Waxing Voile Objective 178 cms (No Skins & No Scales)

[Bode Toad]

I am interested in advice for waxing the waxable Voile Objective (178 cm with Traverse 75 mm bindings; Alpina Alaska 75 mm boots). I will proceed DIY and am starting with a clean slate (high on the noob index) in terms of available products and approaches. Marmot and the other traditional tuning shops have withdrawn from our local market, and the less established survivors are reluctant to take on anything but waxless skis. Local supplies are spotty; I have ordered basic Swix materials from an out-of-state vendor.

I will use the Objectives to tour off track, on flat terrain and low hills, occasionally with light telemarking. I do not plan to use skins; instead, waxes will be added to match variable conditions. I will also occasionally join my girlfriend (a strong downhill skier) on the lifts and plod down, in and around the groomed runs. This will mostly take place around Lake Tahoe, at modest elevations and temperatures; however, we will also use the cross-country venues and lifts in and around Aspen (less frequently).

I plan to start with a hard base, the length of the ski, and thereafter add wax to obtain the necessary traction. Which available products are good fits, and how best to integrate them on new units?

Thanks in advance.

[fisheater]

Hello Bode Toad,
There has been a lot of basic waxing talk lately. I certainly could help if you have questions after reading the attached thread, but there is a lot of information in this thread. I will add the principles do not change because a ski is wider or skinnier. As your technique gets better you may get better at having glide and grip with a single cambered ski like the Objective. First get the ski to grip, then you can experiment with keeping the wax thin, wax colder, maybe buffing. However it must have grip, you may have some wax drag. I personally never skied a scale ski that didn't have scale drag.
Here it is, good luck!
http://telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f ... 4f75351159

[Bode Toad]

Fisheater:

Your thread from 2020 on available wax products and associated strategies was a very good start. I will likely use the "Polar" as the base and go from there. I will likely avoid glide wax on the Objectives. Because none of the Swix products are available locally, I am importing them from Colorado and will try out the crayons on the next trip to snow. Field experiments in the Sierras this month, then in Colorado in March. Time to build a waxing bench out of some beefy PT 4" by 12".

Toad

[fisheater]

Toad,
I have a waxable if similar width and camber. I will hopefully have it out soon. I look forward to hearing your results. I try to guess the correct wax at home, always erring on the cold side. If I slip, than I go to the next warmer wax.
Good luck

[Nitram Tocrut]

Fisheater:

Your thread from 2020 on available wax products and associated strategies was a very good start. I will likely use the "Polar" as the base and go from there. I will likely avoid glide wax on the Objectives.
Toad

From my little experience with a smooth base Onjectives I think it is a good idea to stay away from glide wax. I may be wrong but I suspect they will be even more slippery if you apply glide wax. My experience with waxing Objectives is a mixed one. I could only climb low angle slopes with the wax so it was hard to get to the goods... I remember one of my friend using grip wax all over his telemark skis that he was using for our hut to but trip and I don’t think it really slowed him down going DH.

Well, that’s only my experience and yours might differ but don’t be surprised if you have to end up waxing most of the bases at your ski... hopefully for you I am wrong

[Bode Toad]

Nitram:

Thank you for the input on the Voile Objectives. May I ask which wax product gave you the best traction when ascending short hills? I am most interested in efficient ascent on small hills rather than quick descent.

Toad

[lowangle al]

With Swix waxes I could get by with the polar for glide, green, blue extra and red silver. That would cover me from the low teens to almost 40 degrees F. I've been using only blue extra for about three weeks now.

[Bode Toad]

Lowangle:

Your approach will be one of ours when the Swix sticks arrive. Thanks for the valuable input!

Toad

[Nitram Tocrut]

Nitram:

Thank you for the input on the Voile Objectives. May I ask which wax product gave you the best traction when ascending short hills? I am most interested in efficient ascent on small hills rather than quick descent.

Toad

It depends on the temperature and snow conditions. This year I mostly used blue Swix. The best result for the snow was on quite consolidated snow after the passage of the snow blower. I have not had much success on steeper slopes and deep snow. But remember that I have very limited experience with those skis. I took a chance when I got them but they really feel too short and narrow when there is deep powdery snow. If you look at the weight chart for the Objectives, it says that the 178 are for 140 pounds and over. I can’t tell the right number but I think there should be some sort of recommended weight limit... I know that sound strange and even discriminatory but it is just the way they feel especially on deep snow. Despite all I just wrote... I know that I will still use those skis in the proper conditions. But as Wooderson suggested in a previous post, it’s just too bad Voile are not offering this skis in a longer length. Was not I suppose to answer a question about waxing

[Woodserson]

Did you already get the skis? Can you get the BC version? Is there a reason you don't want it?

With an often wet transformed CA snowpack situation, I'd make your life easy and get the BC version. I have it here for the variable snot we get in New England and I love it except for very dry cold old hard snow.

Just sayin'. It's a good ski, it works well.

I love my wax skis, dontcha get me wrong, but you're not going to be going lightning fast with this ski with kick wax anyway due to low camber. I'm not saying, by any means, it can't be done, but when that sun starts to bake the mountains in CA in the spring and you want to spend the day out cruising around with the girlfriend things could get exasperating real quick-like.

Inbounds-- like you mentioned, the normal version (non-scaled) ski is definitely ideal. So if the balance of the skiing you're planning on doing is going to be inbounds, then carry on. (are you looking for a pair? see teleturnaround )

If smooth base I'd 100% glide wax the tips and tails and then add grip wax as necessary on top. The camber is low and squashable, your grip zone won't have to be very large or go the distance. If you want to skip this step and go Polar, no worries, but glide wax is cheaper.