What follows is a basic wax guide. You can find more advanced waxing information on the Racing Team Page.
Note: *M* - This is the very minimum waxing requirements.
Basic Wax List
Keep it simple; stick with one brand of wax. The list below has options from the Swix (link to wax wizard) or Vauhti lines.
Binder Wax
| Swix | Vauhti |
| VG 35 | BaseWax AT or BaseWax Super |
Grip (or Kick) Wax
| Swix | Vauhti |
| V20 Green (-10 to -18) | Green (-10 to -30) *M* |
| V30 Blue (-5 to -15) *M* | Blue (-5 to -10) |
| V40 Blue Extra (-3 to -10) | Orange (-1 to -6) *M* |
| V45 Special Violet (-2 to -6) |
Violet (0 to -2) |
| V50 Violet (-1 to -3) *M* | Warm Violet (+1 to 0) *M* |
| V55 Red Special (0 to -2) | Red (+2 to 0) *M* |
| V60 Red (+1 to -1) *M* | Yellow (+1 to +4) |
*M* If not using waxless skis
Klister
| Swix | Vauhti |
| Universal Klister *M* | Universal Klister *M* |
| Silver Universal Klister | Violet |
| KR50 Flexi Klister | Silver Plus |
| KR Vario Klister | Silver Minus |
Glide Waxes
Any brand's base line, for example Swix CH line: Green, Blue, Purple, Pink and Yellow. These are often available in bulk.
*M* - Get your skis glide waxed at a store
Basic Tools
Cork (for applying grip wax) *M*
Thin metal scraper or putty knife (to remvove grip wax from skis) *M*
Plastic scraper (to remove ironed in glide wax)
Groove scraper
Waxing iron (an iron designed for ski waxing is recommended over an old clothes iron)
Nylon brush (for brushing skis after scraping glide wax)
Shop towels (available at Canadian Tire, they are handy for cleaning up and for using with wax remover) *M*
Wax remover (for removing grip wax) *M*
Ski form or clamps or wax bench (something to hold the ski in place when glide waxing)
How do I wax my child's skis? *M*
Waxing skis is not as complicated as many people believe. As with anything, practice makes it easier. Older Jackrabbits should be able to apply their grip wax to their own skis.
There are two main types of wax: grip wax and glide wax. Grip wax comes in a canister (or tube if it is klister) and it is the wax that helps you stick to the snow. Glide wax comes as a solid bar. It is melted on to the skis for skate skiing and on to the tips and tails of classic skis. Glide wax reduces friction between the ski and the snow.
Applying Glide Wax *M* - Get your skis glide waxed at a store
Glide wax should be applied before applying the grip wax. Glide waxing should be done in a well-ventilated area, the smoke from an over-heated iron and the dust from scraping the skis are harmful. A good waxing iron will reduce smoking. A gas mask or dust mask will filter out the particles from scraping.
You will need a ski form or ski clamps to hold the ski in place.
- Clean the base of the ski.
- If you have been skiing on dirty snow (eg. in the spring), wipe the length of the ski with a shop towel moistened with wax remover. If you are glide waxing classic or combi skis, make sure all the grip wax has been removed from the grip zone. Let the wax remover fully evaporate before waxing the ski.
- Choose the appropriate glide wax for the temperature.
- Again, temperatures listed on the wax refer to the snow temperature. So long as the air temperature is withing a few degrees of the wax temperature you should be fine.
- You do not need to apply new glide wax before every ski. The temperature ranges are pretty broad, so unless there is a sudden change in temperature you should be fine with the same glide wax for several ski outings.
- Set the iron to the appropriate temperature.
- The wax needs to melt, but should not smoke.
- Drip the wax onto the base by holding the wax to the iron just above the base, but not touching it. Alternatively, you can crayon the wax onto the base (like grip wax). You will probably have to warm the wax on an iron to do this.
- Skate skis: drip wax along the entire length of the base.
- Classi skis: drip wax from the tip of the ski to the front end of the grip zone and then from the back end of the grip zone to the end (tail) of the ski. There should be no glide wax in the grip zone.
- You do not need a whole lot of wax, as most will be scraped off in the end.
- Iron the wax into the base.
- Keep the iron moving.
- Iron just until the wax has melted into the base.
- A cold temperature wax will require a higher temperature to melt.
- Let the skis cool.
- Scrape off the wax using a thick plastic scraper.
- Hold the scraper nearly perpendicular to the ski base.
- Use long, smooth strokes with the scraper going from tip to tail.
- Apply an even pressure.
- You should be seeing curls of white (or slightly coloured) wax coming off the base of the ski as you scrape. You do not want to see black scrapings; if you do stop becasue you are removing the base of the ski.
- Use a rounded groove scraper to remove wax from the groove down the middle of the ski.
- You are done scraping when you no longer see the wax on the base of the ski. With a warm wax this may mean scraping 2-4 times, but with a cold wax you may need to scrape the length of the ski more time (ex. 6-9 times).
- Brush the skis.
- Use a ski brush to remove the last little bits of glide wax from the base.
- After brushing the base of your ski should be shiny and have the texture of the ski base.
Applying Grip Wax *M*
- Determine the grip zone for the ski.
- The grip zone is the area in the middle of the ski where the grip wax will be applied.
- A rough estimate will be from the heel of the boot to 10-20cm in front of the binding. If you are uncertain of the grip zone, take the skis and your child (or know their weight) into a ski store and they will be able to determine the grip zone. Alternatively, ask your child's instructor.
- Clean off any existing wax.
- Use a steel scraper or putty knife to remove the old wax.
- Use wax remover and a shop towel to remove the last bit of old wax. Let the wax remover dry.
- Select a wax appropriate for the temperature.
- The temperature of a wax is listed on the canister. The temperatures refer to snow temperature, not air temperature. Err on the side of a colder wax because it is easy to put a warmer wax on top.
- Waxes for cold temperatures are harder than waxes for warm temperatures.
- Apply the wax and cork.
- Apply the wax to the grip zone of the ski like you were colouring with a crayon.
- Use the cork to rub in the wax until it is even and smooth.
- It is better and easier to put on several (~3) thin layers corking each one, instead of one thick layer of wax.
- If it is icy you may need to use klister. Klister is squeezed out of the tube onto the grip zone (think toothpaste). It is smoothed into the base using a plastic scraper that comes in the box, not the one you use for glide wax, or your thumb.
- Go skiing.
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No grip? Slipping? Try extending the grip zone further in front of the toe, add another layer of the same wax or switch to a warmer temperature wax (this can be put on right over the wax that was not gripping).
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Too much grip? Clumps of snow sticking to the skis? Ensure that you have corked or skied the wax in so it is smooth. It is tricky, but you can try to scrape some excess grip wax off to give a thinner layer or you can try to put a colder temperature wax on top of the warm wax.
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Congratulations, your skis are waxed. Enjoy the trails.
