Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

hello all.
I'm only a season or two in, to using waxable skiis.

So far, I have picked my moments to use a waxed base;
days were conditions seem reliably colder than 30f, and stable.

last week, I headed out on an "ideal conditions" day:
30"+ of fresh snow (pre-tracked by a handful of skiiers), 28f.
Polar across entire base, then Blue Extra in the kick zone.

Wax choice seemed pretty good. Maybe right on the edge, as I was slipping a just a little with the "kick"...
But I was flying along nicely on the Gammes...

Then, later in the tour, it started to lake-effect snow.
Very small, dense, flakes. about 1"-2"/hr
This new snow was sticking hard to my Blue Extra.
(and not sticking at all to the Polar sections)

When this happens, i need to stop, scrape the V40Blue Extra, and apply the next coldest wax?
(I don't carry plain V30Blue, so my next coldest would be V20Green...)
Seems like ambient temps weren't cold enough to "go Green"?
Maybe this falling snow would "stick" no matter what?
Looking for some sage advice.
Thanks!

I'm also looking for some answers to waxing in troublesome conditions

In some cases like that you can apply a thin layer of green on top of the blue extra to reduce icing

corlay wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 10, 2024 12:10 pm

hello all.
I'm only a season or two in, to using waxable skiis.

So far, I have picked my moments to use a waxed base;
days were conditions seem reliably colder than 30f, and stable.

last week, I headed out on an "ideal conditions" day:
30"+ of fresh snow (pre-tracked by a handful of skiiers), 28f.
Polar across entire base, then Blue Extra in the kick zone.

Wax choice seemed pretty good. Maybe right on the edge, as I was slipping a just a little with the "kick"...
But I was flying along nicely on the Gammes...

Then, later in the tour, it started to lake-effect snow.
Very small, dense, flakes. about 1"-2"/hr
This new snow was sticking hard to my Blue Extra.
(and not sticking at all to the Polar sections)

When this happens, i need to stop, scrape the V40Blue Extra, and apply the next coldest wax?
(I don't carry plain V30Blue, so my next coldest would be V20Green...)
Seems like ambient temps weren't cold enough to "go Green"?
Maybe this falling snow would "stick" no matter what?
Looking for some sage advice.
Thanks!

Here is my take on it. Good idea using scales when it's over thirty degrees, it's just easier. Next, if I were slipping a little I would put on a little more of what's working and not go to a softer wax. I would have extended the kick zone, but you may get good results with a little more underfoot. Also, in deep snow like that you may need a longer kick zone if you're not reaching a compacted base.

After it started snowing and it started to stick the first thing I would have done is cork the xtra blue real hard see what happens. If it was still sticking I'd scrape either all of the kick wax off and reaply with a harder one or I would scrape some or even most of the kick wax off and cork hard again.

On another note, if you know what's going on it the Catskills snow wise after this rain LMK if it's good.

I'm far from being a waxing expert myself, but I have had some luck with using a thicker and longer application of the wax that is one step too "hard" instead of the ideal wax. Getting more grip and less chance of sticking.

Also unless you are trying to be super efficient, scrapping isn't as necessary as one might think. You may have a hard time putting Swix green over red or red/silver in a heated workshop, but you probably could get some on after skiing them for a while. The softer waxes do harden with contact to the snow. Adding harder wax and then corking it is sometimes enough to help with the sticking snow issues. Not as durable an effect as workshop applied though.

I'd try buffing the blue extra with a synthetic cork if you're sticking a bit in new fresh snow, before bothering to change wax. Smoother and/or thinner wax layers work best in new snow.
If you've tried that and it isn't working, which would surprise me, try applying a thin layer of colder wax over the blue.
Warm up the colder wax first, inside your jacket, and it should rub on over the blue.

fgd135 wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 10, 2024 2:35 pm

I'd try buffing the blue extra with a synthetic cork if you're sticking a bit in new fresh snow, before bothering to change wax.

Correct me if I'm wrong, will a synthetic cork make your wax more glidy, and a natural cork make it more grippy?

After adjusting and giving up on Blue Extra V40, try Blue V30.

Most of the time Blue is the starting point on mine in that temp range.

I can't imagine not carrying Blue V30.

In my experience using a synthetic cork helps the wax to be grippier, because it spreads the wax better without generating as much heat. I can spread the wax with the synthetic cork and get a courser finish. The natural cork I find produces or requires more friction to spread the wax. I believe the cork produces some heat as it spreads the wax. The cork produces a shinier finish to the wax.
I utilize the synthetic cork more than the natural cork, with the exception that I cork my base course of polar to a shine with the natural cork.
@corlay Most of the time in fresh snow, in blue or green temperature range, I just use Rex Universal Tar wax. I put effort into quite a few waxes in the above blue temperature ranges. When it hits blue temps and down, I just use Rex Universal, my easy button. That being said I have a small wax kit I generally carry. I always carry 2 of the steel Swix Nordic scrapers. When I scrape wax, I want it off, the steel scrapers work. My ski bases are fine, believe me I say on trail stone grinding damages my bases more in a season than a steel scraper could do in 20 seasons.

thanks for the ideas, folks!

ordered a Swix bronze brush and some V30Blue, today.

What's the brush for if you are only using grip waxes?

Theoretically the new snow should not have been stickier to your blue extra. Note Swix's chart indicates a higher temperature range for new snow vs transformed. So if anything the converse should have been true. Did temperature deviate from 28F when you noticed the issue?