions, snow crystals are very hard and dry with sharp edges. You couldn't make a snowball to save your life because of the low moisture content. The character of your ski base must be hardened to match this snow with the application of a cold-temperature glide wax. As it warms above 15 degrees F, the friction from ski passing over snow begins to create a thin film of water. Higher ambient temperatures allow more water to be generated because more water resides in the snow. The snow itself is wet with soft, rounded edges-perfect for snow forts, snowball fights and bruised egos. Softer warm-weather waxes deal the best with all this wetness and water production to provide optimum glide in these conditions. In sum, warmer waxes are softer and colder waxes are harder. Waxes formulated for warm days have lower melting points as well, which dictates the temp setting on your waxing iron if you're hot waxing. So How Do You Choose a Temp-Specific Wax? As we’ve explained above, almost all temperature-specific glide waxes come in solid-block form and are designed to be melted directly onto and into your ski base, a procedure known as “hot waxing.” . A few special tools and some rudimentary skills are requisite, but the hot wax job lasts longer and works much better than the rub-on varieties. The amount of invested labor is roughly proportional to the quality of the glide, in other words. Select the wax with the temperature range that most closely matches what you'll be skiing in. If it is 28 degrees F outside, you might choose Swix CH8, with its range of 34 to 25 degrees. That's about all there is to it folks. The temperature ranges listed on the packages actually correspond to snow temperature, but most people still just use air temperature as a reliable indicator. As you gain experience, other factors may begin to influence your wax decisions, but keep things simple to start. And don't think you are doomed to iron in new glide wax before each day of skiing; again, the correct amount to wax depends on your spare time, the tools available, how much you ski and how much performance you want out of your equipment. A hot wax at the beginning of the season and one during the midpoint is a good rule of thumb for most casual skiers. Cross-country and skate skier professionals (both Nordic and alpine), on the other hand, race only on freshly waxed boards. We at Omer and Bob's (being avid skiers and riders) hot wax our personal equipment roughly every one to three times out. Find your own niche. Liquid Wax Paste Wax Iron-in Wax back to FAQ