Reddit mentions: The best ski & snowboard wax

Hey there! I moved to Boston two years ago and came to r/snowboarding to ask this exact same question.

1. Board - this board was recommended to me and I bought it. I love it. The big thing is magne-traction which has fantastic hold on ice. This isn't a great park board, but it's great for ripping around the mountain. Stable at high speed and served me very well. I'm 160lb, 5'10 and I got the 156cm length. Probably could have gone 154 no prob
   
2. Boots - best bet is go to a shop and get advice from a pro for sizing. Ski Monster downtown is great. They can also help you with boards and sizing. They'll match online prices, so if you find something you like online, consider supporting a local business and getting it from them.
   
   Accessories
   
   
3. 1, 2 and 3 is easy to use wax. I wax my board beginning of every day. Some of my friends re-wax mid day. Makes a huge difference. You'll move faster and you're way less likely to catch an edge. This is not the best wax ever but its very, very easy and takes two minutes. If you cash to spare, pay $10 to get a hot wax and it'll last you a couple days of snowboarding. A good middle ground is something like this or this. More of a PITA to apply, but better overall. Frankly, I don't think you'll notice the difference until you have more time on your own equipment.
   
4. a buff like this is great to have on really cold days.
   
5. Wool socks are great as well.
   
6. Cat crap in case your goggles ever fog up.
   
   If you're looking for people to go with feel free to shoot me a PM. Also Boston Sports & Ski club is a great way to meet shredders. Good luck and enjoy the proximity to great snowboarding!

Here's a comment I posted a month or two ago about this topic. Basically everything you'd need to wax, sharpen edges, and perform small-medium ptex repairs (think small core shots and scratches on the base of the ski).

Here's a kit I would go with if I were buying a kit. I personally liked buying stuff individually that suited my needs but it's easier to just buy 1 thing: https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Complete-Tune-Kit-Wax/dp/B00MAKO69O/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1478189719&sr=1-1&keywords=ski+wax+kit

The reason why I'd go with this kit over the ones you listed is because it comes with an edge sharpener guide + gummy stone. If you're sharpening edges you'd probably want to use a file&guide when starting out.


For waxing (normally use all temp wax unless you're an every week sort of waxer. Could expand out to cold specific wax if the weather calls for it):

Plastic Scrapper: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GSLE2FO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Wax: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GAYNXO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Iron: buy one at goodwill/a thrift. If you're too good for that then here: https://www.amazon.com/Wintersteiger-Ski-Snowboard-Waxing-Iron/dp/B0040OBXXU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476214415&sr=8-1&keywords=waxing+iron

You can also buy a nylon brush and base cleaner/a rag to clean your skis but hot waxing and then scrapping also works for cleaning.

When I'm done waxing my skis I usually go over the skis with a wine cork to make sure everything is even and smoooooth. Not something that you have to do though

For tuning:

Gummy Stone: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017I6VNO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edge sharpener (can choose a different one):

https://www.amazon.com/Dakine-8-2300250-Green-Tuner-Green/dp/B00L6ZC1FA/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1476214569&sr=1-4&keywords=ski+edge+sharpener

Video so you don't fuck up your edges too much:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKpSBE8YWXk

You can also get a diamond stone/nail file from the store if you'd like.

Ptex for some base repairs:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OIPZRVU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Metal Scrapper for Ptex (could use a flat blade if you'd like but don't fuck up):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OIPZRII/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lighter: Gas Station/already in your house. After Ptexing a couple of times I fee like a torch lighter would work best here


Video for small ptex repair:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA0vDNmNAEA

If you have major core shots I would probably go to a local shop and have someone fix it who does that stuff for a living. Really research what you're actually doing before you do it for the first time. You don't want to make things worse. After you get the hang of it it becomes a lot easier and can save you money. Can also do it for your friends on the cheap

Already having a workbench will make it easy to tune gear. Two raised blocks to put the board on to make it easier to wax. Two clamps that can hold the board vertically so you can tune/de-tune your edges. A dedicated waxing iron, some scrapers, a big file, dustpan and brush, trashcan, and a little shop vac. If you want to provide wax you can buy a brick of hertel super hot sauce relatively cheap that will last for a long time. Also this is the boot dryer I use and it's awesome.

I don't sharpen my own ski's but I do have a Waxing Kit. I actually got a good deal it was like $75 for 1 Blue, 1 Red, 1 Yellow Toko NF wax, a brush scraper and Iron. Got it from back country i think. I looked and they didn't have it listed anymore. Similar to (this)[https://www.amazon.com/Toko-Basic-Hot-Color-Size/dp/B00FP3ZD04/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484072114&sr=8-1&keywords=Toko+kit] but with an Iron as well. Cheap and will save you money in the long run

I have this Toko iron and its worked well for me thusfar.

http://www.amazon.com/Toko-5547182-T8-Wax-Iron/dp/B001FEUCTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418297022&sr=8-1&keywords=toko+iron

I also use Hertel wax which you can also find on amazon and get quite a lot for a great price. I like it havent had a problem with my boards being slow.

http://www.amazon.com/Hertel-Super-Sauce-Temperature-Snowboard/dp/B000GAYNXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418297084&sr=8-1&keywords=hertel+wax

First off, none of theses questions are dumb, I had many of the same when I was first starting to wax and I wish Reddit had been around back then to answer them.

