Types and selection of paraffin wax for skis

Paraffin wax is a liquid and other ski wax for downhill and cross-country skiing... What is needed and how to choose a base paraffin, how to smear skis for skating - you will learn about all this from our publication.

Paraffin skis is a mandatory procedure. It doesn't matter if you are skiing down the slope or on the plain. Paraffin wax provides the necessary grip of the skis with the snow and fills all cracks, thereby ensuring a longer service life of the products.

Paraffin is a third-party product (hydrocarbon mixture), it is obtained after oil refining. It works great for lubricating skis, which is necessary to increase the sliding moment. Paraffin for skis is:

• soft (melts in its natural environment, for example, in a room);
• dense (starts to melt at 70 degrees);
• crystal-like (heating above 70 degrees provokes the crystallization process).

The properties of paraffin make it a lubricating product, and at the same time, the composition acts as a waterproof protection. In combination with other mixtures, a new product can be obtained. So, for example, petroleum jelly is obtained from it. But if petroleum jelly is more applicable in medical practice, then paraffin is in the technical direction.

One of these areas is the technical side of skiing, where skis are lubricated with paraffin to improve their glide. Ski waxes are subdivided according to weather conditions. Let's consider this moment in more detail.

The classification of wax for ski wax includes the following types:

• lubricant, which is used when riding in the cold below 10-12 degrees;
• composition for lubricating skis when skiing from 12 degrees below zero to -2 degrees;
• warm compositions for skiing at positive temperatures;
• all-weather grease is designed for any temperature regime.

Those opting for glide in warmer weather are high fluoride blends, the warmer the weather, the more fluorine-rich the lubricant should be. Conversely, the lower the temperature on the track, the less fluoride the paraffin should be.

There are also universal greases designed for any weather. This all-weather lubricant is the basis for cross-country skiing. It is used at above-zero temperatures (up to +3 degrees). It is saturated with various salts, oxides, and contains fluorine and silicone.

According to the reviews of amateur skiers, a rating of the best lubricants has been compiled. It includes the following brands.

• Swix - the lubricant is intended for the treatment of skis of professional athletes and ski amateurs. The company produces universal compounds suitable for treating the sliding surface of skis in any weather.
• Vauhti - liquid paraffin compositions that do not require hot treatment during application. The range includes compositions for cold weather, for skiing on wet snow and freshly fallen snow.
• "Ray" - this brand produces inexpensive paraffin wax lubricants for skis.

Correctly selected lubricant is the key to successful skiing, you need to take into account the weather and period: whether it is current treatment or preventive in the off-season. On a sliding surface, the lubricant must be renewed periodically by following the instructions for use.

Paraffin for cross-country and skating skis is chosen depending on the material: there is for wood and plastic. And, of course, check out the reviews of those who have already used such a product.

You need to choose based on your financial capabilities, cheap paraffin is not always worse than an expensive composition. It is not the price that matters, but the correct use. In sports shops there is a large selection of ski lubricants, both domestic and foreign.

In this case, it is also not important who the manufacturer is: the principle of operation is the same for all paraffinic compositions. Only properly waxed devices glide perfectly. If you choose classic plastic cross-country skis for skiing, then they definitely need to be lubricated.

To polish the sliding layer on such products, take care of a good lubricant, a scraper and a special brush. Alpine skis and snowboards are constantly lubricated with paraffin, then on the mountain slopes you can certainly ride with the breeze.

Based on the fact that skis need lubrication in the off-season, stock up on paraffin for the entire skiing period and off-season. Before each new application, it is not necessary to wash off the old layer; it is enough to work with a scraper.

Paraffin skis both in the skiing season and in the off-season. For lubrication in the off-season, liquid paraffin compositions are used. They are applied using a special iron and without heat treatment. Let's consider each case separately.

The iron is only needed for processing with liquid paraffin. The surface of the skis is cleaned to a shine, after thoroughly removing the remnants of the dirt, the skis must be well dried. Then the following actions are performed.

1. Special device in the form of an iron heat up to temperatures close to 150 degrees.
2. Apply a liquid paraffin composition to the surface of the skis, taking into account the following point: the standard version of the products is lubricated only at the beginning and at the end, and the center of the skis is not touched. But on the ridge type, the entire sliding base is completely processed.
3. After applying the lubricant begin to wield the iron, acting from the nose to the heel.
4. After that skis leave for at least 10 minutes in a cool place.
5. Then the smeared layer smooth with a brush.

This treatment is usually carried out in the off-season. The heated liquid paraffin composition perfectly fills all cracks and pores of the material from which the skis are made. Thus, a flat surface is obtained again.

The procedure is repeated up to 10 times. This is due to the fact that after processing with a special brush, part of the paraffin layer is also removed, and when it is compacted so many times, an acceptable result is achieved in the end. High-quality processing will be obtained after repeated application and grinding of liquid paraffin.

It is not always possible to use a special iron for applying paraffin to the ski surface, so manufacturers also produce liquid paraffin compositions that do not require heat treatment. Here's what you need to take off when working:

• dry the skis;
• using a special brush, clean the entire surface well and remove all dirt;
• give time to dry again;
• then apply the composition and let it soak within 3-4 minutes;
• thoroughly grind the grease over the entire sliding area;
• leave for another 10 minutes.

With an excess of the paraffin composition, it is removed in any convenient way, including with a brush. Cold paraffin is also used to treat skis in the off-season.

If they wax their skis during the season between races, the cold wax layer will not last long. The minimum need to let the treated skis stand for an hour and in a warm room or in the sun.

But experienced skiers note that treatment with cold paraffin does not give such an effective result than the standard version with a liquid composition through heat treatment. This is confirmed by experts, giving preference to the hot method of fixing paraffin wax on the surface of the ski.