One of the many
things that recreational skiers have in common with professional ski
racers and instructors is that they all like to go fast. After all,
isn't that what skiing is all about? But, if you feel like you're
lagging behind all of your friends as you chase each other down the
mountain, the solution could be something as simple as waxing your skis.
All modern skis are essentially made with the same type of ski bases -
plastic running surfaces made from some form of polyethylene. When you
ski over the surface of the snow, the pressure and temperature of your
skis melt the snow, creating a fine film of water. Depending on the
temperature, humidity and age of the snow, this film of water can either
make you ski faster or slower.

Snow can be divided into six different types:
new snow, fine grained snow, coarse grained snow, corn snow, saturated snow, and
chemically treated snow.
New snow is the stuff skiers live for. It's the blanket of untracked
powder that's fallen during night or continues to fall during the day.
Fine grained snow is merely new snow that's two or three days old.
Coarse grained snow tends to be older, "rounder" snow that has lost
its shape over time. Corn snow (a popular springtime snow) is snow that
has survived two or more thawing and refreezing cycles. Saturated snow
is snow with a higher water content - typically found with spring
skiing. Chemically treated snow is found at many resorts that use
artificial snowmaking.
Snow takes the form of sharp, six-sided prisms when it first falls
and requires a relatively hard wax that won't allow the sharp edges of
snow to penetrate the bottom of your skis. As it goes through many
cycles of thawing and refreezing, snow tends to get grainier and denser,
requiring softer waxes. In addition to the type of snow you're skiing,
you'll need to consider the air temperature and the humidity - all have
something to do with how well a wax will perform on your skis.
With all of the different types of snow, the temperature, humidity,
wind speed and weather, how does anyone accurately choose the best wax
for their skis? Fortunately, Swix, one of the leaders in ski wax, has
come up with an easy to use
Ski Wax Wizard.
Choose your sport (nordic, alpine skiing or snowboarding), your level
of skiing (pro, sport or recreation), then choose the temperature,
humidity and snow conditions. The wizard will suggest the
appropriate type of wax for the day's conditions.

It's time to hit the workbench now that you've made the appropriate
wax. If your skis haven't been tuned in a while, drop them off at a ski
shop for professional tuning. All the wax in the world won't make much
difference if your bases are gouged and your edges are dull. The most
common method of applying wax is to use an iron. Set the temperature of
an inexpensive clothing iron on low and melt the wax onto the ski bases
by pressing the wax against the bottom of the iron. Professionals will
melt wax until it's a liquid and paint it onto the bases using a brush.
Allow the wax to cool for at least 20 minutes.
Once the wax has completely cooled, scrape the excess wax off the
bases using a profession-grade base scraper. Finish by running a nylon
brush over the bases. Some technicians use a medium-course pot scrubber
instead of a brush. If it's been a while since you've waxed your skis,
your bases will be "dry." You'll need to repeat the process several
times to force the wax into the pores of the bases.

You can protect your investment at the end of the ski season, by
applying a liberal layer of wax to the bases of your skis before you put
them away for the summer. After applying the wax, do not scrape off the
excess wax. Separate the skis with a long piece of plastic wrap and
bind the skis together using a Velcro ski holder.
Something as simple as a bar or tube of wax can make the difference
between your skis creeping downhill or flying like the wind. It's
probably one of the cheapest ways to ensure that you make it down to the
bottom of the mountain first.
Here is a great article in regards to Glide Waxing.
Click here
If your in the Breckenridge area, you can stop by
Elevation and we will do it for you. Doesn't take long to get the best out of your skis.