Waxed skis are worse than unwaxed skis!

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http://epubl.ltu.se/1402-1757/2006/03/LTU-LIC-0603-SE.pdf

for everbody that doesnt want to read all that, the concluded that uhmwpe bases glide better when they are scraped (not grinded) compared to when they are waxed. the project deals with xc skis, but an xc ski glides just the same as downhill ski. if you get a stone grind that will mess up your base. if you scrape your base with a metal scraper, then it will glide better than if it was waxed.
 
There was an article in the Economist a few months ago saying the same thing, but the test was conducted with downhill skis.
 
XC bases and downhill bases are constructed, cared for and ground differently.

XC skiing generates significantly less heat from frictional force and functions on a different glide principle than downhill skis.

Don't beleive everything you read, particularly when its out of context.
 
that doesnt really make sense, as the whole point behind tuning a ski is so that it will create a layer of water under the ski, and be able to eject that water so the ski doesnt get sucked in
 
well you can believe that all you want, but just ski untill your bases are all dry, and enjoy feeling the friction
 
This sounds like one of those things that is true in theory but not in practice. For example, you'll hear many times that boiling water freezes faster than cold water. Supposedly, boiling water has less extra crap in it (i.e. it's a higher percentage of straight H2O) and will therefore freeze faster. But do it yourself with you freezer at home, and you'll see what's what.
 
You might want to give this to every ski team in the world.... I heard those guys wax their skis before every race, like in the last Olympics.... trust me man, those guys know it more then anybody.. and if they're waxing to gain 0.001 sec... try to convince them not to wax...
 
The best is to wax your base like before going to bed, let the shit penetrate the base and scrape the next morning just before hitting the slopes. like that, you get rid of the wax you don't need, a.k.a. the wax that sticks on snow the 3 first run before going away. that what I always do and did when I was racing. the best
 
... this pisses me off there are too many errors in this thread that i can not correct them all. all in all you need to wax your skis. it keeps the bases working. your ski creates friction with the snow enough for it to melt the snow. the wax repels this water so that your ski moves if you do not wax your skis it will melt the snow but will not repel the water as well as waxed skis would. suction comes into play when there is too much water and your bases is flat. its more of a structure issuse than wax choice. when you dont have path ways for the water to run off then it gets all sucky so there needs to be little pathways for the water. but if it is really cold and dry you need a firmer wax cause the ice crystals that are the snow will stick into your bases and a more flat base cause there will be less water. pm me with any mre questions
 
WOW. this is soooo wrong. what he said^. waxing your skis reduces the static cling created as the water molocules glide across the base. it reduces friction considerably, and keeps the bases from drying out. dont believe everything you hear. and what they are talking about, are the fish scale like areas on XC bases, where excess wax can build up, and without scraping it, it creates more friction. so ya, dont not wax your skis.
 
well considering the wax absorbs into pores in the base then you scrape the excess...you're kinda right? but with those pores exposed the water created during friction under your skis has a place to chill and slow you down.
 
Static.....where the fuck do you get the static....last time i check when you rubbed wax up against snow you did not get a shock.....snow is not a wool sweater dude.

Wax is there to create friction.......this friction melts the snow. The snow then in turn becomes water, which you skis ride atop on. Your skis ride on a sheet of rolling water....which acts as an oil between the skis and the snow. This is what you ride on....and wax makes a difference.

Come to my town and try to gap our pimple jump on a sticky day without wax.......it is gonna hurt.
 
I just leave my skis alone just how I recieved them and on spring days they work fine vs my friends who waxed going slower and more or less stuck.
 
go for it. dont wax your skis. i will be the one wippin by you with my skis that are waxed. FUCK YOU BITCH
 
It seems like you guys are all partly wrong. Kick zones and glide zones, and scaled sections, are exclusive to classic skiing, which you shouldn't worry about because it complicates things. Thinking about freestyle (skate) skis is simpler, because they are just optimized for glide. As somebody said earlier, if this was true, than olympic teams (who don't care about how many skis they go through) would not wax skis, and they do. Ski wax is designed to prevent a sort of vacum between the base and the snow, and also to protect the base. To put it simply: both from personal experience and demonstrated by high level skiers, nobody would choose to race on an unwaxed ski vs. a waxed ski. If you have any questions about ski waxing, ask me.
 
you would go faster if u waxed your skis, let them absorb the wax, then scrape the excess wax

if you let the wax on there then you would go slower

during the x-games they showed simon dumonts tuner, waxing his skis, then scraping and brushing the excess wax from his skis
 
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