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SKI WAXING FOR SKATE SKIING

Tools needed:

Wax Bench
Wax (use warm wax for base prep. Warm = soft wax for warm weather)
Iron
Metal scraper
Plastic scraper ( rectangular)
Plastic groove scraper
Nylon brush
Fibertex (3M Scotch-brite pad)
Fiberlein paper

FOR NEW SKIS OR TO PREP OLD SKIS FOR THE SEASON:

1. Buff ski from tip to tail with Fibertex. Buff in one direction-- tip to tail.

2. Use metal scraper to give a light scrape. Use extreme caution with metal scraper. If uncertain, bring skis to Coach or to ski shop. Scrape ski from tip to center, then from center to tail. Scrape skis lightly to an even, flat finish. Remember to be careful as this is your base material you're scraping off.

3. Use Fibertex to buff ski.

4. Using an iron just hot enough to melt the wax, (if the wax smokes, the iron is too hot) drip wax up and down ski on both sides of the groove.

5. New school of thought on waxing suggests that instead of pushing iron back and forth over the ski to melt the wax you should push the iron slowly down the ski from tip to tail to melt the wax. Bring the iron down the ski two to three times. Be sure to keep the iron moving to avoid burning the ski base.

6. Allow ski to cool to room temperature for 30-40 minutes. Do not bring ski outside to cool. This does not let wax penetrate into ski base.

7. Now you're ready to scrape off all that wax. Use the groove scraper to scrape out the groove first. Then use the plastic scraper to scrape off as much wax as possible. Again, scrape from tip to tail. Use thumbs as brace, fingers as a guide for scraper.

8. Repeat steps 4 to 7 two more times

9. Use brushes to remove more wax (nylon for regular wax, horsehair for fluorinated waxes) Brush from tip to tail.

10. When waxing for a meet or for practice, do steps 4 to 7 just once. However, if you are changing wax colors (ie. going to a warmer or softer wax) you will want to wax twice to avoid ending up with a mix of the the old and new wax.

11. If you're a perfectionist you can buff the ski from tip to tail with fiberlien paper.

FINE POINTS OF WAXING

1. Hot Wipe (aka Clean Waxing) If you have skied a lot in dirty snow or you are just taking your skis down from the rafters you will want to do a hot wipe. Drip wax on as above (warm wax works best ie orange) and bring iron down the ski. Wipe behind iron with a piece of fiberlien paper to remove as much molten wax as possible. This will remove all that dirt. Re-wax ski with desired wax.

2. Structure. To add structure to a ski You will need a special tool called a Rill Bar. Adding structure is really only necessary for meets. Even then you'll only notice a difference once you start to get pretty fast . As a rule, add structure first, then wax. to cut rills into the ski, angle the bar forward and push from tip to tail (/ ). To press rills into ski, angle the bar backward and push from tip to tail (\ ). There is a fine side and a coarse side to the bar. For medium, use the coarse side, then the fine. Use fine structure at 15 degrees or cooler, coarse for over 30 degrees. After you add structure, buff ski with Fibertex, then wax as normal.

WAXING FOR CLASSICAL SKIING: APPLYING WAX

1. Wax tips and tails of skis just as you would for skate skiing--in other words, do this on the ski everywhere except where you will be putting the kick wax.

2. Apply kick wax (the small, round cannisters of wax) to the ski from the back of the heel to 8-12 inches in front of the foot.

3. Crayon the wax on in a single layer

4. Take a cork and rub it in. Rub until it looks smooth and free of globs.

5. Use 2 to 3 coats of wax.

6. If you are slipping, add another layer or extend kick wax forward. If that doesn't work, add a smaller kick zone of warmer wax.

7. If you are sticking, remove your wax and start again with a colder wax.

8. Waxing will be easier if done indoors.

9. For a long race (greater than 15 kilometers), or hard packed trail, you can use an iron for the first layer of wax.

REMOVING WAX

1. Apply small amount of wax remover to waxed area of kick zone.

2. Put toilet paper or fiberlien over this area.

3. Put scraper on paper and scrape off wax. Scrape from tip to tail. Remove as much wax as possible with the scraper. Then apply wax remover to fiberlien paper and apply to the ski.

4. When putting wax remover on COMBI skis, allow remover to evaporate for 20 minutes if possible so that when you re-apply glide wax, the remover won't eat through your wax job.

5. Avoid using wax remover on skate skis.