How to put on Kick Wax

Wax Tip of the Week

Sun, Dec  10, 2006 - By Phil White, SWIX Colorado Racing Service

Putting on kick wax can be simple and easy, if you have the technique down. Once you’ve chosen the wax du jour (Norwegian for “what to put on today”), you need to apply it correctly. First, peel back the metal wrapper, so you have about half an inch of wax exposed. Then, crayon the wax onto your kick zone, using a light touch. If the can of wax is chattering, you’re using too much pressure. Thin is better than thick. Cover your kick zone, but leave about an inch on each end dry. When you cork, the wax will spread and cover this area.

Now, you are ready to cork. One method is to cork on each side of the groove. Cork back and forth, parallel with the length of your ski. You need to apply just enough pressure to smooth out the wax. Colder waxes are easier to cork, warmer are more difficult because of the tackiness of the wax. Once the layer is completely smooth, crayon on another layer and repeat the process.

As you apply each layer of wax, try to use a pyramid system, making each layer a little shorter than the last. Finish the process with a short layer of wax under the toe of the binding, which will give you a little better grip where it counts. With colder hard waxes (V20-V50, VR 30-VR50), 4-6 layers are needed. With the warmer hard waxes, two layers will usually be enough.

Good kick wax should be like pancake batter, nice and smooth with no lumps. When you’re finished, you should probably avoid a thick layer of Vermont Maple Syrup. We’ll cover that another time in a klister discussion.