The Economist plays with wax?

[MJDC25]

Being the Econ major I am I was paging through the economist today and was suprised to come upon this, thought it was interesting:

Skiing

Not waxing lyrical

Dec 14th 2005

From The Economist print edition

Using ski wax can trap dirt, and thus slow down the skier

<!--back--> THIS season, like every previous one, recreational and racing skiers alike will apply wax to their skis in the hope of schussing that little bit faster. They will do so after assessing the air's temperature, its humidity and the prevailing snow conditions, so as to determine exactly which wax they should use. Not any old wax will do. Some are formulated for use over cold, dry snow and others for warmer, wetter stuff. Aficionados who want to extract the maximum advantage will take great care over which they choose.

But recent research suggests they are wasting their time, not merely in their choice of wax, but in bothering to wax their skis at all. A study by Leonid Kuzmin, a former cross-country racing champion turned ski coach who is now a doctoral student at Mid-Sweden University, concludes that for runs of more than a couple of hundred metres, the presence of ski wax slows the skier down. Admittedly, Mr Kuzmin's research was conducted on cross-country skiers, but he believes it will prove true for downhill racers as well.

<cf_floatingcontent></cf_floatingcontent> The way in which a ski slides over the snow boils down to the way in which friction between the base of the ski and the surface of the snow melts that snow, transforming it into a thin layer of water. The ski then floats across this layer. Indeed, snowboarding, ice skating and sledging also rely on this principle.

The depth of the water layer is crucial. If it is too thin, which can happen at very low temperatures, the ski sticks. Skiers typically try to overcome this friction by applying hard wax. If it is too thick, which can happen at warmer temperatures, it can create suction that makes it harder to slide over the water layer. To avoid that, skiers typically apply soft wax.

The base layer of modern skis is made from a substance called ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. This fantastic plastic has molecules far longer than those of regular polyethylene, and these molecules are, in addition, packed tightly into a crystal structure rather than being scattered at random. The result is a tough material that has a low coefficient of friction—comparable to that of Teflon—and is highly resistant to abrasion. Its properties are so useful and unusual that it is used not only to create the base layer of skis, but also to make bulletproof jackets and artificial hip and knee joints.

In fact, Mr Kuzmin suspected that this wonder material was so good that waxing it was no longer necessary. He therefore decided to conduct a series of experiments with waxed and unwaxed skis. He commissioned a few pairs of transparent skis that a volunteer then took out on to a test slope. That done, he examined the skis and found that those treated with wax attracted more dirt than the ones that were unwaxed.

Moreover, Mr Kuzmin also recorded the speeds the volunteer reached while gliding down the test slope. He found that after distances of just a couple of hundred metres, gliding on unwaxed skis was faster than on their waxed counterparts.

Skiers can thus, it seems, forget about long hours spent ironing wax on to their skis and devote more of their time to the slopes. Before ski-wax makers pack up shop, however, business opportunities do still exist. Mr Kuzmin's research pertains only to glide wax—that is, wax intended to make skis glide faster. Cross-country skiing also employs a second form, kick wax, which has the opposite effect.

Kick wax is applied to the parts of the blades of cross-country skis that are directly under the skier's feet. These do not (or, at least, should not) touch the ground when the skier is gliding. On flat terrain, such wax allows the skier to push off and on uphill climbs it prevents him from slipping backwards. Manufacturers will be pleased to hear that kick wax remains essential to cross-country skiing.

[Guest jschal01]

Their economic and financial analysis is also often suspect, no reason their sporting coverage shouldn't also be. Assuming they are reporting this guy's study accurately, it sounds as if he took a case of not waxing properly for dirty snow and then made a general extrapolation based on this small and biased sample. I.e., keep on waxing. :) (They also got the ice skate or ski melting the ice or snow into a thin layer of water thing wrong, too, this is not how the whole glid thing works.)

There are good economic questions relating to tuning that they could have looked at, such as shops offering a base grind as a matter of course as part of their "tune," whether needed or not, how shop and ski binding mfg liaibility insurance ends up costing skiers a lot of $$ each year by forcing them to get their bindings mounted by a shop tech rather than offering jigs or templates to the consumer, etc. And for waxing, they could have actually called a ski or board tech to look into whether a dry base really is faster in most conditions.

[skategoat]

I admit to being a waxing skeptic. Yes, I hotwax, but I have never felt any difference from one wax to another. I aim for a mid-temperature range, but I often end up just mixing waxing sticks together at random. I never notice a difference.

Last year, I was out riding with a racer friend, former provincial champion and I was gliding noticeably faster on the flats. He asked me my "waxing secret" and I just laughed.

When I run out of ski wax, I'm going to try parrafin.

[kipstar]

I am kind of lazy, so I admit I have not waxed my board at all once for.....

well since 1996. That was the last time I raced, kicked out the slag of an ex girlfriend, and discovered the joys of doing other things than waxing boards.

