Norwegian company Swix began manufacturing ski wax in 1946. Today, Olympic athletes and recreational skiers use Swix wax on alpine, nordic and telemark skis. Waxing protects the base of the ski and helps skis glide smoothly across the snow. You can wax your own skis at home or pay a professional to do the job at a ski retailer or resort.
Learn the Color Codes
Swix assigns a color code to their waxes, so you can tell at a glance what wax to use for different temperatures. Waxes with green labels perform best at temperatures between -25 F and 14 F. Blue labeled products are designed for 10 F to 21 F. Choose red-labeled waxes when temperatures climb to 25 F to 34 F. These temperatures refer to the temperature of the snow and not air temperatures.
Use the Right Format
You can choose solid waxes, pastes or liquid formulas. Liquid and paste formulas don't require melting with an iron, so they're fast and easy to apply. Choose these if you want a quick waxing between full tunes.
Have the Right Tools
The right tools make waxing your skis easier. For solid waxes, you'll need an iron to melt the wax onto the skis. You can use an iron specially designed for waxing skis, or you can cover the sole plate of a regular household iron--one that you don't plan to use for anything else--with aluminum foil and set it to a medium temperature. You'll also need a plastic scraper to remove excess wax and a buffing cloth to polish the waxed bases. Other tools, such as special cleaners, a ski vise and beveled files, will make tuning your skis easier.
Store Wax Properly
Store your Swix wax in a cool, dry place to avoid it melting to nothing in the summer heat. Don't let the wax freeze either. At cold enough temperatures, it can turn brittle and crumble. If you have a problem with mice, store your ski wax in a tin or plastic box; mice like to nibble the wax.
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