How to wax your own skis?

Comment cirer soi-même ses skis?

Waxing your own skis is easier than you thought. It's cheaper than paying someone else to do it, and it's a lot of fun (once you get the hang of it). It will make your skis go faster, and the wax will protect the base of your skis from oxidation. 

When should I wax my skis? 

Just before the start of the ski season. Throughout the winter, you should also wax your skis if the soles look a little dry or have faded. At the end of the season, before putting them away for the summer.


Required Equipment

  • Ski Waxing Iron (or old clothes iron)
  • Scraper (or piece of plexiglass at least 5 mm thick)
  • Wax Block
  • Nylon Brush
  • Base Cleaner (Defarteur)
  • Cloth

Steps

  1. Set up in a suitable room, as this operation is relatively messy. Place a ski on a stable surface. If you don't have a workbench, chairs, boxes or even a stack of books will do.

  2. Clean the base of your ski with a wax remover and a clean cloth. There are several ecological and environmentally-friendly solutions. Find a solution that is biodegradable, non-toxic and does not give off harmful fumes.

  3. Heat the iron just enough to melt the wax. Be careful not to overheat the wax - find a temperature that melts the wax easily but doesn't smoke on contact with the iron. Ordinary irons fluctuate more widely in temperature than wax-specific irons and can easily be set too high, which could damage your base.

  4. Run wax over the ski from tip to tail. Choose an eco-friendly wax, rather than a traditional ski wax that contains ingredients with a negative impact on the environment (such as fluorocarbons).

  5. Spread the wax with the iron from tip to heel at an even speed. Don't leave the iron in one place for too long, as this could damage your ski. Make sure the melted wax spreads all over your base, right down to the edges of your ski. If not, add more wax.

  6. Allow your ski to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. During this time, you can carry out the previous steps for your other ski.

  7. Scrape off the wax with a dedicated scraper or a piece of plexiglass. Scrape in long strokes. Keep scraping until the wax no longer comes off in a spiral, but rather as a fine powder.

  8. Clean any residue left on the ski with a nylon brush. Go over the ski several times to obtain a smooth finish. This step is very important for backcountry skiers. Wax on your soles can affect the effectiveness of the adhesive on your skin.



Here's a video that quickly summarizes the previous steps:Click here

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