Regularly waxing your board will help ensure a season full of great board performance, but it’s not always economical to trot off to the nearest board shop and shell out those hard-earned bucks for a wax job. Waxing your own board at home is both cheaper and easier than you might imagine. You’ll know your board needs a wax job when you really start to slow down while trying to ride over flatter terrain or when your board sticks to the snow. A dry, scratched base (particularly noticeable on boards with darker-colored or graphite bases) is also a cry to pull out the waxing equipment.
For ease in cleaning, tuning, and applying the wax, stabilize your board with either a pair of professional clamps, or use several phone books to set your board base side up. Gather your tools for the job, including an iron with a solid base and no steam holes, plastic scraper, buffing pad (such as a heavy-duty Scotchbrite pad), and wax. Make sure you’re working on your board in a well-ventilated area, as melting wax can give off noxious fumes. Also, it’s not a good idea to try and wax your board indoors, due to the potential mess factor. Using a well-lit garage with open windows is always a good option.
There are several types of waxes to choose from, classified by temperature range and the moisture content of snow. Hot waxes come in solid form, such as blocks or sticks, and companies such as Swix and Toko manufacture a good range of quality waxes. In general, hard waxes are for colder temperatures (those that produce dry powder) , and softer waxes are for warmer temperatures (those that produce slushy snow). Unfortunately, you won’t always know the weather forecast as you wax your board. For your first few attempts, opt for a general, all-purpose wax to cover a wider variety of conditions. Then, as you become more adept at waxing your board the morning before you hit the slopes, you’ll be able to apply the appropriate type of wax faster and more efficiently. Also keep in mind that, if your board has a graphite base, you will probably need to purchase graphite sticks to apply before the final wax job.
In between your hot wax applications, you can use a rub-on stick to prime your board for current conditions. However, make sure these don’t become your only method for waxing your board. Yes, they are hassle-free, you can quickly apply them while sitting in the snow at the top of the mountain, and they are good to use in a pinch if your base is dry. But cold wax applications adhere to the surface only and are generally wiped off after just a few runs. The best wax job is one that soaks into the snowboard base and leaves very little wax on the surface, something you can only achieve with a hot application. Treat your board to a hot wax every five days or so of hard riding.
You must log in to post a comment.