1. Unless the skis are new or you are going to be doing highly competitive racing, one or two layers of glide wax per waxing should be fine.
   
   
2. For basic waxing, yes. What soaks into your ski is the hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon compounds in the wax and not the wax its self. These compounds are hydrophobic and will repel water; this is how skis go fast, by gliding on a thin layer of water, and also why cross country skis have a groove. Once the wax cools, you want to scrape it off because the actual wax will be really slow.
   
3. The brushes are the next step after scraping to remove the wax from the base. By brushing the skis, the thin layers of wax left after scraping can be removed, leaving only the carbon compounds impregnated in your base and no wax. The different bristles have different stiffness and are used at different points in the brushing process, generally moving from stiffest to softest. Steel brushes are generally the stiffest, followed by copper or bronze brushes with nylon being the softest. The stiffer metal brushes are used right after scraping to remove any larger pockets of remaining wax, then the softer nylon brushes are used to finish the wax removal and "polish" the ski to its final surface finish. Its also good to remember ALWAYS BRUSH TIP TO TAIL!
   
   
4. Some people do, some don't. If the kick wax is applied correctly, it shouldn't make too much of a difference either way.
   
   
5. You don't apply hot wax to the kick zone of waxless skis, because it can be difficult to scrape the wax out. If the kick zone is really sticking to the snow when gliding, a liquid wax like this can be applied there as needed.
   
   
6. No one really knows what fiberlene is for. Just kidding, it can be used to remove the dust form the base after waxing and can also be used in various different ironing techniques. I personally don't use the stuff much except to keep my iron clean when ironing a dirty ski with cleaning wax, so someone else might know the uses better than me.
   
   Hope this helps.
   
   
   

I love this stuff:

Hertel Super HotSauce

Don't bother will different types unless you are looking into racing.

Any ski/snowboard waxing iron will do.

Hertel super hotsauce wax. The best ever any temperature. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GAYNXO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MDH9BbTB8DXBM

Thanks for your reply!
Do you think these products be a good option?

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B007Z07PLA/ref=mh_s9_acsd_otopr_bBEbVDn_c2_x_0_i?pf_rd_m=A1IM4EOPHS76S7&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-11&pf_rd_r=Z7S2KSRVT4172YVD671S&pf_rd_t=1201&pf_rd_p=e4e97e7e-53fe-5a34-ac0e-d9e79cb3615f&pf_rd_i=10293268011


https://www.amazon.ca/Grangers-GRF129-Waterproofing-Made-England/dp/B00R1FOI4Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=leather+shoe+polish&qid=1573214130&s=shoes&sprefix=leather+shoe+p&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyNTNHSlBPWEJLRU1aJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODA1ODc1NkFaUDJQQ0s2Vk1FJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwMjIwMzczVlRCUVdCNVlWU1ZYJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

If you source the pieces yourself you can get what you need. You usually don't need everything that comes in a kit. Buy the additional pieces as you need them.

Here's what I found without much effort:

$35 iron

$23 wax (huge brick)

$6 scraper

$14 nylon brush

$6 scotch brite sponges

That's $84 and is all you need to get started. You can certainly get kits for around the same price that include some edge tuning bits, but they also come with a very small amount of wax and surprisingly often they don't include any brushes, or just a wire brush.

Yeah, I had the same problem. Anything above freezing and it will ice. I use Easy Glide on the ski bases every time. I didn't want to clog up the skin fur with a liquid wax, so I rub it with a piece of candle. Front to back in the direction of the fur, like you pet a cat. Has worked 100% since I started waxing that way over a couple seasons in all kinds of warm sticky snow.

I usually just use my brush after a rub-on. Works fine for me. I've been using this stuff for years. It works for all temps and either cold or hot application. https://smile.amazon.com/Hertel-Super-Sauce-Temperature-Snowboard/dp/B000GAYNXO

https://www.amazon.com/Purl-Ski-Snowboard-temp-Block/dp/B00942X1UQ

Purl Wax! Biodegradable and what not. If that's your thing, then check it out.

According to the googles the pink one is race wax

https://www.amazon.com/Wend-Fluro-Snowboard-Fluid-Yellow/dp/B00D3IOUE8

Racers who buy $240 wax

I just use Hertel on normal/warm days and a cold temp wax on cold days.

http://www.amazon.com/Hertel-Super-Sauce-Temperature-Snowboard/dp/B000GAYNXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418606273&sr=8-1&keywords=hertel+super+hot+sauce

3/4 pound brick for $21. Plenty of wax jobs!

Summer skiing or summer storage?

It's an all temperature glide wax so its probably decent enough from 0F to 40F for skiing and its not going to fall off if you use it for storage.

https://www.amazon.com/F4-Glide-Wax-Liquid-100/dp/B01L096PBC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1525821134&sr=8-6&keywords=swix+ski+wax

Or warm weather version

https://www.amazon.com/Swix-Premium-Performance-Sponge-Applicator/dp/B01L0D3PI4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1525821134&sr=8-4&keywords=swix+ski+wax

I would suspect that its probably just mixed with some kind of alcohol to keep it liquid and then it evaporates in a few minutes when its out of the bottle.

I ride at Brighton, and have been waxing my own board for years. I use Hertels,
an old iron, and a credit card. I've got no complaints.