I did get it tuned once this last season, and they guy was like, you ride a carve board, how do you turn it when the edges are this blunt and rusty?

After this kick ass tune I thought I'd be riding like a pro.....sadly...no, just rode exactly the same as the day before :-0

I think it is very snow specific; in NZ the wet snow without wax, you can be sometimes on a beginner slope and not get any glide. But well groomed snow is matters less.

Racing well different. I would refuse to believe you cannot get at least some advantage from wax.

Economist is often a bit suspect as soon as they start writing about things outside their sphere of knowledge.

[Guest jschal01]

I admit to being a waxing skeptic. Yes, I hotwax, but I have never felt any difference from one wax to another. I aim for a mid-temperature range, but I often end up just mixing waxing sticks together at random. I never notice a difference. [snip]When I run out of ski wax, I'm going to try parrafin

Assuming normal winter temps and that you're not racing or in the park (where, in each case, a fast base obviously makes a big difference in performance), honestly you'll probably have as much fun and ride just as well with drugstore paraffin ironed and scraped well in a good hotwax as with exactly the right fluoro for temp/water. As an analogy for people who skateboard, you can hear people agonising over the best bearing, when in reality except for racing or competitive vert skating everyone else can get by perfectly well on $16 bearings or less. That said, if you ride one board with paraffin and one with an all-temp wax like Dominator Zoom, the Zoom board will imo be noticeably faster. Wax specifically for the conditions that day, assuming it's not really cold, and the board feels significantly faster yeat again in comparison to the "Zoom board." At mountains with lots of traverses (Vail and Jackson Hole as two examples) this can make a big difference in your day even if you're not going into the park.

[Dave Pushee]

how much does wax really matter - it's only the edge on the snow.

[mnovak]

The study quoted in the Economist didn't sound very comprehensive or complete. "A" volunteer? One would think multiple trials would be required -- moreover, on-hill and laboratory control conditions should also be done. May be the guy is right, but the evidence of a few runs does not seem very scientific.

[Maciek]

I admit to being a waxing skeptic. Yes, I hotwax, but I have never felt any difference from one wax to another. I aim for a mid-temperature range, but I often end up just mixing waxing sticks together at random. I never notice a difference.

Last year, I was out riding with a racer friend, former provincial champion and I was gliding noticeably faster on the flats. He asked me my "waxing secret" and I just laughed.

When I run out of ski wax, I'm going to try parrafin.

I actually did feel difference... but I know what wax I use on my all boards :)

There is a difference depending on type of snow. To some it is tremendous difference to others (with worse technique of riding) it is minor as they may make more mistakes that good match of wax to conditions makes not much sense.

Now I do not wax professionally, but during progress of my hobby I have learned one or two tricks and what worked what did not.

The major difference is what wax you put to what temprature, humidity and snow type (worn, man-made e.t.c.) I am not much into those details, but I have found what waxes work in my region in what part of season... roughly ;) I tried opposite and I felt stuck to snow. So I now have my favorite wax... and a pound brick of some new wax from Startingate folks to try (thanks!) soon.

[Mike T]

... meet me at Hount Hood Meadows when Heather Canyon is open. We'll take the runout to the Hood River Meadows lift, me with a wax job and you without. I bet I'll be enjoying at least one beer while you finish hoofing it out. A few BOL readers have done that runout with me, ask them if I'm at the head or the back of the pack on the runout :D

[Galen]

... meet me at Hount Hood Meadows when Heather Canyon is open. We'll take the runout to the Hood River Meadows lift, me with a wax job and you without. I bet I'll be enjoying at least one beer while you finish hoofing it out. A few BOL readers have done that runout with me, ask them if I'm at the head or the back of the pack on the runout :D

Heh, good one. I've only made it up the final "hump" a couple times out of about 20....rain,rain, go away :(

[Mike T]

Heh, good one. I've only made it up the final "hump" a couple times out of about 20....rain,rain, go away :(

Oh, I'm talking about something much worse! The "final hump" you are talking about is on the very short runout back to the Heather chair. If you make a left just before the "final hump" you are essentially going a mile or more on a XC trail back to the Hood River Express chair. Overall it's an ever-so-slight downhill pitch but there are some curves and slight uphill sections. I've only used it when the Heather chair is experiencing difficulties or when I'm parked at HRM and done for the day.

In any case: I *have* glided the entire runout back to the parking lot without taking my back boot out of the binding. But only with "the right wax" and a good clean scrape, and in sub-freezing temps. I've never seen another snowboarder make it the whole way without some walking. Skiers - always sdkating / poling along. I've passed a lot of skiers on the runout BTW.

I'd like to see someone do that without wax. Happy hiking :)

[Neil Gendzwill]

Similarily I'm always passing people on the flats. I don't think it's my superior just-standing-on-my-board-relaxed technique, I believe it's because I wax.

