I totally agree with the above... which is why I FAR PREFER wood skis for my wax stuff. It is far easier, far simpler, and far more forgiving to use wax wood skis than fiberglass wax skis. I am absolutely thumbs down on my Fischer BC Country WAXes, though I love the Crown... they are just a pain with wax.lilcliffy wrote: This is where I disagree with you in general- it sure isn't easier if you are miserably slipping all over the place. In my neck of the woods, Nordic skiing is also becoming thought of as something that can only be done by people that are very fit- that it is too physically demanding otherwise (this is part of what is driving a choice of snowshoes over skis). This attitude is also a result of not having enough grip as well- my dear 72-year old friend can easily ski great distances in the backcountry- chiefly because he has enough grip!
Most people are lazy, especially when they are not used to waxing. It's kind of a mystical thing. Then, with big fixed wax pockets on fiberglass skis it just puts it over the top for most people.
Unfortunately, wood skis require pine-tarring, and appropriate storage techniques, and they are old and wood so people are suspicious. This is the downside.
My wife for years has steadfastly refused to partake in using wax skis. Even though she is a strong skier she was always consistently falling behind to me. She passed it off as a fitness disparity. She can't stand what she perceived as a giant pain in the ass waxing process. This winter, I finally persuaded her to ski her Bonna 2400's. Fifteen minutes later she was sold. Years of skepticism gone in a moment. It was such an improvement, she later took them out alone, without me, with a cork and some Toko blue. They slipped she crayoned it on, she buffed, and away she went. She loves them now! I know that if these were wax fiberglass skis she would have had frustrating moments.
As an aside, a lot of people don't want to multiple pairs of skis for the same mission. With increased variability in snow conditions, with lots of very warm wet snow and granular icy stuff, they go for the non-wax skis. I get that. They have other things to spend money on.
Thank god for Asnes.
EDIT: I want to add that my opinion is generally in relation to double-cambered wax XC skis. The single albeit high camber skis like Fischer Outbound Wax are more forgiving.