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Stussi Wax Tips

December 01, 2011

wax tips from Stussi SportAnother fantastic ski season is under way at Sovereign Lake and if you haven’t already done so, its time to get your skis prepped so you can get out on the trails.  So to help you figure out what might get you to the top of Aberdeen or quickly down to the cabin, we offer some advice from the wax room at Stussi’s.

The first thing you need to do is scrape off the storage wax you put on in the springtime to protect your bases...or did you miss that step? You want to ensure that you are starting with a clean base before you add in your glide wax. Once you scrape off your wax, take a medium bronze brush and brush thoroughly to remove any extra wax. (If you really want to get your skis clean it’s a good idea to do a hot clean at this point). Once you have cleaned your bases then you are ready to glide wax.

 Glide waxing for classic and skate skis can also be a bit of a challenge as well when there are fluctuations in the temperature and snow conditions, especially when there is a bit of melting and then freezing or fresh snow. One of the biggest mistakes we skiers make is not changing our glide wax enough – the more you ski, the more wax you lose. The less wax in your skis, the slower they glide. In an ideal world you are waxing your skis every couple of times you ski. In the real world we know some of you only wax a couple of times a year! On your classic ski, use painters tape to mark off you kick (grip) pocket as you don’t want to get glide wax in for kick zone. The iron in your glide wax, let it cool, then scrape and brush. On your skate skis this is all you need to do to be ready to ski.

To figure out what grip wax you need takes a little more work. First thing to do is check the webcam at Sovereign Lake and scroll down to look at the information on the weather station.  This gives you a great starting point to figure out what will work for the day.  You can also check to see if there has been any fresh snow as this can have a huge impact on your wax selection. Sovereign Lake tends to have high humidity as well so remember to factor that into the wax equation. The great staff at SLNC also gives you a recommendation on both grip and glide wax (check under the Conditions page).Okay now you have all the information you need to head to your wax kit and pull out the magic formula. All the various wax companies label their grip waxes with a range of temperature and most will show the range for new snow or old snow. 

Once you know the temperature, humidity and whether there is new snow you can then check the wax label to make your choice and start applying your wax. One thing that people tend to do with their wax is not apply it correctly –they choose the correct wax for the day but then either don’t put on enough layers or don’t cork it in smoothly.  You should be putting on between three to five layers of wax (depending upon the stiffness of your skis) and corking each layer smooth between applications. Know where your wax pocket is so that you can apply the first two layers full length of the pocket and then shorter up the final layers. Go out and test for grip before you add another layer or switch.

If you have too much snow sticking to your skis then you have waxed too warm and will need to select the next coldest wax and apply this wax in one or two light layers. If you are getting no grip and the wax is icing up, then you have waxed too cold and you need to add in a slightly warmer wax on top. If this happens the best thing to do is scrape off he wax and star over. Sometime though you just can’t get the right grip. That’s when you need to come into Stussi’s and get a Zero ski. (But that’s a lot other story…)

Stussi Sport offers wax clinics throughout the year to go over the wax process and take some of the mystery out of how to prepare your skis for maximum enjoyment. Check out the schedule online at www.stussisport.com or drop into the store to sign up!

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