Can i wax waxless skis

Skis will always accumulate dirt in some form. But, at least it becomes more attached to the wax rather than the actual fibers of the ski base. In this capacity the wax can minimize the amount of scratches to the base.

Free movement is a critical factor in being safe in the backcountry. But you can become trapped, isolated, or stranded miles from civilization for many reasons. Skis with appropriate glide wax applied to their bases require much less effort to run. Additionally, they glide better. Not surprisingly, all of these things make for a safer and more enjoyable experience off-track and in the backcountry. Some cross-country ski resorts feature well over km of trails. And, some of those trails are relatively far from the ski center or parking lot.

At the end of the day ski patrol usually makes a final sweep of the trails. You and the patroller may have actually passed each other, like ships in the night. So when you use the correct glide wax for the conditions, the layer of water assumes the form of tiny beads thanks to the hydrophobic quality of the wax. Fortunately, glide waxes feature relatively broad temperature ranges. So, structure serves to decrease the amount of suction a ski will experience.

Suction occurs between the ski and the snow when the layer of water the ski is gliding over becomes too great and the structure can no longer effectively shed the excess water. Visualize two nonporous surfaces stacked on top of each other with a layer of water between them. Maybe think of two pieces of glass for this example. Pulling the glass apart is difficult due to that layer of water surface tension. However, by substituting one of those pieces of glass with a pitted surface side directly in contact with the water makes the job easier.

Take that idea a step further by applying a thin layer of wax over the pitted surface. In that case, the two surfaces would most likely never adhere to each other at all. For an in-depth look at waxing your waxless xc skis, I recommend reading and viewing my step-by-step tutorials. This new technology involves teflon-infused synthetic mohair skin.

Whether you choose the fish-scale or skin ski variety the basic function of a no-wax ski is that its built-in structure offers mechanical grip that makes wax unnecessary. Wax skis lack this structure, which is why they require kick wax for grip. It all depends on who you ask!

A general rule is that wax skis are faster, but only if they are waxed properly. That means that both kick wax and glide wax must be used appropriately. The glide is said to be smoother with a wax ski. As someone who has tried wax skis, fish-scale no-wax skis, and skin no-wax skis, I can confidently say that I enjoyed every single experience.

Also, the performance of the ski always depends strongly on the snow conditions and your skiing level. Best is to try out yourself under different conditions. If you do go for wax skis just remember that you need to properly apply your kick and glide wax in order to get the most out of your skiing experience.

At the end of the day, choosing between waxless or wax skis comes down to personal preference. They are less of a hassle and they make the learning curve a bit easier to navigate.

It removes the kick wax application step so you have more time on the trails! However, if performance is your primary driver and you are motivated by speed and agility than I recommend choosing traditional wax skis. Be advised that these skis will require the extra kick wax application step.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information. You can subsitute a single Universal Warm or Cold wax for the three Swix waxes above to save some cash.

A skate ski possesses a single gliding surface, much like its alpine comrades. When you glide wax your ski, you coat the entire base. The simple route is to pick up either:. This makes you special.

Unlike many things in life, ski waxing is a very fair enterprise. Since it takes a little more work to apply kick wax, you get better grip and kick as a result, just as you would expect. You can do it in stages if you like, buying when the conditions dictate. Those waxes should form the nucleus of an excellent kit, however.

Purchase a Universal Klister for those tricky warm conditions or frozen tracks if you like, and happy trails. It is designed to do two things for a ski:. 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. Below is a little bit of theory to help you understand how temperature-specific waxes work. In colder conditions, snow crystals are very hard and dry with sharp edges. 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. 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. If it is 28 degrees F outside, you might choose Swix CH8, with its range of 34 to 25 degrees. 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. 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. Find your own niche. The timeframe depends on a great number of factors, including the amount of days spent skiing, snow conditions, quality and type of the previous wax job, etc. Those who ski infrequently certainly do not need to pay their ski bases this much attention; some people will wax their skis once a season, others will wax them thirty times.

