Should i wax my skis before using them?

Question

i just got a new pair of K2 escapes, and these are the first pair of skis ive ever owned. Should I wax them before using them? I ski in NH in around 20-40 degree weather. I got Swix universal glide wax for all conditions. Its a florinated wax. Is that the right stuff? I'm new to this maintaing my own equipment thing.

Answer 1

Well, you COULD just go skiing on them, but, if you really want to do it right, then yes, the skis should be waxed before skiing on them.  But, not only that, the edges should also be prepared.

I'm not familiar with the escapes, but since K2 (to my knowledge) doesn't make racing skis, they're a version of an all-mountain ski.  Which suggests to me that you're an all-mountain skier who maybe also likes to play in the park or on the jumps.  

When skis come directly from the factory, the bases are not always 100% flat, and can be either slightly concave, or convex.  The first thing you need to do is using a truedge test the flatness of the base, and use a file to correct the imperfection which ever way it may be.  Run the file flat on the ski tip to tail until it's perfectly flat.  

On the edges, you'll want to use a file to put a .5 degree angle on the base edge, to avoid catching edges when free skiing or landing jumps.  Racers will also put a degree on the side edge, but this doesn't seem necessary to me for free skiing.  If you want, a 1 degree angle should to the trick.  After sharpening, make sure to detune the tips and tails with a gummy stone 5-10cm, also to avoid catching an edge while skiing.

Now you're ready to wax.  New skis actually come with a factory wax that dries out quickly.  In the beginning, you should be waxing your bases often, at least one per week for the first month or two, so that the bases get really hydrated.

Use a cloth to clean off any metal shavings which might be on the base.  Then, give it a couple of passes with a stiff copper brush.  The wax you have is fine, just drip it on their with the iron and wax it evenly.  Make sure the iron isn't hot, and don't use the iron your mom uses for the clothes.  She will NOT be happy with you!  :)

And, when you come home from skiing, make sure to dry your skis off, and leave them in a dry area... not outside, not in the car.  This will help to avoid rust on the edges and binding dysfunction.

Take care of your skis and they will take care of you!

Answer 2

Well all snowboards and skis are waxed in the factory so you will be good for probably about 2-3 trips. And yes, that wax should be perfect.

But after that I would wax those suckers up. Make sure you get all the old wax off before you rewax it and make sure you let the wax sit on the board overnight before scraping it off.

Good luck. Have fun. =)

Answer 3

you should be fine for a while.  ski's come with the right wax on them so  you don't need to wax them to begin with.

Answer 4

no, if there new you don't need to, but you can if you want

just make sure that when ever ur done skiing, u dry off ur skis so they don't get rusty

good luck

happy skiing

<3

Answer 5

NO! NO! NO!....come on jenn this guy isn't racing, he doesn't need a base grind or 88* edges but he does need to protect his base so he can enjoy his skis for many seasons

florinated wax (spray on,which I prefer, or sponge on) is great for the day(spray it on just before you hit the hill and don't worry about scraping your 1st run will take care of that) but it is NOT to be left on your base. use a cheap universal hot wax before you go skiing and before you put away your skis for any Length of time.

your new skis came with a factory hotwax but don't count on that to protect your bases from base-burn. wax your new skis 2 or 3 times BEFORE they ever touch snow. that way the wax will soak into the bases and permeate thoughout the base. this is especially important early in the season when you are skiing on alot of man-made granular

ps. if you use florinated wax and are not planning to hit the slopes for a week or more clean and scrape the base.

storing skis with wax=good

storing skis with florinated wax=bad(it'll ruin your bases)