Wax the F@$% Episode 2: How to Wax Waxless Skis

Welcome to episode 2 of Wax the F@$%: How to Wax Waxless Skis! 

Let's get the contradictions out of the way: yes, it sounds crazy to wax a 'waxless ski' but you've got to do it it. Plain and simple. 

To start, 'waxless skis refer to cross-country skis that have fishscales on the bases. They're called waxless skis because the fishscales negate the need to put grip wax on the base. No glide wax, grip wax. Ok, moving on. 

Usually, with fishscaled skis, people only wax the 'glide zones' - these are on the tip and tail of the skis where the ski needs to remain as frictionless as possible. While doing this, they neglect the fishscales themselves which is an area where snow loves to build up. And once it builds up, it's a huge pain in the butt to get it off. So here is the mountainFLOW solution for how to wax the fishscale zone with our IR Waxer. Typically, the only way to wax this area of the ski previously was with either a liquid wax or a paste, which both are great but lack longevity. Here is how you can hot wax your fishscales: 

Steps: 

1. Start with an IR Waxer. This awesome handheld device is the first step that allows you to actually be able to hot wax your kick zone. First time, real exciting. 
2. Crayon the wax on - just like you would if you were waxing any other pair of skis. Remember to crayon the fishscales and over both glide zones. 
3. Fire up your IR Waxer and give the skis a pass. If you were using a conventional waxer for this part, there is not enough buffer to protect the ski from the heat but because you're using infrared and not touching the base directly with a heating element, the wax will properly adhere to the kick zone. PRO TIP: Run the waxer vertically so you get more heat on the ski. 
4. Pass the IR over the ski until it starts to disappear into the base of the ski. Go tip to tail. 
5. Let the ski cool. 
6. Time to brush it out: no scraping required. Grab your brass brush and brush the whole ski: glide zone, kick zone, glide zone. Do a couple of passes to really get the excess removed, especially in the kick zone. 
7. Do one pass with the brass brush from TAIL to TIP in the KICK ZONE ONLY. We know, bonkers, but this will clean the wax out of the kick zone so you can glide smoothly and consistently. 

Recap: 

Waxless skis refer to the fact that you don't need to put kick wax or grip wax on the bases but you still need to apply glide wax. With our IR Waxer, you can apply glide wax directly onto your fishscales (by crayoning it on). Because the IR doesn't directly touch the skis' bases, you're all clear to do a couple of passes to ensure the wax fully adheres and melts into the bases. Then, when the ski has cooled, all you need to do is brush it out. Start from tip to tail and do a couple of passes before then going from tail to tip on the kick zone only. That will remove any excess wax and ensure a consistently smooth glide. 

Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next week!