HOW TO WAX YOUR CROSS-COUNTRY SKIS?

In Nordic areas or in the open country, on fresh or frozen snow, in classic or skating style, nature is calling you and you will not be able to resist a cross-country skiing outing. To combine pleasure and safety, the regular maintenance of your equipment must be impeccable. To wax your cross-country skis properly, you need a good mastery of the technique. Here are our pro tips for a successful waxing.

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Essential equipment for cross-country ski waxing

To be a good handyman, you need the right tools. What will you need to wax your cross-country skis?

• A waxing stand (or two vices)
• A waxing iron (or an old iron)
• A soft brass brush
• A plexiglass scraper
• A stylus or nordic scraper
• A brass pad (for classic cross-country skiing)
• Masking tape (for classic cross-country skiing)
• A soft cloth
• And of course, some wax!

You are now equipped and ready to wax your cross-country skis!

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Waxing your skating cross-country skis

The approach applied to waxing your cross-country skis depends on your preferred discipline: classic or skating. Both require the application of a glide wax. This is the first step, no matter what you do. For classic cross-country skiing, you will then need to move on to step 2, which involves applying a kick wax (also called grip wax).

To protect the base of your skating cross-country skis, proper waxing starts with a good cleaning. To do this, use a soft brass brush. Whether you want to cleanse or wax your cross-country skis, the movement is always in the glide direction, so from the tip to the tail. Finish by running a soft cloth along the sole to remove any remaining dirt.

It's time to move on to the application of wax. The ski must be securely fastened, the easiest way to do this is to clamp it with vices. The solid wax comes in the form of a soapbar of wax. Either it is melted against an iron so that the heated wax drips onto the sole, or the wax bar is softened by putting it in contact with the iron, then you can smear it directly on the sole. You will then need to spread the wax evenly with the iron, always in the direction of the glide. Next step is to free the central groove from the wax surplus with a stylus (also known as a nordic scraper).

Once the groove is free, scrape the entire sole with a plexiglass scraper in 15 cm passes. Again, and as before, work in the gliding direction.

When there's nothing left to scrape off, the waxing of your skating cross-country skis is over. Unless you prefer classic cross-country skiing... For you, on to the next step!

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Waxing your classic cross-country skis

For more fun in cross-country skiing, the ski should have a grip zone under the camber. You can avoid that extra kick waxing zone on the skis by electing skis fitted with scales or skins on the soles.

If this isn't the case for your skis, you will need a kick wax to apply to the area under the bindings. To cold wax, you can either use hard paste wax or klister. The former is recommended for fresh snow, while the latter is recommended for processed snow (frozen, trafficked, or soft).

To start, use masking tape to mark the space. Then lightly sand the surface to maximise the grip of the product. Depending on the wax you choose, two techniques are possible. The hard soapbar cross-country wax is applied by rubbing the sole, then smoothed with a cork pad.

Klister, which is a semi-liquid wax, comes in a tube. It is applied by rubbing wax in small strips on each side of the central groove. Then you spread it with the scraper. Admittedly, this product seems much simpler to use, but in use, it is much less practical as it sticks... to your ski bag, your gloves, in your car, etc.

Equipped with the necessary tools, waxing your own cross-country skis is a piece of cake. Admittedly, it requires an initial investment and a little practice. However, it is also an opportunity to better control your glide by choosing the wax best suited to your future outing.