Elliott Reacts to Skis.com "How to Wax Your Skis" Video. To buy a basic Wax Kit on Backcountry via affiliate link: www.avantlink.... Music: SFAKASH - Jazz Slammin
Enjoyed watching you lose your mind 😂. There's a ton of videos on ski waxing and edge sharpening but I think many of us recreational skiers miss the importance of having a true base. Getting my skis stone ground at the ski shop has really renewed my skis and has made ski maintenance much easier for me.
I have a WORKS Pegasus workbench that come with vises. I found it perfect for tuning & waxing my skis, plus a miriad of other projects. It's a lot cheaper & more versatile than a dedicated ski vise system.
Honestly in warmer conditions I tend to put on a reasonable amount of hot wax red or yellow and then don't even bother to scrape. I found that wet spring conditions peel the wax off your bases so quickly that I might as well have more on there to begin with. Otherwise I have found on spring ski trips in New England I end up losing most of the wax off my bases every day... I suspect that proper waxing technique matters more obviously in a racing context and also when it is cold dry snow. I have definitely noticed in cold dry conditions when I do not scrape the drag is noticeable! I am intentionally not buying any of the fluorinated waxes.
I have an old iron and digital thermometer. No other special tools other than brass and nylon brushes. It keeps my bases from drying, which is probably the most important aspect of waxing skis.
For the average recreational skier this wax demonstration/technique is fine IMO. The results will be miles better for us than a dry base, and only fractionally worse than a race wax.
Glad you mentioned ventilation. Not to mention waxing can be a mess, especially when you're learning. I don't get how people do it in their living rooms, unless they're experienced and have it dialed in. Looking forward to your eventual video on technique
I loved this. Dude, I have to be honest and say when I first found your channel, your tone/grumpiness annoyed me-but now you’re one of my favorite people to watch BECAUSE of your personality. 😂 I guess I understand ya now. 😂😂😂
Today was a particularly funny version of your enflamed spirit haha! I've never really "properly" learned how to wax but am glad that I was most of the way there, based on your commentary! Definitely learned some new things like the brushing technique of coming back just a little bit and doing two directional passes with the iron. I've always just worked the wax until it looked good and even but hadn't considered waxing directionally despite already brushing directionally. I'd love to see a full waxing demo from you though!! That'd be awesome.
I use the iron on my skis once, when they're new. I soak the base with the thick layer of wax on top. Then I hotbox them overnight. All of this gets absorbed into the base. A vigorous brushing, brass thank you later I'm loving it Subsequent days I crayon the wax on and buff it on with cork or a fabric covered cylinder (SkiMD) , another brutal brushing and they're fast. Scraping wax off is only for those who like to buy more wax than necessary.
Well, I suggest you not attending a SWIX/TOKO waxing clinic. I think everyone has their own unique way and if you are just a recreational skier, this video is fine, although if you are a professional racer, there is work for a lot of improvement. From hot scrapping first, to how to crayon wax on to the ski/board.
Your frustration reminds me of my brother in law teaching me how to spread clay over drywall, minus the cursing. Have you tried Faststik yet? I know a shop in Coeur d'Alene that ditched the waxing equipment and is using Faststik exclusively for tuneups and rentals. The skis I rented glided fine for the better part of two days
Oh cool, no I haven't but will look into it! I've also done drywall, for a whole floor of an old house and I have a much deeper appreciation everytime I see good work.
@Rick, I get where you are coming from about the orientation of the iron, but how do you do it when the ski is wider than the iron? (pow skis for example) Do you split the ski into 2 sections tip to tail? Curious about your thoughts.
Good point, you can go sideways for those, but if it's only a little wider, you can just make a wiggle for the initial spreading, but totally true for the final passes
DPS Phantom Glide is permanent. Lasts as long as the base of the ski lasts. I have enjoyed it and found it to have a moderate benefit. I have heard the Phantom Glide helps a little with spring slush. Have you ever tried wiping RainX on your bases during Spring slush? I have not, but I have read it can help with slush in warmer temps. I think you need to wipe it on every third run or so which may be worth the hassle to avoid having to lean back so much. Could be a good upcoming video... "How to deal with spring slush" @@RicketySkiReviews
great question, I'm not affiliated and I haven't thought about this in a while, but there are some really good tools from the Ski Beast (not sure if they're even around anymore) but I had a file guide from them that I loved. Sun Valley Ski Tools have always had really good quality, they're a bit pricier, so I only ever had 1 or 2 tools from them, but they lasted for a long time. Artech out of Lebanon NH used to have fantastic files, diamond stones, and scrapers, but they're gone now. For Brushes I like Swix and Holmenkol, For Irons I've had really good luck with TOKO (though swix is pretty much just as good). I think you can pretty regularly get sets from Swix but be careful bc some of them have weird stuff that you might not need. I will try to make a guide in the future!
