XC Ski For Women

[mca80]

https://woodenskis.com/wood2_waxing.htm

Lots of recommendations for using swix polar kick wax tip to tail on woodies.

[Manney]

There are advocates for all kinds of silly things on the internet…

https://www.vice.com/en/article/exq9yk/ ... gh-forever

… but only one manufacturer’s directed use for their products.

The latter is the more sensible approach. But to elaborate on the sensible approach, see the following (which is based academic, industry, and professional practices):

https://www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=6058

[greatgt]

Up here in the Kingdom, (Northeast Kingdom) of Vermont one can pretty well expect certain conditions for different parts of the year. I set up a glide wax that will be fast as skiing skinny requires speed to come around. Also, if you cruise out to hit down you have to have grip wax to get there. That equals a double camber ski. The "Wax Pocket" gets the wax of the day which means you know the temperature. I never wax the entire ski so as to keep speed. My wax goes onto the "wax pocket" with some adjustments for temperature. Sometimes in fast snow wax goes beyond the pocket for more grip. It can easily be taken off with a pocketknife. Way back used torches and such. Got it super glazed and really did the deed. Now and for a couple of decades just set the skis for what the day is going to bring. Figure heading down is gonna be fast enough anyway. Waxing should not be a big issue. Slap it on and take off. TM

[Manney]

https://tahoetrailguide.com/waxing-your ... roduction/

Or if you’re after something more academic, this paper is considered one of the seminal works by professional wax techs.

https://arc.lib.montana.edu/snow-scienc ... 18-027.pdf

[mca80]

There are advocates for all kinds of silly things on the internet…

https://www.vice.com/en/article/exq9yk/ ... gh-forever

… but only one manufacturer’s directed use for their products.

The latter is the more sensible approach.

The instructions on the bag of rice also suggest a particular method of cooking, but I found through other reco and experience that a different way of preparation yields much better results.

[Manney]

True, but you’re still boiling water and using rice… not substituting a different ingredient like motor oil to do the cooking, or using mouse droppings instead of basmati.

Because when you switch products entirely, that’s what you’re actually doing.

Grip wax and glide wax are totally different products.

[mca80]

Sure they are different, but would you also call someone stupid who uses parrafin as a glide wax?

[Manney]

Sure they are different, but would you also call someone stupid who uses parrafin as a glide wax?

Only if they insist that the product made to seal mason jars is better than a product made for the expressed purpose of skiing… after somebody takes the time to explain why their beliefs are incorrect.

Things would be different if you said that somebody uses paraffin because it’s cheaper than glide wax. The economics are clear. A brick of paraffin is $5. A brick of Swix Polar Glide wax is $40. That still doesn’t make paraffin better. Just cheaper.

Such a case doesn’t exist here though. Grip wax is actually MORE expensive per unit of weight than glide wax*. When used as a glide wax, grip wax performs worse. It’s formulated for grip, not glide after all. So more $ for less gliding potential lays a very strong basis for stupidity to flourish.

All it takes is a refusal to accept that the ski wax manufacturer knows what they’re doing, compounded by poor math skills and a refusal to think.

None of this is my idea. It’s all published by Swix… the products, their specified use, and the prices.

* Swix Polar Grip wax is listed on the manufacturer’s web site at $13 for 45g (3.6g/$). Swix Polar Glide wax is listed at $15 for 60g (4g per $)… $40 for 180g (4.5g/$). If you buy in bulk, which you can’t do with glide wax, the value can reach 9g/$ in some cases — half the price of grip wax. All figures in USD.

https://www.swixsport.com/en/ski-wax/glide-wax/

[CwmRaider]

I might repeat again that Swix Polar is a good base for softer grip waxes, but you cannot effectively apply grip wax over glide wax so if you want to extend the grip zone you have to either glide wax shorter or remove glide wax first.

[Manney]

Makes perfect sense.