Anyone who rides regularly can quickly discern the difference between freshly waxed skis/board versus gear that hasn't been waxed in a few ski days. Not only are there performance advantages, but gear maintenance that is crucial to protecting your equipment. A fresh coat of wax allows you to glide with ease and speed.
Today your ski/board bases are made with polyethylene bases (p-tex). Over time p-tex can lose the ability to absorb fresh wax if not properly maintained. The way to avoid such a sad possibility? Simply wax your gear regularly. By not drying out the bottom of your bases the p-tex allows your skis to not be grinded and wear the wax out.
A good rule of thumb is roughly every five days on the mountain typically will require a fresh coat of wax depending on your ski/ride style.
How do you know your skis need wax?
Experienced skiers can feel the difference in performance. From slower speeds and turns that become more challenging to initiate any ski bum knows when it's time to get the good old iron out and give their gear a fresh coat. If you have black-colored bases, it is easier to tell based on the white streaks you can see through the p-tex. The photo below is of a pair of skis that are in desperate need of a fresh coat.
Are there other times you should wax your skis?
When you pick up a new pair of skis or a new board, besides the obvious and justified stoke, giving your new gear some TLC is a great way to start things off right. Factory wax is often not adequate. During the spring, you will find that your skis require wax at a much higher frequency due to the snow melting at an accelerated rate, creating more friction on your bases. That stop-and-go feeling (you know, the one) means you are in desperate need of a wax.
Don't forget to do a nice coat of storage wax for your gear over the summer. To ensure your bases stay in tip-top shape for when the snow starts to fall again.
How often do you wax your skis? Tell us in the comments below.
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