DIY hot waxing skis

Recreation

Way back when I was in high school, I had a part-time job at the local ski store, selling kit and also working in the shop. I did everything that the older guys didn't want to do, like mount ski bindings, tune and wax skis. I learned a technique at the shop to hot wax that was much faster, easier, and better for your skis than the traditional iron-on method. But before we get to that, we need a little history; this is a blog, after all.

I grew up in a small city, where you likely played hockey as your primary winter sport. Of course, I followed in my brothers' footsteps, and played hockey until I was about twelve years old. At that point, the kids were getting bigger, and I was not yet filling out to match. So instead of continuing to get mashed against the boards by some 150 lb. kid, I switched to skiing. With a serious ski hill nearby called Tod Mountain, all of us Chin boys pretty much got hooked on it, and would go up almost every day of every weekend.

There were two kinds of skiers that dominated the ski scene at Tod; the namby-pamby, short ski boys that spent their time doing tricks (remember ski ballet?), and the serious skiers who wouldn't dare putting anything less than 205 cms on the bottom of your ski boots. What good were long skis, you ask? Well, they were great for going fast - and that's what we did. Sure, you could still go through the moguls with some 210s, or get some serious air (above), but what you really wanted to do is "cruise", letting those bad boys run. Most of the guys I hung out with eventually moved up to 225s - yes, full downhill race skis - and used them for everything from cruising to powder, and even a little speed skiing.

One of the guys knew a cop, and we'd borrow a radar gun, and a bunch of us would slip into the spandex speed suits and really let 'er rip. We lacked a track that allowed for serious speed, and I topped out at 119 kph, if I recall correctly. The renamed Sun Peaks actually went on to host FIS Speed Skiing races for over two decades, down one of the steepest runs called the Headwall, normally a mogul run. Acceleration from 0 to 100 miles an hour occurred in 4 seconds! Around the top third of the the track, there was a roll, or a lip that could give skiers some air before getting to the steeper section further down; rumours existed of European racers who refused to start at the top.

  

I had left for the coast by then, and a group of us rented a cabin during the winters at Whistler, arguably North America's top ski destination. While skiing was still a passion, the... erm, nightlife had become as exciting as the daytime activities. But still, on Friday evenings, I'd get out the ski wax and give the slats a fresh coat before hitting Blackcomb the next day. As with most of my friends, I actually went to the dark side for a number of years, and took up snowboarding. I know - I became one of those guys. The photo to the right is from the Rockies, where some mates and I went cat-skiing (cat-boarding?). Whistler/Blackcomb is famous for huge dumps of snow, and snowboards rule on big pow days. But not long after, ski technology took a turn, literally. Shape skis came out that were much shorter, and with far more sidecut; they made what was once a difficult sport to excel at, into something for almost everyone. Virtually anyone could put on some shape skis and carve up some big turns on the corduroy; so I became a 2-planker wanker again, and have never gone back.

I even ended up in the odd recreational race; usually some sort of corporate event, where 1/2 of the participants end up snow-plowing their way down through the gates. The shot above is actually back at Sun Peaks, where the famous Nancy Greene used to have a fun race every year. Back at the coast however, we eventually gave up the cabin at Whistler, and skiing weekends tapered off. There would still be the occasional weekend up at Whistler for some corporate event, but after the acquisition by Vail Resorts, the experience up there has... changed. Ski technology changed too; underfoot widths went from 70mm to 90mm, then to well over 100mm! This gave skis more floatation in powder, like snowboards, and combined with "rockered" reverse camber, skiers who wouldn't dare venture off-piste were now seeking out powder in droves. Now a day at Blackcomb is an exercise in futility; lining up with the masses, while everyone charges off in search of the elusive powder run.

Sun Peaks: where are all the skiers?

Back at Sun Peaks however, things have progressed at a more leisurely pace; new lifts, better slope grooming and new facilities have been added over the years, making for a great ski experience, without all of the crowds at Whistler. And when there is powder at Sun Peaks, you can typically ski it for hours, not just one run. So we've decided that since there is the odd trip to Kamloops to see family anyways, we'd start skiing at Sun Peaks again. I've even hopped on the wide ski bandwagon, and picked up a pair of "all-mountain" skis that are (gasp) a mere 177cms long! Anyhow, here's the long-awaited time-lapse video of how to wax your skis at home.

This method requires the careful use of a heat gun/paint stripper. You need a bar of wax appropriate for the temperature in your region, and a ski cork (try Amazon). I prop up my skis on some blocks of wood on my workbench. I use a bar clamp to hold the ski brakes out of the way, but you can wax around them if you have to. Take your bar of wax and scrape a thin film along the length of each ski (in the video, it was very cold in the garage, so I was warming the wax with my gun to help spread it on). Then, starting at the tip, warm the wax with the heat gun, constantly moving it around so that no one area of the base gets too much heat at a time. As you see the wax melt into the pores of the P-Tex, smooth it in with the cork. When you are just starting, it may take a few strokes to get the wax smooth. After that, the cork picks up some warm wax on the edge, and you will find that alternating heat and cork will deliver a uniform application. Keep working down the ski, in 3" to 4" sections, until you reach the end. Repeat on the other ski. If you've done it properly, there is no reason to scrape any excess wax off, and there should be no "dry" looking areas of P-Tex.

That's it... you're welcome. Now get out on the slopes!