{"id":24354,"date":"2018-02-21T17:10:45","date_gmt":"2018-02-22T01:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=24354"},"modified":"2022-09-23T10:25:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T17:25:11","slug":"why-you-need-to-wax-your-skis-or-snowboard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/why-you-need-to-wax-your-skis-or-snowboard","title":{"rendered":"Why You Need to Wax Your Skis or Snowboard"},"content":{"rendered":"

People often ask us why they need to wax their skis or snowboard. \u201cIsn\u2019t snow already slippery?\u201d A fair point, but it takes two surfaces to tango and the one you can control is the base of your gear.<\/p>\n

You need to wax your skis or snowboard for two simple reasons<\/strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Speedier gear:\u00a0<\/strong>Even if you\u2019re a beginner, you\u2019ll enjoy a smoother slope experience if you wax; you\u2019ll also appreciate some extra speed when you\u2019re ready to graduate from snowplow turns to parallel turns\u2014or from skidding turns to carving turns on a snowboard.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Healthier gear: <\/strong>Wax can\u2019t save you from gouges caused by exposed rocks, but it will seal bases to prevent them from drying out\u2014kind of like applying a moisturizer to your skin. Dried out bases are prone to delaminating.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      We talked to Joe Kahn, a longtime snowboarder and master tech in our Bellingham, Washington, REI store to get some waxing wisdom. (Snowboarders: Everything we\u2019ll talk about in this article applies to you, too, but we\u2019ll say \u201cskis\u201d from here on out to keep things short and sweet.)\u00a0 And when we say \u201cwax\u201d we\u2019ll be talking about \u201cglide\u201d waxes that go on the full length of alpine skis and the tips and tails of cross-country skis. \u201cKick\u201d waxes that go in the center of cross-country skis are a separate subject.<\/p>\n

      How to Choose a Ski or Snowboard Wax<\/strong><\/h4>\n

      Wax is the intermediary between snow and your ski bases. Snow changes all the time, yet you can\u2019t change the material in your ski bases. The solution is to change the wax on that base material to one that\u2019s calibrated to the conditions when and where you\u2019re skiing.<\/p>\n