waxing strategy question

[fisheater]

I sometimes extend right to the tip, well not where it turns upward. Just so you know, I thought you were erring on the conservative side. Your sticking also surprised me as well.
I guess my attitude is that I don’t know as much as the snow. It doesn’t bother me when I’m wrong, I just adjust and ski. I certainly have applied harder wax over softer wax. I have slipped badly, waxed over with a softer wax only to stick, and reapplied a quick layer of the wax that slipped badly over the top, and found kick wax bliss!
Oh, I purchased a 30 mm mohair X-skin for Gamme this season. I will be using it this season. I have been using a 45 mm mohair on my Falketind in challenging wax conditions, and I like it.

[mca80]

I would add, if you are applying harder wax over softer.... do it gently. With a very light touch. If you wax it like you normally wax you will rub it in with existing wax and nullify the procesess.

[lilcliffy]

I guess my attitude is that I don’t know as much as the snow. It doesn’t bother me when I’m wrong, I just adjust and ski.

Bob,
You're the man.
Gareth

[fgd135]

+1 for Fisheater's recommendation for Rex Universal Tar wax when touring in and on fresh-falling, moisture-rich snow. I add a thin layer on top and c'est bon!
This is a wonderful kick wax that I am experimenting with more and more.
https://skiwax.ca/products/rex-wax-basi ... versal-tar

Oooh, so does it smell like pine tar, a nice, nostalgic kind of pine-cone-eater, alpaca hat, wool knickers and knee sock wearing kinda smell? Nice.
Did you ever use Jack Rabbit wax? JR was mostly pine tar, with a warm and a cold version. Worked great on wood skis.

[phoenix]

Used the last of my Jack Rabbit wet a couple of decades ago, best warm wax I've ever used. Bummed that I couldn't find any after that. I did, however, found an unused JR cold in my ski stuff box recently; haven
t tried that yet but cold waxing is easy.

[timpete]

I didn’t read this thread super closely, but it’s worth noting that I don’t think there’s a magic bullet for kick waxing in 30-33 deg F fresh (falling) snow - you will sometimes just clump snow and there’s nothing to be done but try your best to double pole for propulsion on flats, and walk up hills on skis like snowshoes and scrape/stomp off at the top. It’s the one condition that a waxless base is probably better than a waxable.

[corlay]

It’s the one condition that a waxless base is probably better than a waxable.

yeah - thanks for that.

I sort of alluded to this in my original post.
Maybe there was nothing to be done.

I did order some Swix Blue and Rex Universal,
to have on-hand in the future, as at least a possible fix, to try…

[corlay]

back at it again today.

Started with Swix Blue and that worked fine all morning.
Also extended that kick wax forward to the skin attachment spot. (vs stopping at the front edge of bindings)
MUCH better kick/control and lots less slipping.
Climbed gentle rolling hills fine.

Boy, the Gamme is pretty great, isnt it?
Skiied a place where some of the trails are groomed,
for the first time in a long while. Gamme cruized along just fine in the skate (groomed vs tracked) side. Sometimes its nice to just turn yourself into a motor, get into a groove, and cover some distance. Got to break some trail, also. Gamme does that well-enough, too.
Was a good “variety” day!

[The GCW]

corlay,

Yes,

Å Gamme is a great ski, more so on a blue wax day in a beautiful place.

[corlay]

more waxing strategy questions:
if you are a "Polar tip to tail" kindof person (like me):

1. Do you apply Polar to the ski before each time out? (or can one get some multi-day "mileage" out of Polar as a base wax?)
1a. I'm guessing ironing-in the Polar gives better longevity, than corking?
1b. Do you do any brush-finishing to the base wax? or just corking?
2. Do you do much prep to the ski before re-waxing? (scrape/brush? or just a quick "cleaning"?)
3. If you ran Swix Blue the last time, and this new outing will be a Blue Extra or Violet, how do you deal with the old kick-zone layers of Blue?, before adding the kick wax 'o the day? (scrape/brush? or just a quick "cleaning"?)
3a. Do you do any brush-finishing to the kick wax? or just corking?

I currently only cork-in my base and kick wax, and do pretty minimal base prep (a quick scraping, and clean with a damp cloth) when adding base wax and/or changing kick wax. I do have the ability of ironing-in wax, if that will make a big difference to either performance or longevity.

I read the Waxing 101 in the Wiki, but not much in there about base prep/maintenance.
Seems like all of YouTube demos are geared toward racing skiis and using glide waxes and/or powder...