Gotta wear gloves when you scrape , because that scraped wax powder will get into your hands and stay there for days. This guy had an iron that covered the whole width of the ski but he still choose to push it on the broadside with a bunch of iron sticking out on the side. I dont think it would make sense to use the brass brush after you wax, since he already used it to clean the base it should be full of dirt and you dont want to put that back into the base. Ive seen people use an even courser iron brush to clean the ski, but i think its ok to just use the waxremover/cleaner from swix and just wipe it with paper.
I find a good wax lasts 12 days of skiing and 8 days of snowboarding -- slow skis are a pain but slow snowboards in flats are TORTURE. On east coast skis, I run the iron 3 or 4 times down the base to get a really smooth wax and lots of penetration but don't bother scraping and brushing -- I'm not racing and 1 good run on east coast ice will get the extra wax off anyways. If I'm flying out west, I do it right and get the equipment perfect.. Either way, the extra passes with the iron don't take a lot of time and gets the wax in deeper -- without going as far as those racers that hotbox their skis... Oh and my waxing stand, bar stools... And I don't use flourinated wax -- bad for the environment.... bad for your lungs
You'd probably be critical of how I wax, but I do better than this guy in the video. I also use cork in the process which this guy didn't do and I find critical to not just having all the wax come off the ski in a day or two if you want to go a few days between waxing.
:) u should see my wax jobs. dripping down over the edges into the bindings :) in all seriousness i have started giving the skis a little dry rub with the wax and then doing the iron hotwax ('ive seen pros do it) and i like the result a lot, more even using less wax. Next video, edges. i have been a big time diamond file guy for a while now. regularly doing the edges with a diamond file is a game changer and reduces using a sharpening file by 65 % or more ( :P )
Yeah that was a pretty pathetic instructional video. But take care of yourself, bring your blood pressure back down. 😆 EVO has a MUCH better instructional, just fyi.
Elliott, love the content. 2 questions. First, at the conclusion of season, do you recommend waxing but not scraping until the beginning of the next season? Didn't know if this protects the base better than waxing and scraping in the spring. My skis will be stored in a finished basement all summer. Secondly, I'm looking for a 2nd set of skis. Currently I ski the Head EV5 in 170, at 74mm underfoot. Really looking for an all mountain ski to allow me to ski in the trees and in more variable conditions. Loved your review on the Head Kore 93. Was wondering if I should go 177 or stick with 170. The 177 is 93 under foot where the 170 is 91. Wanted your opinion on the give and take between length and width. I'm 6' and 215lbs, live and ski primarily in Ohio. Thanks Scott
Here's a video on sizing Wax as needed but yes end of year you do a storage wax where you use a fair amount of wax and don't scrape or brush. It will help keep your bases through the summer and can even help prevent exposure to moisture and rust on the edges. Hope that helped.
@RicketySkiReviews I've watched the sizing video several times. Just wondered if the 7cm of length and 2mm of width made a noticeable difference. Width off trail and in less than ideal conditions on the groomers should help and the added length improves stability at speed, but didn't know if the average skier would notice the difference. Thanks Scott
I play you on 1.5x which makes you sound even more aggravated and funny.
lol I'm working with YT to get a 1.5x aggravation setting
This made my day 😂….. we may need to install an AED unit on the swing set 🤣
Enjoyed watching you lose your mind 😂.
There's a ton of videos on ski waxing and edge sharpening but I think many of us recreational skiers miss the importance of having a true base. Getting my skis stone ground at the ski shop has really renewed my skis and has made ski maintenance much easier for me.
great point!
I’m trying to imagine your reaction if you were watching this live with your skis being the ones getting waxed. 😂
Haha, it felt like that
Tune shop pro here, the iron isn’t sideways, it gets the excess off when the iron is wider than the ski
good point, but with a ski that narrow, the final pass I would do on this (or a race ski) would be vertical oriented to make a smooth surface.
I have a WORKS Pegasus workbench that come with vises. I found it perfect for tuning & waxing my skis, plus a miriad of other projects. It's a lot cheaper & more versatile than a dedicated ski vise system.
Honestly in warmer conditions I tend to put on a reasonable amount of hot wax red or yellow and then don't even bother to scrape. I found that wet spring conditions peel the wax off your bases so quickly that I might as well have more on there to begin with. Otherwise I have found on spring ski trips in New England I end up losing most of the wax off my bases every day...
