Welcome to the Sigge's Waxing page. This page is designed to bring you the latest and greatest waxing techniques to your home. Waxing information and Tips will be updated every week, so come back and check us out.

By now you are probably asking yourself who is this Dave guy and what does he know about waxing skis. Well I have been Cross-Country Skiing for 10 years and have competed in events throughout the world. I have seen many difficult waxing conditions and have persevered through them. It has been these experiences that have given me the experience and the drive to know how I can make my skis go faster. Something we would all like to achieve.

I have also been working with TOKO wax over the last 6 years as a Tech Rep in British Columbia. TOKO wax has been awesome in supplying me with an incredible amount of knowledge from the entry level right up to the World Cup.

Well there you have it. I don't pretend to know everything as new technologies are always changing. However, my goal with this site is to provide you with the best information that will allow you to feel comfortable waxing and experimenting with your own skis. Good Luck and Enjoy!

Before we get in to waxing we first have to understand why are we waxing and what tools we need for the job. My approach has always been, "keep it simple". This way you can spend less of your time waxing and more time skiing. There are tons of different waxing companies out there on the market and I would be a fool if I told you one was better than the rest. The truth is all companies spend millions of dollars designing great waxes that perform well. However, I have chosen a different reason for working with TOKO wax. They have kept it simple. TOKO has been around for a long time and has designed some of the fastest gliding waxes on the planet. However, the best thing TOKO has done is they have made it easy for anyone to wax skis. This is shown in there design of Grip Waxes. Instead of working in a system of 20-30 grip waxes like in the SWIX system you are only working with a system of 8. You are going to get to know those 8 waxes much quicker than 30 and that will help you make easier and better choices. Now I am not suggesting that everyone will change to TOKO, but what I am suggesting is that if you are working with a certain system right now, then stay with that system. That way you will get to know it and find the right waxes that work for you. The first and biggest mistake skiers make is they ask all their friends and pick up many different kinds of wax from different companies. Now they are using waxes from a system that when added all together will be over 100 waxes. It would take a lifetime to do this. So whatever system you like or have used for a while then stick with it until you get to know it. Then and only then should you branch out to other waxes.

The second most important tip I can give you is learn to pick and apply wax on your own. I see this at every ski race, a person who is just doing what everyone else is doing. This is the biggest mistake you can make. Your friend who is helping you could be a better skier and get away with less kick. They might also be wrong in there selection and your race is ruined because of it. Waxing is easy if you stick to the principles and learn to apply it properly. I guarantee you will make mistakes at first but when you do you will be able to correct them because you know the reasoning behind your own maddens.

So there you go the first step in the process. Pick a system and then learn how to use it. Next time we will talk about why we are waxing our ski at all.

There are two main reasons for waxing skis. The first is to keep those expensive graphite bases from drying out so they will last you for many seasons to come. The second is to manage water off the ski. Yes water!

Firstly lets talk about keeping your bases from drying out. The bases of most skis today use a graphite base. This base is soft and is very much like your skin. If you do not moisturize your skin it will dry out and flake. Well the same is true for your ski bases. For this reason, it is important to keep them moisturized by waxing them. There is no rule about how often you should wax but the more you can the better off your skis will be and the faster they will become. This is why people like to hold on to an older pair of skis as it has been waxed tons of times. A good way to judge if your skis need a wax job is to look at the base and if you see white sections that look dry then it is time to wax. These area's will form in the tip and tail on the edges as this is where a lot of stress is on the ski. If your base is a dark shinny black then they are fine for another day.

One important thing that many skiers do not know or just forget to do is to keep a layer of unscraped wax on the ski over the summer or during travel. This will keep your bases protected during the time you are not using them and when you scrape the wax off before the winter, you will notice a fresh looking base.

