Message #11692

[jbotti]

LP and Jim, Harald is notoriously slow to wax hsi skis, but does when they really need it. The issue with wax is less about on snow performance (unwaxed skis still move pretty well over the snow) and more about proper care of the bases. If you don't wax the skis the bases get white and dried out and then you can get some bending and bowing in them from the lack of lubrication and protection that the wax provides. In Montana I can easily go 5-7 ski days withoiut waxing and the skis will run well on the snow, but I iwll definitely do some damage to the bases. Sometimes a base grind can fix the issues and sometimes on poorly cared for skis the damage is permanent.

IMO, unless the wax is chosen that morning to match the exact temp of the snow, it is impossible to tell if a ski is freshly waxed or not (unless it hasn't been waxed in a while). If you get the temp exactly in tune with the wax, the skis do glide better.

This is my experience in Montana where the snow is dry and excellent. In a different snow environment skis may act differently.