I suspect that proper waxing technique matters more obviously in a racing context and also when it is cold dry snow. I have definitely noticed in cold dry conditions when I do not scrape the drag is noticeable!
I am intentionally not buying any of the fluorinated waxes.
I have an old iron and digital thermometer. No other special tools other than brass and nylon brushes. It keeps my bases from drying, which is probably the most important aspect of waxing skis.
Looking forward to your video Elliott! Enjoyed your enthusiasm commenting on this "How to!"
Thanks! I will probably save it for the summer to be totally honest.
Oh well… Curated might not be the worst channel on RUclips after all 🤣😂🤣😂
Haha true 😂
For the average recreational skier this wax demonstration/technique is fine IMO. The results will be miles better for us than a dry base, and only fractionally worse than a race wax.
Im not even watching for waxing tips now....too funny...need a beer to watch it next time.
Love your channel and take on things. Would love to see a video from you on ski tunning!
Glad you mentioned ventilation. Not to mention waxing can be a mess, especially when you're learning. I don't get how people do it in their living rooms, unless they're experienced and have it dialed in. Looking forward to your eventual video on technique
yeah never do it on carpet, we used to put down cardboard at the bare minimum if we were anywhere indoors.
I loved this. Dude, I have to be honest and say when I first found your channel, your tone/grumpiness annoyed me-but now you’re one of my favorite people to watch BECAUSE of your personality. 😂 I guess I understand ya now. 😂😂😂
Haha, thanks I think?
@@RicketySkiReviews you’re welcome! Lol
Today was a particularly funny version of your enflamed spirit haha! I've never really "properly" learned how to wax but am glad that I was most of the way there, based on your commentary! Definitely learned some new things like the brushing technique of coming back just a little bit and doing two directional passes with the iron. I've always just worked the wax until it looked good and even but hadn't considered waxing directionally despite already brushing directionally. I'd love to see a full waxing demo from you though!! That'd be awesome.
I’m very happy you haven’t seen me wax my skis
haha, I mean I'm pretty open minded, I've even used trash barrels as a bench in a pinch, but this was a bit much for me.
Look foarward to the Rickety wax tutorial!
😂. That dude in the video almost ruined good skis 😂
At least he didn't wax slow lol
I use the iron on my skis once, when they're new. I soak the base with the thick layer of wax on top. Then I hotbox them overnight.
All of this gets absorbed into the base. A vigorous brushing, brass thank you later I'm loving it
Subsequent days I crayon the wax on and buff it on with cork or a fabric covered cylinder (SkiMD) , another brutal brushing and they're fast.
Scraping wax off is only for those who like to buy more wax than necessary.
Well, I suggest you not attending a SWIX/TOKO waxing clinic. I think everyone has their own unique way and if you are just a recreational skier, this video is fine, although if you are a professional racer, there is work for a lot of improvement. From hot scrapping first, to how to crayon wax on to the ski/board.
I’m sorry but I can’t help laughing at your reaction. It is awful waxing though on the vid. Looking forward to seeing yours
It's not a hard bar to clear, lol, I only know the basics and it's old info, but I will try and make a video when the snow is gone.
Your frustration reminds me of my brother in law teaching me how to spread clay over drywall, minus the cursing. Have you tried Faststik yet? I know a shop in Coeur d'Alene that ditched the waxing equipment and is using Faststik exclusively for tuneups and rentals. The skis I rented glided fine for the better part of two days
Oh cool, no I haven't but will look into it! I've also done drywall, for a whole floor of an old house and I have a much deeper appreciation everytime I see good work.
@Rick, I get where you are coming from about the orientation of the iron, but how do you do it when the ski is wider than the iron? (pow skis for example) Do you split the ski into 2 sections tip to tail? Curious about your thoughts.
Good point, you can go sideways for those, but if it's only a little wider, you can just make a wiggle for the initial spreading, but totally true for the final passes
Just get DPS Phantom Glide and never wax again. Just do a base grind at the end of every season to refresh the Phantom Glide. That works for me.
How long does it last?
DPS Phantom Glide is permanent. Lasts as long as the base of the ski lasts. I have enjoyed it and found it to have a moderate benefit. I have heard the Phantom Glide helps a little with spring slush. Have you ever tried wiping RainX on your bases during Spring slush? I have not, but I have read it can help with slush in warmer temps. I think you need to wipe it on every third run or so which may be worth the hassle to avoid having to lean back so much. Could be a good upcoming video... "How to deal with spring slush"
@@RicketySkiReviews
What sets or brand do you recommend for a home set? I see Swix and Sidecut alot. What's your two cents? Thanks
great question, I'm not affiliated and I haven't thought about this in a while, but there are some really good tools from the Ski Beast (not sure if they're even around anymore) but I had a file guide from them that I loved.
