How to Wax Alpine Skis

If you are heading off to the ski slopes of the USA or traveling further afield to partake in an alpine adventure, the first thing you're going to want to do when you arrive is hit the slopes, not wax your skis. Waxing your skis is an easy bit of routine maintenance you can perform at home prior to departure. It can help prolong the life of your equipment and can improve your performance by reducing surface friction and smoothing your way. The guide below outlines the basic steps involved in this simple process.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Skis
• Vice
• Stick of ski wax
• Iron
• Plastic/metal ski scraper
• Ski waxing brush
• Paper towel/cloth

1. Place your first ski into a vice. Arrange the ski so the bottom is turned face up.

2. Tighten the vice gently, ensuring the ski is being held firmly in position. Be careful not to over tighten as this could cause inadvertent damage to your equipment.

3. Plug in your iron and set to medium heat. Check to be sure the steam setting is disabled.

4. Hold the stick of wax against the heated iron. Allow the melted wax to drip onto the base of the ski. For the best results hold the iron approximately 6 to 7 inches above the ski.

5. Move the warm iron along the full length of the ski, applying a generous quantity of dripping wax.

6. Starting at the base of the ski (blunt end), run the iron back and forth along the full length of the ski, essentially ironing the wax smooth along the surface.

7. Allow wax to cool for 2 minutes.

8. Taking the ski scraper, begin at the base once again and run the scraper lightly along the length of the ski removing any excess wax. For best results hold the scraper at a 45 degrees angle.

9. Repeat until all the excess wax has been removed, usually 2 to 3 times.

10. Using a ski waxing brush, remove any additional wax from the ski by brushing the stiff bristles along the length of the ski in large sweeping strokes.

11. Wipe the edges of the ski with a clean cloth or paper towel to remove any accidental wax spillage.

12. Repeat the entire process with your other ski.

Tips & Warnings

• Any wax that is removed by scraping can be reused, simply gather it in a tin and melt it down. Once it has cooled you have more fresh wax. Inspect the wax while it is melting to ensure you have not accidentally collected any dirt or debris with your wax scrapings.
• Do not allow the iron to get too hot. If the wax is smoking, switch the iron off and wait for it to cool. The iron only needs to be hot enough to melt the wax. When placing the heated iron onto the ski to melt the wax, keep the iron moving. Any prolonged contact with the heated iron in one spot could damage to your ski.

Resources

• Waxing Your Skis- Video Tutorial
• How to Make Your Own Ski Wax

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