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i think that waxing them provides a support on the snow and then creates i guess a ballast upon the snow

  • I think the wax hardens to a ultra-smooth finish filling in the pores of the skis and reducing friction. In a manner of speaking, it is supporting the skis.
  • Waxing skis makes the running surface smoother and reduces friction. This will result in increased speed and smoother running.

It does not create a ballast on the snow. A ballast is a tank of something, commonly water or sand, or it is left empty, to alter the buoyancy of a submarine, hot air balloon, dirigible, ship etc in a fluid. Snow is not a fluid. All it does is smooth the bases of the skis and make them slipperier. It makes you go a lot faster. That's it.

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14y ago
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15y ago

You wax your skis so that you don't stumble on the snow and you just glide over it for a smooth ride! Also, waxing your skis enables you to ski faster and it protects the bases of your skis, which if damaged can cause a rougher ride and can make the skis harder to control (trust me, I had skis with damaged bases and once they were repaired they were SO much easier to control).

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14y ago

Wax to make it simple is slippery, this when placed on the skis reduces the friction between the snow and the skis, (yes there is some friction between skis and snow).

The less friction, the faster your skis can glide across the snow, and the faster you go.

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9y ago

Ski Wax basically helps the ski Glide better on snow.

There are some different types of wax, but your basic wax (for skiing/ Snowboarding) creates a layer on the base of your ski (or board) that helps maximize the the film of water that is created between your ski and the snow, helping it to go faster, in combination with the small grooves on the bottom of your ski.

You can tell if you need wax or not, when the base of your skis starts going white, at the edges at first. There are different waxes for different snow temperatures, but you can mix these or buy 'all-round' wax.

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9y ago

Ski wax helps you move more smoothly. The fibreglass surface of the ski sometimes sticks to snow if not waxed.

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Q: How does ski wax affect the speed of skis?
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What effect does ski wax do on skis and what force does it reduce?

Ski wax lets the skis glide over snow.


Do you wax water skis?

No, you should not wax scaled cross-country skis. This style of ski is scaled for the purpose of not having to wax at all. However, if you want to improve your speed on scaled skis, you could glide wax the bottoms of your skis outside of the scaled area. Glide wax is a type of hard wax applied by melting, ironing, and scraping the ski. It is different from kick wax, which is a sticky wax that would be applied in place of scales.


Why skier use wax on their skies?

Waxing skis make your skis faster. You also want to have smooth bottoms on your skis. Smooth bottoms of your ski - It is CRITCIAL to avoid skiing over rocks, dirt, or anything that is not ice and snow. This can cause scratches, nicks, and divots in the bottom of your ski. You want the bottoms to be as smooth and scratch free if possible. The smoother they are, the more surface area touches the snow which allows you to ski faster. "Burrs" are what they call nicks on your edges and the bottom of your ski. Waxing your skis - This is usually done the night before a ski race. You melt wax over your skis with and then iron the wax over the skis. Ski wax comes in a variety of colors which are associated with different temperature ranges. The purpose of different wax for different temperatures is because the consistency of the snow changes with the temperature. The day of the race you scrape the wax off your skis. There will be some wax that still remains on the bottom and will quickly wear off. Consult a local ski shop for proper technique. Waxing also protects your skis. If you don't wax them, the bases can become oxidized.


What is done to reduce friction in ski jumping?

apply wax to the bottom of your skis


Why does wax help ski?

Wax helps skis glide smoothly over snow by reducing friction between the ski base and the snow. It also helps to repel water and debris, improving performance and maintaining the condition of the ski base.


How do you wax skis without the wax being hot?

You can rub the wax directly onto the base of the ski and buff it in with a cork. However using the hot waxing method is much better.


How can you make a fiberglass pool slide slippery again?

I used ski wax. (was used on snow skis or snow boards)


Why are ski's waxed?

Skiers must use the wax that is best suited for the temperature on the day they wish to ski. Each different color of wax represents a different temperature range. Use the color that matches your temperature range. Read the packaging to see which colors represent which temperature ranges.


Does waxing skis also smoothen the wax on the top and sides of the skis?

Wax is only to be used on the base of the skis, except when you coat the metal side edges for storage, since it helps avoid rust. Ski bases are like sponges; they soak up wax and release it when you ski. Wax techs for World Cup ski racers, in fact, will hot wax a new pair of skis over 100 times, so the bases are fully saturated. After waxing, it's generally recommended that you scrape off the excess wax, then use a special brush to remove even more tiny bits of wax. Wax that is soaked into the bases will release as the heat from friction builds up as the skis pass over the snow. The best way to wax is the hot wax method, since it lasts much longer. You may also use rub on and paste waxes, but they only last for a few runs at best. If you look at a ski base under a microscope, you'll see it's not smooth, but has tiny peaks and valleys. This is to allow water to pass. Ski racers, in particular, select from a variety of patterns when getting their bases stone ground. If it were a flat surface, suction would build up.


Why do people wax the bottom of the skis to make them go faster?

Some waxes have a lower cooficent of friction than most materials. On cross-country skies you wax the part of the ski under the arch (where you stand) with a wax that INCREASES friction so that you get a better grip when you push down on 1 ski.


How come when you hot wax skis you have to scrape the wax off from tip to tail?

Scraping the wax leaves "teeth" in the wax. You want the teeth to point backwards so the ski slides easily forward. If you scrape it from tail to tip, the teeth point forward.


How do you tell if your skis need wax?

A lot of companies say they pre-wax them...but it's not gonna hurt to get a full and proper wax done when you get it. Any good board shop will throw in a free wax or two when you buy from them.