Waxing your snowboard before the big day
Doing your own snowboard waxing is easier than you thought, it's just a little time consuming and also a little messy. Snowboarding is a fun and relaxing outdoor activity filled with sun, snow and fresh air but can have its ups and downs as well. One thing that can make it or break it for any snowboarder is board glide. All Snowboards come with a "factory wax" which is mediocre at best to non-existent. It's a poor quality factory applied coating, and needless to say it doesn't do much or last long. The best wax is one you do yourself before you go hit the slopes. There are a couple different types of wax and different types of application, the best of these being the hot wax.
Carpet Glides
Types of wax available
There are a couple types of waxing that can be done. There is a spray on type of wax, which you spray on with a finger pump type bottle and you "polish" with the spongy applicator attached at the bottom of the bottle. This would be best used in spring weather where it's warmer snow temps. It's not a deep penetrating wax and rubs off after a little while. It's handy if you're on the slopes and want to apply a quick coat because it fits in your pocket. There is also rub or wipe on wax which is like car wax the way it comes in a container with a wipe on /buff off applicator on the lid. If you don't have the time or tools to do a hot wax this is another option. Wipe on wax is a paste in a jar that you wipe on and buff it off. This is product is also something you could keep in your pocket but is more something you would want to apply before you head out to the slopes.
The best type of waxing is the hot wax. The hot wax penetrates the pours in the base of your board and doesn't sit on top like the other waxes. Leaving any kind of wax residue will not help you go faster and in fact will slow you down by causing resistance on the snow. Excess wax is actually counter-productive to having a fast moving snowboard. Hot wax is something you apply by melting a bar of wax and letting it drip onto the board, later smoothing it out, covering the whole board with wax using an iron. You are enabling it to seep into the pores of the base.
Steps for doing your own hot wax
First things first, this is messy, so make sure that you are somewhere like a garage or outside where you can make a mess and clean it up easily. The wax shavings can get stuck on the bottom of your shoe and can be tracked into the house or embedded into carpet or clothes. Warning, wear clothes you don't care about in case you get wax on them. It's hard to get out. Some of the tools you will need to complete this job are: a plastic scraper, an iron (any kind will do, I have a Wal-Mart special and it works just fine), board wax, a citrus based cleaner, rag, and Scotch Brite pad for buffing at the end.
Start by plugging in and heating up your iron, then start with scraping the board using a plastic scraper to get off any debris, dirt or leftover wax that might be on the surface. You can purchase a scraper at any board shop or sporting goods store. After you have scraped any reminisces off your board clean the board using a citrus type cleaner and a rag to make sure you have a clean surface to start with. You don't want to be embedding anything into your base that isn't wax.
There is a couple different types of waxes to choose from that are designed for different uses. There is a warmer temperature wax for when the base temp is on the warmer side. There is a cold base temperature wax for when the base temp is on the colder side, and an all temperature wax. This is used for anytime and works well but is best when used as a base coat with an applied warm or cold coat on top of it specifically for the base temp you will be riding on.
Next thing is to use your iron to melt wax and drip it all around your board's surface. You do not have to coat the entire board in wax but give it an efficient coating so it can be completely covered. After you have a good amount of melted wax dripped around your board, smooth it out with the iron, making sure to not stay in only one place as you can ruin the board the same as clothes if in one place too long. Make sure the board is completely covered from nose to tail with a wax drip every 1-2 square inches. The smoother the wax is dispersed around the board the easier it will be to scrape off. Now there are a couple methods for scraping the wax off. Some suggest that you start scraping the wax off while it's still warm and not completely hardened, while some suggest waiting 30 minutes or so for it to harden before scraping. Personally I like to wait for it to harden a little before I start scraping it off.
When scraping off the wax you want to move from nose to tail and not side to side for best results. Hold the plastic scraper with both hands at a 45° angle with the bottom pointed towards you as you pull it towards you. This is the easiest way I have found for doing the scraping process. Continue scraping the board until you seen little or no wax coming off as you scrape. Use the Scotch Brite pad to buff the surface of the board from head of the board to the back and not in a circular motion, but keeping it the direction of the grain. Buffing this will give it the smooth finish and take off any remaining wax. You are ready to shred! By waxing your board you make it glide better on the snow and especially powder, plus it makes those slight uphill fire trails at ski resorts easier to overcome. You will also add life to your board by keeping its surface clean, and maintained. Have fun on your freshly waxed board.
Other things you can do to prepare your board for a day of riding
Edge tuning tool- You can also clean up your edges with an edge tuner tool that you can pick up at your local board shop or sporting goods store. It's a file for sharpening your rails to get a better cut into the snow.
Petex stick- You might also get some Petex for filling in the gauges or deep scrapes in your base. It comes in a clear stick like a hot glue stick that you use a lighter to melt and drip into place. Be careful, if you get the flame to close to your board you can burn the board and melt the board's base at the same time.
Towel- Another good thing to have in your bag or after you are done is to have an old towel for whipping down your wet snowy board when you are done to prevent rust and corrosion. The rails will stay sharper and it will be cleaner if you towel dry it after each day of riding.