Wax
I'll spare you the discussion on pine tar (let me know if you need
some...) but a few comments on wax.
Glide wax:
Even nowax
skis need wax - they just don't need 'kick-wax'. If you look at the
bases of your skis and they are dry and gray - they should have been
waxed before they look like that! In the best of all worlds, you go
check the snow temperature, the moisture content, the weather
prediction, wax up a couple of pairs of skis and do glide tests - and
then decide on what wax to use. Around here, the place you are going
skiing is miles from where you are waxing - so you wax your skis with
purple wax and figure you're good. Steer clear of the super-expensive
fluoro waxes - they're bad for both your health and the environment.
For skate skis, you wax the whole length, for fishscale
skis, I wax the tips and tails with glide wax and the 'scales' with
Maxiglide (see below). Use enough Maxiglide to leave a nice, not
'oily', but 'not dry' surface. I rub it in with a rag. It won't disrupt
the 'kick' of the skis.
We used to do complementary glide waxing
for club members at the general membership meetings. Check with Pete
about the same service in his garage.
Kick wax: Hard wax,
klister! This is where it gets fun! I've even used waxable
classic skis at White Salmon (once!). Just make sure that you have some
Swix Extra Blue. If you want to know more about waxing, talk to Pete
(or someone else, or check online somewhere else...)
Fishscale skis? This is what you need: Maxiglide!
Not trying to recommend a specific product, but if you are going out
all day with nowax skis, you should carry something like this to goop
on the center part of the ski if wax starts clumping up under your
feet. Of course, you could put some on before you left your car in the
morning... Most everyone has a story about when they wished they
had it but had forgotten it at home. Sold at REI and any good ski store.
