Waxing for training and racing

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Todd Carroll
Before we dive into a comprehensive daily maintenance routine, it makes sense to explore a tangent that deserves its own discussion. From reasons you can’t wax every day to questions about how to wax for training versus racing, this is an area of particular struggle for many, many athletes. With a little bit of perspective and some potentially new concepts, waxing can be reduced to a simple process that further minimizes the role of equipment in your success equation.
To start, we need to revisit the cornerstone of successful race ski management — the way you use multiple pairs of skis for the same discipline. Erase from your mind the idea of “training” and “racing” skis; instead, think of your skis as Pair 1 and Pair 2. That change in mindset will benefit you immediately and will make a colossal difference on race day. Skis break in as you use them, and the more your skis are similar in terms of their feel and responsiveness, the better you will ski. Warming up on skis that are damp and sluggish, then jumping into the racecourse on springy, reactive skis is a one-way ticket to a DNF. You might develop a favorite pair that you’re racing on regularly, but you need to make sure all pairs are seeing similar time on snow.
Moving beyond that relatively simple fix, we need to address a number of potential obstacles to waxing your skis habitually or to getting the most from each effort when you do wax. You may not be sure which wax system you should use, or you may feel as though you lack the adequate tools. Either way and at every point in between, you will be able to find excuses not to wax, or at least not to do so regularly. If you’re not waxing regularly and then you put in top effort the night before a race, you’re setting yourself up to fail. These potential hurdles require some adjustment but are completely solvable when broken down and addressed individually.
Choosing a wax brand and system to use
Worried about what system or brand to use? Pick one or two and go for it. Find yourself short or without your first choice? With some luck, you’ll have a suitable alternative. “I use two or three different brands of wax regularly,” notes Ryan Mooney, technician for U.S. Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan. “I like to pick and choose what I think is best, and it’s super helpful to know at least two systems so I’m never caught without something I can be confident will work.” Think of waxes like different viscosities of engine oil. If your car calls for 5W-20 and all you have is 10W-30, your engine will appreciate having the wrong oil versus having none at all. This oil analogy is on point and the message rings clear: some wax that’s close to what you need is better than none.
What about ways to make the process a little easier — things like a liquid or spray wax application, or rolling wax on with a wax pot and simply scraping it off? For the most part, these alternatives are acceptable in moderation but shouldn’t be the primary choice. Liquids seem to have a lot of promise and are certainly convenient, but there is not enough data to recommend a wholesale change. The biggest concern is durability. Just like your engine oil, you want your wax to protect the base from cold, aggressive, abrasive snow. While liquids lack the heating and cooling cycle of traditional waxing that actually makes the plastic base material more brittle, we have no proof of the level of protection they offer over the long run. The wax pot can be an awesome way to quickly apply a super-even coat of wax and can actually make it easier to work with harder waxes (think durability). But to realize the full benefit, you still need to iron the wax in, scrape and brush.
So, if easier isn’t the answer, what about going for the most expensive waxes and overlays? This is a question that has two distinct areas to address. The first is a quick discussion about fluorocarbon additives in wax. FIS announced a ban on fluorinated waxes in 2019, but that ban has yet to be implemented everywhere. While there might be a question about whether fluoros are still the fastest option (and some testing data suggests they aren’t, at least not always), there is no question about the science that supports the ban on the basis of personal health. Part of the success equation is the fitness-and-health variable. Using something that is known to cause health issues doesn’t minimize that variable — it makes it stand out.
With that said, the other area to address here is consistency. If you train with generic, entry-level wax from whatever company you’ve chosen and then ramp things up with higher-end waxes and overlays, you’re purposefully creating a situation in which the consistency you’ve worked so hard to create goes right out the window. So, do you spend more and train with those expensive, upper echelon waxes, or do you potentially compromise your efforts by training and racing with the most economical wax? “For many athletes, finding a middle ground can make sense,” Mooney offers, “but for athlete development I would recommend the regularity of waxing the same level of wax every day.” Exceptions can exist here, like moving up to a more hydrophobic wax to combat new, high-moisture conditions and maintain the training pace on race day. However, these exceptions are few and far between.
Choosing tools
The last area to talk about regarding waxing is the tools you use to get the job done. It’s easy to get sucked into a paralysis-inducing FOMO when or if you get a glimpse of a shiny, new tool. Stay strong and focus on working with what you have rather than on not waxing because you feel like you’re missing a brush or high-end iron. You can get perfectly serviceable tools on any budget — using them is what will set your effort apart. However, if you can, there is one place that Mooney suggests focusing more dollars: your iron. “Ski bases aren’t as bombproof as many people think, so having a higher-end iron that more accurately maintains a tight temperature window means you’ll get great wax application without burning the base.” Features like digital control and a thick base plate help ensure even, consistent heat, so if you are making an upgrade, be sure to prioritize them.
As we give more attention to the effort to minimize equipment in the larger ski-racing success equation, you will want to keep in mind that at almost every level, the winner of the race is the athlete who made fewer mistakes than the second-place finisher, not the person with the best wax application. And what is the key to making fewer mistakes? Training like you race.
Stay tuned for the next article in this series, which discusses daily ski maintenance.
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