The more you ski or ride, the more attention in the form of wax your boards will require. Just as you would clean and relubricate your mountain bike chain after a muddy ride, so should you wax your skis after the winter equivalent.

To do a visual check, flip your boards over and examine their bases; a black base with lots of white streaks on it is rather dry, in contrast with the smooth, polished look of the freshly waxed.

Over time, friction and pressure pull the protective wax out of the base, causing the plastic base material to oxidize and dry out; this is the same fundamental process that rusts your bike chain well, that coupled with your continually leaving it out in the rain.

As you become more experienced and more discriminating, slow skis will reveal themselves to you more readily. Waxless skis do not need kick wax. But, like any ski, they need to be glide waxed. The simplest method is to buy some of the Swix Easy Glide liquid wax and use the included applicator to smooth it over the entire length of your ski base, including the waxless pattern.

Let the wax set for 15 minutes or so, then hit the trails. Liquid waxes work fairly well in all temperature ranges. In addition to increased glide, liquid waxes also protect your base from drying out and oxidizing just not as well as a hot wax. After every couple of liquid wax jobs you should clean the dirt from your bases with some base cleaner before you wax again. Generally each application will last about 20 miles. Swix Easy Glide for Waxless Skis.

All skis and snowboards enjoy a good glide; cross-country skis are the only odd balls, being the happiest when a bit of grip is thrown in as well. If the temperature of the day hovers around 15 degrees F, you will be hot waxing both your Nordic skis and your snowboard with an identical block of blue Swix CH6. Regardless of the specific application, you will use the same glide waxes and selection criteria for all of your snow sliding equipment.

Classical Nordic skis are the only ones that use kick wax. Those that race or are simply interested in the highest possible performance can still select from the range of specific glide waxes. The easiest option is to use a universal liquid or paste glide wax-these do not require an iron but of course, being proportional to the amount of effort involved, do not last as long.

Nordic equipment Skating, Cross-Country : Here the benefits of a specific temperature wax over the universals mentioned above it are much more obvious. Muzzle them with a right proper waxing. This simply the most fun you will have with wax, ever. There are a few things you need before you can begin the process. Create a work space that is both heated and provides adequate ventilation. To inhale clouds of burning wax fumes is to veer sharply from the road to wellness, so at least keep a window open.

Some device is needed to hold your skis or snowboard while you toil; a dedicated bench mounted with tuning vises is the most direct solution. The temp on a clothing iron often swings wildly between heating cycles , which leads inevitably to smoking wax and the potential for damaged ski bases. Specific waxing irons have accurate gauges with a range designed for wax, are lightweight and possess flat heating plates. Of course you need the block of glide wax you selected. Clean the bases. Start with clean ski bases at room temperature.

See the following section for tips on doing a more thorough cleaning. Mask the kick zone if necessary. Put masking tape over the kick zone of classic cross-country skis to protect it from dripping wax, whether you belong to the waxless or waxable clan. Glide wax interferes with the binding ability of kick wax, and it takes the patience of a monk to clean out the waxless crown pattern should it become blanketed. Warm the iron. Set your iron to the melting temperature suggested on the wax package.

Again, take our sage advice and purchase a dedicated waxing iron. Briskly wipe the iron surface as wax remaining from previous jobs liquefies so as not to mix different types. Let the iron warm for at least 10 minutes. Holding the iron above the ski base, use your other hand to press the wax block against the heated surface. Moving steadily from tip to tail, drip beads of wax onto the ski base.

It aids accuracy to tilt the iron and guide the molten stream off one of the corners. Droplets should be a tad smaller than dime-sized and be spaced roughly 1 to 1. Usually about three passes is enough, but exceedingly fat skis and all snowboards will need more to achieve adequate coverage. Fill in any bare spots you notice. Congrats, now your base is covered with dots of wax. It was a beautiful day—however, the snow iced up on my skis so bad I had to walk all the way back.

Also, one needs to wax the fish scale portion with a liquid wax here and there. A very disappointing experience!