BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Fix Slow Skis

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

Rate: (2 Ratings)

Do you think your skis are slow and worn out? Maybe they just need a proper wax job. A waxed ski slides faster and turns more easily than an unwaxed ski. But if your skis have lots of gouges or rusty edges, you're probably better off having a ski shop give them a full tune-up.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Iron
Ski Wax
Plastic Ski Scraper
Two Sawhorses Or Chairs

Step1

Warm your skis by bringing them inside.

Step2

Place them upside down across two sawhorses or chairs. (A garage or basement with a cement floor is the best place for waxing skis. Dripping wax can damage floors and carpets.)

Step3

Set an iron on medium-low heat. Melt a block of ski wax against the iron so that the drips land on the ski bottom. Place the drips about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, along the entire ski.

Step4

Run the iron along the ski until a thin layer of wax evenly coats the bottom surface.

Step5

Let the ski cool completely.

Step6

Using a plastic ski scraper, remove any rough spots in the wax.

Tips & Warnings

Cleaning wax from an iron is very difficult. It's best to have a separate iron for your skis.

Comments

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 You can use a nylon-type brush to smooth out the cooled board. You can buy a brush at ski shops, or get a cheaper horse brush. Run the brush at 45 degree angles over the length of the skis. This helps smooth out the wax and get it into the grain of the skis. This is most commonly used on snowboards.