|
|
 |
Winter
holidays |
 |
|
|
 |
How
to get your ski ready for the winter season
Skiing
season is arround the corner and your ski is still in bad shape? We
show you how to get them ready without spending a great deal of
money on expensive equipment or ski shops. In three easy
steps, we'll help you make your ski a real racer. |
|
A
waxing station is helpful. A permanent area for ski preparation and
waxing helps control the mess, and most important, provides you
convenience. A tray around the wax bench and a shop-vac are also
helpful in controlling the wax shavings.
A good waxing iron is important They may seem expensive, but
believe me, they worth it, if you don’t intend on burn a $300.00
pair of skis, because you used a cheap one. Today, ski waxing irons
have enhanced temperature control and can improve the flow of the
wax onto the ski. Always turn the iron on at least 15-30 minutes
before waxing. This will allow the iron temperature to stabilize and
ensure even wax penetration.
The next items are much less expensive; a metal and plastic scraper,
ski brushes (fiber and brass), and a selection of waxes for various
ski and snow conditions.
To start with, choose three basic waxes; cold, intermediate and warm
wax. Learn the temperature ranges and conditions these waxes work in
first. The wax arsenal can be expanded as experience is gained. The
main thing to learn is why skis are fast, so the process is
repeatable.
Waxing
Instructions
When
waxing skis, always work the ski from tip to tail (scrape, brush and
iron). As skis are made fast by layers and layers of wax, never use
wax remover to clean the glide zone of a ski, unless extreme
conditions prevail. Instead, clean the ski by melting and ironing in
a soft layer of wax on the base, then scrape it off immediately with
a plastic scraper. Repeat the process if necessary.
If
the base is damaged, now is the time to make any repairs. Remove
gouges with a metal scraper, never forget:
scrape in long sweeping motions
from tip to tail. Then you'll need to remove any ski base
fibers with an abrasive pad. In the event of major damage, take to
your skis to a local ski shop for an assessment.
Set
the ski base structure for the ski conditions. (Structure is the
height and number of hills and valleys within the ski base). New
skis generally come with a medium structure and works well under a
wide variety of ski conditions. The exceptions being extremely cold,
dry snow or warm, wet snow conditions. Softer waxes generally
require more structure and hard waxes less structure.
General
Wax Application
After
selecting the appropriate wax,
melt it onto the ski base (take waxing iron and hold it
perpendicular to the ski dripping wax onto the ski base, making sure
enough wax is available to cover the total ski base from tip to tail),
iron the wax into the base. If you have adequate wax on the ski and
the waxing iron is at the correct temperature, you'll pull a molten
piece of wax about 3-4cm behind the iron. The speed of the iron
should be slow, but steady. Wax coverage should cover the total
width of the ski base. If the ski is gapped on one side or the other,
this is an indication the base may not be flat or you may need to
drip more wax on the ski. If the ski has wax gaps, additional metal
scraping may help to flatten the ski base.
Allow
the ski to cool completely before scraping the ski with the plastic
scraper (never use a steel scraper here). Ideally, the ski should be
allowed to cool in a warm environment .This is especially true with
soft waxes, as they crystallize slower and take more time to set up.
If you're applying more than one coat of wax, scrape the ski between
each waxing. The scraping process opens up the micro-structure of
the ski base and the ski will be able to absorb more wax. For racing
skis, give the ski a minimum of two coats of wax.
After
scraping, brush the ski to clean the base structure using a coarse
brush first, followed by a fine brush and then polish with a cloth.
If you're just starting to learn how to wax, hand polish the ski. Do
not use an abrasive
pad to polish the ski base after waxing.
<more> |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
