Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

I have a link to Pinnah Dave's site on my favorites. I found it a few years back when I was looking for gear and advice. I was looking for the page with my phone, and could not find it. It is on my computer so I thought I would share. I wanted to re-read Dave's waxing advice, which is the system I have been using. Yes, I am using binder wax as a base over the entire ski (USGI). Maybe this year temperatures will become too low, but so far it has worked.
Here is the link to the page. It was last updated in 2008, but so many things are really true today. Except we have rockered/cambered skis, and integrated skins!
http://web.archive.org/web/201510021509 ... #SNOWSHOES
I MADE A MISTAKE AND THE LINK GOES TO HIS SKI PAGE. AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE IS A LINK TO HIS HOMEPAGE. YOU SHOULD AT LEAST OPEN THE HOMEPAGE AND TAKE A LOOK
Enjoy

P.S. Johnny, if this a violation of your posting policies please delete, and accept my apologies.

I am using Swix binder wax as a base, but I am corking it in. I used paraffin as my storage wax over the summer. I think it was a good idea, easy on, easy off, bases are healthy, and it was cheap.

We all visited Dave's page several times in the last 20 years...
(That was one of my personal starting point...)

Hey Bob,

So- base binder on the entire base eh?

Why did you choose to cork it in rather than iron it in?

Are you applying kickwax to the entire base?

Thanks for the link Fisheater! For a newbie like me that is really useful data bank.
I have never thought about kickwaxing the whole base, I need to try that! I have just used the Intelligrip skins on my waxable skis when I have had grip problems, but they are quite slow, waxing the whole base might be a better idea.

lilcliffy wrote:Hey Bob,

So- base binder on the entire base eh?

Why did you choose to cork it in rather than iron it in?

Are you applying kickwax to the entire base?

Gareth, I have base bindered the entire base, which is what I did last year. In the temperatures I ski in, base binder made a very good glide wax. I decided last year to go that route for two reasons. The first was Dave wrote that kick wax didn't adhere well to glide wax. You had counseled that it was perfectly acceptable to place kick wax over glide wax, but I decided to ere on the side of caution. The second reason for base binder on the entire ski was that I really feared uncontrolled slipping. Mike didn't give rave reviews of the USGI, so I wanted to do everything in my power to make my experience better.
Now that I have a couple of layers of base binder corked in, I will place wax in the wax pocket in the traditional manner. I am quick to extend that wax pocket if I slip. I am generally cautious in that I lean towards applying the colder range wax, only going warmer after colder does not work. As for my reason for corking in the base binder, I'm cheap. I think I paid $18 for that tin of wax. That tin will go a long time if I just cork it in. I use a lot of elbow grease, it really shines when I am finished. Now my poor son has to ski on a waxless Discovery 68, if I was waxing for your crew I would iron!

Hey Bob-

As usual it "depends"- applying kick wax to glide wax works fine if the snow is soft, cold and stable.

If the snow is abrasive at all, I use base binder as well- but only with kick wax on top of it.

I don't think I have ever heard of using binder as a glide wax...

I have used a very hard grip wax to the entire base- it acts like glide wax at warm temps, and then grips and glides on very cold snow.

I wonder what it would be like to apply a layer of Swix Polar on top of your entire layer of binder- and then the appropriate kick wax in the kick zone?

lilcliffy wrote:
I wonder what it would be like to apply a layer of Swix Polar on top of your entire layer of binder- and then the appropriate kick wax in the kick zone?

I would definitely put polar on the tips and tails, but my hunch is that the kick wax may stick better to the base binder than to the polar wax, on abrasive snow where it matters.

lowangle al wrote: I would definitely put polar on the tips and tails, but my hunch is that the kick wax may stick better to the base binder than to the polar wax, on abrasive snow where it matters.

True.
But- I do find softer kick wax sticks more effectively to a harder kick wax, then it does to glide wax.
I agree- would be best perhaps to leave the polar out of the kick zone, and apply the wax of the day directly to base binder.
But- many people apply hard polar grip wax to the entire base- and then temperature/snow appropriate wax/klister on top in the kick zone. This is particularly common with wooden ski bases, but I tried it with my p-tex bases last season and it worked VERY well- better than glide wax+kick wax.

Regardless- I still confused about using base binder without something on top of it...

If it works as a glide wax and is resistant to abrasion- very cool- just never heard of it before.

I don't know about the base binder as a glide wax either but I knew a girl who skied in Fairbanks and when it got real cold they skied on pine tar without glide wax. So you never know.

I also put polar on the entire base of my ptex skis and don't have a problem keeping kick wax on until the snow gets abrasive. Ive never used a base binder but I suppose it must chemialy bond with the kik wax in a way that glide wax doesn't.