photo credit: D.Koerber RNSC
Waxing Tip: Removing the sticky stuff
Here’s a tip for cleaning off the klister you left on your skis last spring. First, heat up the old wax with a heat gun, propane torch, or hair dryer until the wax is almost liquid. Then place a strip of toilet paper on top of the melted wax. Take a scraper and, starting at one end, scrape off the toilet paper in one smooth motion. The wax will come off easily with the paper. Similarly, old glue can be removed from climbing skins by using an old sheet and a clothing iron. First, tear the sheet into strips, lay a strip on the glue side of the skin and use the iron on the strip. This will lift the glue into the strip. Repeat until the glued surface appears clean. It is not necessary to remove all the old glue, just the dirty, lumpy stuff. Newspaper can be substituted for the sheet but it does not work as well.
Wax your waxless skis
The fish-scale pattern beneath your foot on your “waxless” skis eliminates the need for grip wax when skiing. However, the performance of your stride will be enhanced by applying a glide wax to the smooth parts of the base. Wax as you would a downhill ski using an iron to melt wax, or apply a paste wax, a simpler but less durable product. If your skis are icing on the fish-scales, paste wax will help that too. Rough areas on the smooth part of the base are also prone to icing. Scrape the base smooth with a metal cabinet scraper or fine sand paper. Any ski shop can do this for you, or sell you what you need to do the job at home.