The second reason for waxing is to manage water off the ski. You see when you are skiing you are actually sliding on a thin layer of water. In the winter when it is cold there is less moisture in the snow, so a hard glide wax is used to create friction which develops heat and creates water for the ski to glide on. The opposite happens in the spring when there is a lot of water in the snow. With all the water, you need a warm wax that is designed to repel water so the ski slides over the water quickly. We have all experienced the latter when you are cruising down a hill and hit a wet patch that is out in the sun and it feels as though someone has grabbed your skis. This is where the Fluoro Carbon waxes excel as they have a very high repellency to water.

Now you can see the importance of different temperatures for glide and grip waxes. There is a different combination for how much moisture is in the snow. Once we understand this principle then we are on our way to knowing what different waxes do what.

Waxing is no different then any other trade. If you have the right equipment for the job then it is quick, easy and fun. With the wrong tools, it is a bloody mess! What I suggest to people is that they work with a group of friends that can all work out of someone's garage or workspace. This way you can share the cost of the equipment and have a safe warm place to work.

No this is not some crazy dance! This is what you will need to hold down your ski while you are working on it. Jigs are expensive to buy and come in many lightweight materials that allow you to travel with it. If you want to keep costs down then I suggest making one out of a 2 by 6. Trace out your ski and use a jig saw to make the form. You will need to cut a section out of the middle so your binding will fit and then use two pieces of wood with a bolt as a clamp to hold the ski in place. For a good wood worker this would be a simple project. Once you have your jig, you can place it on any workbench that will allow you to get right over the ski.

This is a good time as any to remind you that waxing in your kitchen is not a good idea. Although waxes especially Flouro Carbon Waxes are only dangerous if they are burned it is important that you do not breathe excessive fumes. For this reason, a well-ventilated shed or basement is needed. Using a mask when working with Flouro's is also a good idea. You don't want to be taxing your system with the stuff your using to make you go faster in the first place.

The most important thing to spend money on is a proper iron. How many times have you gone into a waxing room and seen smoke billowing from the iron. While there are two things that are happening. The person is burning the wax and changing it characteristics and they are probably burning the ski base as well. Something that can be fixed but takes a metal scraping of the base which your ski can only take so much before it is toast! A home iron is designed to get up to hot then shut down, so it has a huge distortion in the thermometer. The TOKO Iron has an expensive thermometer that will keep the iron in the right range for the wax you are applying. This is very important with the Flouro Waxes as the temperature they melt at and the base of your ski melts at is very close. Therefore, it is very important to use a special iron when dealing with these situations.

This is not to say that you can not do the job without a home iron. You just have to be very careful and never smoke the wax and when you are waxing the ski, the base should never be too hot to touch. Any one who has used the TOKO Iron knows that it make the job easy as a decal on the back tells you what to set the iron on for what ever wax your using. Again, I suggest working with a group to share the cost of the iron.

This is for cleaning wax off the edges and the groove of the ski after waxing. These are cheap and do an excellent job. One cool tool TOKO has come out with is the Groove Pick. This tool is strong and handles any groove out there.

The plastic scrapper is for taking off all the excess wax that did not penetrate the ski base when heat was applied. This wax is scraped off using a 3 or 5mm plexi-glass scraper. I suggest getting the 5mm, as you are less likely to bend it as you are scraping and make your base round over time. It is important when you scrape that you take your time and do not try to do it all in one pass. We will talk about this more in the waxing segments.

There are three styles of brushes on the market. As I like to keep it simple, you only need one of them. The first is a brass or copper brush that is great for cleaning the ski or applying a slight rill to the ski for spring conditions. The second is a nylon brush, which is the one you should have. It is designed to take the excess wax off that you did not scrape off. This will make your bases looked polished and is where most of the time is spent on creating a fast pair of skis. Finally, there is a horsehair brush. This brush is designed to finish the job and the only difference is that it is made of real horsehair, which does not conduct electricity like the nylon brush. The conducting of electricity can cause dirt particles to stick to your base. Many people ask me, why don't they just buy the horse hair brush. The problem is the horsehair is very soft and it would take twice the time to do the job of the nylon brush. Besides the horsehair, brush is for saving milla seconds at the World Cup Level. Buy the nylon brush and if you want to save those milla seconds over your nearest competitor then ask for the horsehair brush from Santa.

