By Leandro Lutz
The Season IX of Visma Ski Classics has come to an end and it is time for a good holiday. Resting time is not only for the athletes but also for their equipment. This includes their skis that deserve the due attention and preparation for next season.
Keeping the Nordic skis waxed right after the winter season can make all the difference when the next winter starts or even at training camps on the glaciers. Taking care of your precious skis before storing them is a simple process and can be done in no time.
The purpose of the storage wax is to keep the base of the skis hydrated/saturated and to limit the contact of the base material with oxygen. If the air exposure is prolonged, the polyethylene – base material – can oxidize, degrading the base and damaging the performance of the skis.
If the oxidation process is very aggressive, it is necessary to make a new grind so that the skis can accept wax again. To avoid any problems and be prepared for next season, some tips are important:
- First you need to check if the base of the skis is damaged or needs repairs. If you need some service, you can have some grind work on your skis and base prep them before applying storage wax. A new grind will leave the ski base flat, clean and will allow it to absorb more wax. Otherwise, if you do not need a new grind, you can start the storage waxing process.
- Clean the skis and bindings, removing any dirt or remnants of kick wax, klister or hard wax.
- Now we begin the most important part, cleaning the base. Use wax remover in the kick zone and HF cleaner in the glide area, thus removing all residue from kick wax, klister, hard wax, fluor, powder and dirt.
- Once the base is clean, it’s time to wax. Apply a generous layer of NF or LF wax (a wax not so warm and not so cold). Iron it and make sure that there is enough wax to get a good wax layer across the ski base and that the iron is hot enough (according to the temperature recommended by the wax manufacturer) to ensure good adhesion of the wax to the base.
- After waxing, wait for the wax to cool and solidify. Then re-heat the wax for better absorption to the base and make sure it has covered the entire base evenly.
Now that you have prepared your skis to “hibernate” during the summer, it is also important to store them properly. Make sure your skis are in a place where they do not change their shape or with heavy objects resting on them. The best option is to hang them horizontally on wall brackets in your garage or in the basement/attic.
If your winter season is over, take a few hours off your day and take care of your equipment. So, when the new winter season comes, you can just scrape the skis and you are ready to go!
I wish a happy off-season to you all!