I've also been places where either I had the wrong wax or did something wrong, left my board in the shop at noon for a fresh wax and been a much happier camper in the afternoon.

Finally if they're picking up a lot of dirt, I've got to believe they didn't do a proper job of scraping.

[Mike T]

Finally if they're picking up a lot of dirt, I've got to believe they didn't do a proper job of scraping.

That was my thought as well. Not just the dirt issue - loss of glide after a few hundred yards - suggests to me such a poor scraping job that wax is caking up in the middle of the skis/deck after a few turns.

[Phil]

I don't wax for speed, I wax to preserve my base as much as possible. I guess that they did not say anything about that..?

[jdgang]

I just like the time it takes to wax the board...even if I was to buy a board with a extruded base (which would be never) I would still spend the time to wax. Time spent waxing is time away from the wife

[Maciek]

I just like the time it takes to wax the board...even if I was to buy a board with a extruded base (which would be never) I would still spend the time to wax. Time spent waxing is time away from the wife

You've nailed it ;) It takes more time to put some waxes on the board either...

[D-Sub]

I don't wax for speed, I wax to preserve my base as much as possible. I guess that they did not say anything about that..?

X2

maybe the virus waxless base will catch on but until then, when I see white on my base Im bummed

plus...I enjoy waxing. its "giving back" to my boards that give me so much.

[kipstar]

I'd like to see someone do that without wax. Happy hiking :)

I do this stuff all da time; Mammoth used to have some nasty traverses on Chair 9, and NZ is da home of major uphill traverses to get to the sides of the field.

Key...no wax.... +..... ride with a skier who will tow you along :-)

So, I stand by my no wax policy :-)

I would say that waxing is quite fun and theuputic; sic; the smell always makes me think of snow.

But since I cannot buy wax here, although waxing style irons with no holes are only $5USD :-) I will stand by my no wax policy. Time waxing is time I could be watching WPT :-)

[xray]

My resume with some personal opinions after reading all:

Lousy scraping, let alone some good brushing thus too much wax able to pick up dirt. Good brushing often is more important than the waxing itself.

Mediocre testing method (N=?)

Waxing surely does work if done properly. You can really feel it, I can! Expensive waxes don't make a huge difference.

Funny thing is though that IMO for racing it is only half as important as everybody thinks. Most racers, except the very very good ones, make more mistakes (small and big) that cost valuable time than they can make up with a perfect wax job.....

[kipstar]

sure sure, but that is the argument not to use a wetsuit in tris, or the fancy handlebars, or the quick laces on the shoes; 'you only gain a few seconds and a bit more training/better technique and you'd gain minutes'.

All true, but I gotz money so I go for all of the above, and then I can sit around and train a bit less :-)

[Galen]

I put the GF's 16 yr. old son on plates today, Nitro Instinct. I waxed the board for him before we left home but told him he'd have to scrap it in the motel room. After the first run today he said he forgot to scrape! i wax tip to tail, rather the swirl it around, so the ridges ran length wise. funny thing was, he could mostly keep up with me on the flats, me on a freshly waxed, scraped, and buffed F2 Speedster. At the end of the day, it looked like a freshly waxed board...go figure :rolleyes:

[Mr fun]

I'm just an intermediate rider and I can hardly tell any difference if I wax for conditions and temp. Personally I think the snow itself will dictate your gliding speed. I just wax to protect my base wheather I do a full on hot wax or just crayon the wax on. I feel the same way as D-SUB, just giving something back to your "ride".

[Baka Dasai]

how much does wax really matter - it's only the edge on the snow.

Yeah! Well, it's the edge plus the one- or two-centimetre wide strips of the base alongside the edges. But those strips have got so much pressure on them in a turn that the wax wears off very quickly - it's gone before lunchtime for me, while the wax on the middle of the base lasts forever.

The wax on the strips never picks up dirt but the wax in the middle sure does.

So I'm also skeptical about the benefit of waxing, but I still do it. I'm open to suggestions for a better solution.

[Guest jschal01]

For waxing near the edges, particularly on abrasive (very cold or manmade) snow, you can use a harder wax to address the wax getting worn more quickly. This also helps prevent base burn...

I mention www.tognar.com a lot simply becuase I like their site, but they've got a ton of waxing info there. Swix and Dominator do on their sites as well. If you're having a particular waxing issue, such as Qs re: how to scrape, temp, etc. just calling them and asking can save a lot of trial and error.

[sic t 2]

In the spring, when you find yourself riding straight and flat from tree shadow to tree shadow just so that you can make the lift without hiking, waxing makes all the difference. In these same conditions it also gives the board back its light and snappy feel. It also stops that "braking feeling" whenever you land the smallest jump. And that feeling to me is more exhausting than riding the sickest mogul field. That and what better way to clean a base than to hot wax it? Anyway, without hot waxing in spring conditions I'd honestly rather just stay home.

Sic