To enjoy skiing, maintaining your skis is extremely important. Waxing and grinding is essential for a safe and comfortable descent in the snow. Not only on, but also off the slopes. You can have this done, but you can also easily do it yourself at home. Of course we understand that you have questions about this. The answer to how to wax skis yourself can be found on this page.
Waxing skis is an important part of maintaining your ski equipment. When skiing, friction occurs between the base of the ski (bottom) and the snow. Heat is created, causing snow to melt and stick to the base. If you regularly provide your skis with a fresh layer of wax, you can prevent this effect. This makes the skis perform better and also prevents the base from drying out.
QUESTIONS ABOUT SKI WAXING
The steel edges of a ski (the iron edges) provide good edge grip and better steering in the snow. Especially on icy, hard slopes. Steel edges wear easily. After a week of winter sports, often only 40% of the original sharpness remains. That is why you should always sharpen your skis after a week of winter sports. This way you are sure of your skis and that is much safer. You can have sharpening done, but you can also easily do it yourself at home. How to do that and what you need for it?
WHY SHOULD YOU WAX YOUR SKIS?
Ski maintenance is essential for anyone with their own skis. Not only for enjoyable skiing, but also for your own safety. Skis that are properly waxed and sharpened perform better on and off the slopes. In addition, by waxing you can adjust the skis for different types of snow. Waxing is very important because it prevents snow from sticking to the bottom of the ski while skiing. This (often black) underside is called the base and contains all kinds of small pores.
When skiing, friction occurs between the snow and the base of the ski. Heat is created, which melts the snow. If you did not wax the skis, the melted snow would end up in the pores of the base. This causes the snow to stick to the bottom of the ski. By waxing your skis, you ensure that these pores are filled. You create a lubricating effect and thus maintain optimal sliding ability in the snow.
WHEN SHOULD YOU WAX YOUR SKIS?
The wax layer on a ski is not forever. The wax slowly wears away while skiing. You soon notice that the ski’s gliding ability decreases. This usually happens after 3 to 4 days. Some people do not notice this, causing the base to dry out considerably and the bottom of the ski to turn white. To fully enjoy your winter sports week, it is important that you also apply a fresh layer of wax during the holiday. You can have that done, but you can just as easily do it yourself. You can read how to do that and what you need for it in the following paragraphs of these pages.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF SKI WAX
You can buy ski wax in different shapes and sizes. There is wax for recreational skiers, but also for professionals and competitive skiers. Some types of wax must first be heated before you can apply them. This is not the case with other species. We will explain the difference between the two further later on this page. The different types of ski wax are:
- Spray wax
- Lubricating wax
- Hot wax hydrocarbon
- Hot wax fluor
- Race finish wax
- Especially for ski touring enthusiasts: e-wax and touring wax
Difference between cold and hot waxing
Waxing can be done in two ways: hot and cold. We list the advantages and disadvantages of both methods for you.
Hot waxing
Warm waxing is the best and most durable method. It takes a little more work, but the pleasure afterwards is all the greater. This concerns the types of hot wax (hydrocarbon and fluorine) and race finish wax. With warm waxing, you melt the wax on the base of the ski using a wax iron. Then spread the wax with the same iron. Heating causes the wax to penetrate even deeper into the pores of the ski. We will explain this method further for you later on this page.
Cold waxing
With cold waxing you use a spray or spread wax. This is a ready-made wax that is extremely easy to apply. You do not have to heat the wax with a wax iron first. You spray or spread the wax on the base of the ski and then rub the wax in further. The heat created by the friction of the ski in the snow causes the wax to penetrate deeper into the pores. The disadvantage of these types of wax is that you benefit from them for a shorter period of time. In fact, with this form of waxing you need to apply the wax daily for the best results.
SUPPLIES TO WAX SKIS YOURSELF
Do you want to wax your skis yourself? Then you need a number of parts. We list them for you below.
- Wax
- Wax iron
- Clamp set (optional, but very easy)
- Scraper
- Dustpan
- Nylon brush
- Copper brush
- Horsehair brush (optional)
- Elastics
- Repair bars (optional)
- Gloves (optional)
SKI WAXING IN STEPS
Step 1: Turn on the wax iron and set it to the correct temperature. You can find the correct temperature on the packaging of the wax.
Step 2: It is important that the skis are completely dry. Hook the elastic around the ski stopper and over the back of the binding (photo). This way the ski stopper does not get in the way during waxing. Then attach the ski to the clamp set with the binding facing down.
Step 3: Brush the entire length of the base with the copper brush. This will free the structure of dirt and old wax residue. Then clean the bottom of the ski and remove dust using a dustpan.
Step 4: Next, release the ski from the clamp set. During waxing, your ski will warp slightly upwards, so it is important that the ski is released from the clamp. Then check whether the wax iron has the right temperature. Absolutely no smoke should come from it, otherwise it will be too hot and will adversely affect the waxing of your skis. Hold the wax block against the wax iron and let the drops fall lengthwise onto the ski.
Step 5: Gently distribute the wax drops with the wax iron from front to back on the base. Keep moving and don’t hold the iron in one place for too long, otherwise you run the risk of burning the base. Do not iron, as you do with clothes. Move slowly from front to back. When have you properly waxed a ski? If the wax remains wet for about 10 seconds after you run the iron over it.
Step 6: Use the scraper to clean the steel edges of wax. Now leave the skis for at least 2 hours so that the wax can penetrate properly into the pores.
Step 7: Brush the base from front to back with the nylon brush to remove excess wax residue. This step is not absolutely necessary. After +/- 15 minutes of skiing or once in the drag lift, you will achieve the same effect. After the nylon brush, you can also use a brush with horsehair. This is how you polish the ski, so to speak.
WAXING AFTER WINTER SPORTS
When you return from winter sports, it is important that you first let the skis dry thoroughly. Many people clean up everything after this step, but it is wiser to maintain the skis first. By applying a fresh layer of wax you prevent the base of the ski from drying out. Leave the wax on until you go on a winter holiday again and only then remove the excess wax residue. When you go on a winter sports holiday again next winter, you will immediately benefit from a good gliding ski.
WAXING SKIS YOURSELF IS SAVING MONEY
Waxing your skis yourself sounds exciting, but it is not at all. Practice makes perfect and you really can’t do much wrong. Waxing yourself is not only better for your skis, but also for your wallet. Of course you have to purchase all the materials first, but if you compare the final amount with what you pay in the store all those times, you will quickly save tens of euros. To give you an idea:
- Cost of simple wax set via Volawax.nl: €59.95 + clamp set €59.99. That amounts to € 120. This move is good for the maintenance of 16 skis. That amounts to +/- €7.5 per ski.
- Having your skis waxed alone costs about €15 per pair. For 16 pairs of skis you pay €240.
- You can quickly save €120!
* Costs based on Volawax.nl prices
SHARPENING ALSO VERY IMPORTANT
Sharpening skis is extremely important. Ground steel edges not only perform better, but also provide better edge grip on hard, icy slopes. Of course you can choose to bring your skis, but you can also easily do it yourself. On this page we tell you everything about how to sharpen your skis yourself.