Sun Valley Ski Tools have always had really good quality, they're a bit pricier, so I only ever had 1 or 2 tools from them, but they lasted for a long time.
Artech out of Lebanon NH used to have fantastic files, diamond stones, and scrapers, but they're gone now.
For Brushes I like Swix and Holmenkol,
For Irons I've had really good luck with TOKO (though swix is pretty much just as good).
I think you can pretty regularly get sets from Swix but be careful bc some of them have weird stuff that you might not need.
I will try to make a guide in the future!
Gotta wear gloves when you scrape , because that scraped wax powder will get into your hands and stay there for days. This guy had an iron that covered the whole width of the ski but he still choose to push it on the broadside with a bunch of iron sticking out on the side.
I dont think it would make sense to use the brass brush after you wax, since he already used it to clean the base it should be full of dirt and you dont want to put that back into the base. Ive seen people use an even courser iron brush to clean the ski, but i think its ok to just use the waxremover/cleaner from swix and just wipe it with paper.
I find a good wax lasts 12 days of skiing and 8 days of snowboarding -- slow skis are a pain but slow snowboards in flats are TORTURE. On east coast skis, I run the iron 3 or 4 times down the base to get a really smooth wax and lots of penetration but don't bother scraping and brushing -- I'm not racing and 1 good run on east coast ice will get the extra wax off anyways. If I'm flying out west, I do it right and get the equipment perfect.. Either way, the extra passes with the iron don't take a lot of time and gets the wax in deeper -- without going as far as those racers that hotbox their skis... Oh and my waxing stand, bar stools... And I don't use flourinated wax -- bad for the environment.... bad for your lungs
Can u pls review the bent 90s when u get the chance, i wanna get them but dont know if its worth it
I'm not sure they have them locally and they're a bit more of a park ski no?
Anyone ever try F4, Züm, or one of the other ski deodorants? Is that permanent ski wax from SkiEssentials good???
You'd probably be critical of how I wax, but I do better than this guy in the video. I also use cork in the process which this guy didn't do and I find critical to not just having all the wax come off the ski in a day or two if you want to go a few days between waxing.
oh yes! good point
Wait, waaa? You saying one of the waxes employs hydrofloric acid? OMG....
You need not just a mask for that but protective gloves.
:) u should see my wax jobs. dripping down over the edges into the bindings :) in all seriousness i have started giving the skis a little dry rub with the wax and then doing the iron hotwax ('ive seen pros do it) and i like the result a lot, more even using less wax.
Next video, edges. i have been a big time diamond file guy for a while now. regularly doing the edges with a diamond file is a game changer and reduces using a sharpening file by 65 % or more ( :P )
The bindings will survive some wax, haha
To think waxing skis needs to be this nuanced is pretty cringe
Yeah that was a pretty pathetic instructional video.
But take care of yourself, bring your blood pressure back down. 😆
EVO has a MUCH better instructional, just fyi.
Elliot is hilarious 😂 he is so passionate that he is horrified by bad practices. He is the ski channel we never deserved 😊
Thank you both, I will look into it.
Elliott, love the content. 2 questions. First, at the conclusion of season, do you recommend waxing but not scraping until the beginning of the next season? Didn't know if this protects the base better than waxing and scraping in the spring. My skis will be stored in a finished basement all summer.
Secondly, I'm looking for a 2nd set of skis. Currently I ski the Head EV5 in 170, at 74mm underfoot. Really looking for an all mountain ski to allow me to ski in the trees and in more variable conditions. Loved your review on the Head Kore 93. Was wondering if I should go 177 or stick with 170. The 177 is 93 under foot where the 170 is 91. Wanted your opinion on the give and take between length and width. I'm 6' and 215lbs, live and ski primarily in Ohio.
Thanks
Scott
Here's a video on sizing
Wax as needed but yes end of year you do a storage wax where you use a fair amount of wax and don't scrape or brush. It will help keep your bases through the summer and can even help prevent exposure to moisture and rust on the edges.
Hope that helped.
Sizing video: ruclips.net/video/7qVzuD3BHiw/видео.htmlsi=9HukB-F7e95ioiRR
@RicketySkiReviews I've watched the sizing video several times. Just wondered if the 7cm of length and 2mm of width made a noticeable difference. Width off trail and in less than ideal conditions on the groomers should help and the added length improves stability at speed, but didn't know if the average skier would notice the difference.
Thanks
Scott