Waxing a ski can be about as simple and cheap, or complicated and expensive, as the skier wants to make it.
Just how complicated and expensive?
In 1998, when Skyview assistant principal Allan Miller went to the Nagano Winter Olympics as an assistant for the U.S. Biathlon team, the group went with a budget of $30,000 for wax.
Miller would stay awake through the night, endlessly applying wax to skis and testing them to make sure America's biathletes would get optimum glide. If the ski was three- or four-hundredths of a second faster in a 10-meter test chute, it could mean valuable seconds throughout a race.
Just how simple and cheap?
Alan Boraas, a former high school ski coach and Kenai Peninsula resident since about 1970, can get his skis waxed in less than 10 minutes. He also has a system of eight inexpensive waxes that will cover both the classical and skate skier in at least 95 percent of the conditions during a typical peninsula winter. The total price of these waxes is under $40.
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After letting the melted wax dry on the ski, Peterson uses a plastic scraper to scrape the wax off.
Photo by M. Scott Moon
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So, which end of the spectrum should the recreational skier gravitate toward? Follow Thoreau. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
"For beginners, or anyone, don't get frustrated if the wax doesn't work too well," Boraas said. "Try to work with it by doing things like altering your technique.
"Don't expect it to be perfect all of the time. The main idea is don't let wax get in the way of having a good time."
There are basically two types of wax -- kick wax and glide wax. Those with skate skis need to apply glide wax to the entire base of the ski.
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Which wax to use? Double click on this chart to read about what you need.
Chart by Alan Boraas
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Those with waxable classical skis need both glide wax and kick wax. Kick wax is applied on the base under the binding.
One end of the kick-wax zone is directly under the rear of the binding. The other end of the zone is in front of the front end of the binding. In order to determine how far in front of the binding, spread out the hand and take the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger.
On classical skis, glide wax is applied on the base outside the kick zone.
In order to apply glide wax, skiers need the following:
n An iron with an adjustable temperature control. An iron without holes on the bottom is preferred, but not necessary. Household irons are fine, but once they are used for waxing, they can no longer be used on clothes.
n Something to wax the skis on. This can be nearly anything, such as a pair of sawhorses. What works best is a contraption that is going to keep the ski stable and not let it slide around. For an inexpensive way to construct a wax bench, see the graphic on page C-1. Wax benches also can be purchased at a ski shop.
n Wax and an idea of what the air temperature will be when skiing. The chart on page C-1 gives recreational skiers a program that should work 95 percent of the time on the peninsula.
n A plastic scraper that can be found at any local ski shop.
The first step in glide waxing is to clamp the ski to the wax bench and drip wax onto the ski from tip to tail, keeping the drops out of the groove running down the middle of the ski.
The temperature of the iron should be just hot enough to melt the wax. If the iron is too hot, the wax will emit a visible smoke when it touches the iron.
This smoke means the iron must be turned down. An iron that is too hot puts particles in the air that are harmful to lungs. It also changes the character of the wax and can cause permanent damage to the ski.
After dripping, use the iron to melt the drops and spread the melted wax to cover the base. This also should be done from tip to tail.
"You want enough wax so the liquid is all across the ski," Boraas said. "You don't want the iron touching the plastic."
After the drops are melted and the base is covered with wax, stop ironing. Don't continue ironing, thinking this will work the wax into the ski a little more.
"If you sit there running the iron back and forth, it could destroy the glue in the ski," Boraas said. "I've had kids get new skis, and a week later the skis will fall apart.
"I'd bet what happened is they got the ski too hot when they were waxing it."
The next step is to let the wax dry and harden. This should happen in about 10 minutes, and those in a hurry can quicken the process by putting the skis outside in freezing temperatures.
Once the wax is dry and hard, use long strokes with the plastic scraper to scrape the wax off. The direction of the scraping should always be from the front to the rear of the ski. Also scrape all the wax out of the groove in the middle of the ski.
"You want to scrape all of the wax off, but you don't want to keep scraping and dig into the ski," Boraas said.
It's also best to use two hands to control the scraper. That's why a stable bench is handy. Using one hand to scrape can result in gouges if the scraper slips and runs off the side of the ski.
Skate skiers are now ready to ski. Classical skiers must put kick wax in their kick zone before skiing.
Glide wax must be reapplied about once every eight skis, assuming the temperature stays in the appropriate range.
As for kick waxers, they must have:
n Wax and an idea of the temperature. The chart on page C-1 is a guide that will work 95 percent of the time.
n A synthetic cork.
To apply the wax, crayon on a thin layer of kick wax in the kick-wax zone, then cork the wax into the base. This does not have to be done on a wax bench. It can be done at home, at the parking lot or on the trail.
If it is under 30 degrees, crayon and cork three to five thin layers. If it is above 30, crayon and cork one or two super-thin layers.
Now the classical skier also is ready to ski.
While glide wax cannot be adjusted during a ski, kick wax can. Boraas suggested keeping kick wax in the car, and carrying the cork, the kick wax and the next-warmest type of kick wax on the trail.
If skiers are slipping during the kick, apply another layer of kick wax, apply a layer of the next-warmest type of kick wax, or move the front of the kick zone closer to the tip of the ski. Note that warmer kick wax can be put on top of colder kick wax, but colder kick wax can't be put over warmer kick wax.
If nothing stops slipping during the kick, the skier's skis are probably too stiff and not allowing the kick zone to be pressed to the snow. The only solution is to use more care next time when purchasing skis.
Kick wax must be reapplied more than glide wax. If the temperature stays in range, crayon on another layer and go. If the temperature changes, scrape off the old kick wax and apply a new layer.
Boraas said the plastic scraper used for glide waxing should not be used for scraping off kick wax, because the kick wax will gum up the scraper.
Remember, if you hit the trail and the wax isn't just right, it's not time to freak out.
"Waxing is one part science, one part mystery," Boraas said. "Sometimes, even with a bunch of experience, the wax is wrong. Make it work."
If skiers have both classical and skate skis, they can increase their chances of having a good wax by skating when the temperature is near 32 degrees and classical skiing as the temperature nears 0 degrees.
That's because skate waxing gets tough as temperatures drop near 0, while classical waxing can be frustrating when the temperature is around freezing.
Boraas also had some advice for those with new skis. Take glide wax, the warmer the better, and drip it and melt it onto the ski. For skate skis, do the entire bottom. For classical skis, just do the glide zone.
Drip and melt the wax on the new ski three to five times. Scraping does not have to be done after every melt, but make sure the ski is allowed to cool for at least 15 minutes between each dripping and melting. Not allowing the ski to cool could eventually wreck the ski.
Those with old skis should have stored skis over the summer with a thick layer of warm glide wax covering the bottom. If this step wasn't taken, there are probably white areas on the bottom of the skis now.
"The ski bases get oxidation," Boraas said. "That means they won't accept wax."
To solve this problem, get the skis stone ground at a ski shop or have a qualified person metal scrape the bottom of the ski. Another method is to use 150-grit sandpaper and scrape, tip to tail, until the oxidation is gone.
