Hand wax using wax bars?

Question

ive seen people use bars of wax to apply wax to their skis... what are your thoughts on that type of wax?

im an intermediate/advanced skier that skis groomed trails using rossignol zenith z9's. i mainly like to speed down the piste and sporadically hit the terrain park for jumps.

pros and cons of using this type as opposed to other waxing methods?

pros and cons of this type versus not waxing?

what is the best one available for warm weather (north lake tahoe this time of year)?

direction for application?

thank you!

Answer 1

If you rub on a hard wax by hand, you need to polish it in with a cork block.  This doesn't generate as much heat as an iron, but it will melt the wax.  It works best with softer waxes and if it's done while there's still some wax on the ski.  Swix makes an all conditions hard wax (F4) which you can get with the polishing cork built right into the box.  It's an all conditions wax, but works best on the warm side.  Do a full clean, brush, and hot application to start with, and touch up by hand when needed.

Answer 2

Rub on or cold wax is applied to the base by rubbing it on HARD, this will give some wax on the ski base, but it does not last as long as an iron on hot wax. It will last from a run up to several runs, but seldom as long as a day. A hot wax will last a couple of days maybe even 4-5 days and still let you slide well.  This type of waxing is better than none. All wax types can be applied either hot or cold, so use the same wax for spring rub on as a hot wax. The main reason you start to see more rub on wax this time of year is the abrasive snow, it strips the morning wax from the base in a couple of runs and the base gets sticky.  These waxes are for different temperature ranges, so the best wax for any area is dependent on the snow temperature. Buy a wax with a 25-28 range and one with a 28-32 and a 32+.   Unless you are in real cold weather yet this season. The wax for early morning is different than at lunch time.  Enjoy.