It is also important that you keep you brushes clean. I keep mine in zip-lock bags and every year I clean them by pouring ski wax remover on them.

You can not do anything without wax so it is important that you pick some up. I suggest using a normal paraffin wax for training. I live in Vancouver and all I use is TOKO World Loppet Yellow. This wax is for 0 to -5. This wax is very soft so a lot gets accepted into the base and I don't really care if I get up there and it is colder as I am just training. Many people are so concerned to have the right wax on all the time. I just make sure my bases are moisturized. This way I have more time to train and fewer worries.

However, when I compete I am very precise to pick the proper wax or waxes I am going to use. Warmer waxes repel water and are very soft so they don't last a long time. Try mixing in one colder temperature wax to increase the durability. Cold wax is very hard to create heat, friction, and water. It is harder to apply. X-cold Powder comes in a powder form to make it easier to apply. Below is the Glide wax from TOKO.

TOKO World Loppet Yellow 0 to -5

TOKO World Loppet Red -5to -10

TOKO Hydro 0 to -3 High Humidity (lots of water in the snow)

TOKO Nordlite -13 and colder ( Hydro and Nordlite can be mixed for different temp.)

TOKO Dibloc Yellow 0 to -5 (Flouro for racing only)

TOKO Dibloc Red -5 to -12 (Flouro for racing only)

TOKO Dibloc Blue -13 colder (Flouro for racing only)

TOKO Wet Jet Plus and Minus ( pure Flouro racing only)

You do not use all these waxes. Just buy the ones you need.

Here is my favorite wax list:

Spring Time TOKO Hydro mixed with yellow for durability

Winter Time TOKO Yellow to keep my bases fast

Racing TOKO Dibloc Yellow or Red or mixed

Very Cold Racing TOKO Nordlite Molybdenum and X-Cold Powder

Whether you have just purchased a new pair of skis or you have pulled your old ones from the closet, it is time to tune them up for the winter ahead. If you have a pair from last year hopefully you put a protection layer of wax on your skis. This will have protected the skis over the summer and all you need to do is scrape that layer off and you're ready to get started. If you did not or you just purchased a pair of new skis then we will start at the same place.

The first thing we want to do is clean any dust or dirt off the ski. I do this using a generous amount of ski wax remover and some paper towels. Many believe that wax remover is bad for your bases. This is not true and it can not pull wax out of your ski. The only way wax remover can be a detriment to your ski is if it is ironed in.

Once you have done this, it is time to make sure that the bases are flat. You can do this using a metal scraper and checking for high or low points in the ski. This used to be a big problem but today most ski manufactures deliver skis to the store in perfect condition. If your older skis were not flat, I would suggest bringing them into a reputable store like Sigge's where a professional can do the work properly. A metal scraper in the hands of a pro is awesome, but in the hands of beginner can destroy a ski very fast. Taking them to the store will not cost a lot and will save you tons in headaches. If you did put a layer of wax on your skis over the summer then scrape off the wax and clean them with wax remover. Once you have allowed the skis to dry it is time to wax them up for your first day on snow.

Whatever the conditions are in your area choose the warmest wax in your system for the first couple of wax jobs. This softer wax will allow more wax to penetrate into the ski base and saturate your ski. I personally wax my skis twice before I use them as this makes sure the bases are totally saturated. Again this is something you can do before the snow has even started to fall.

The objective of Stone Grinding is to prepare the right base surface; creating the best possible gliding characteristics for different snow conditions.

It was developed to create a flat, smooth gliding surface on the base of skis. This surface is an imprinted pattern that is designed to reduce the amount of friction and suction created by the snow. The pattern imprinted by the stone can be changed to accommodate the different snow textures. A finer structure is used for dry, cold, fresh snow changing to a coarser structure for wet, warm, old snow. The major advantage of Stone Grinding is that the pattern imprinted into the base can be reproduced exactly each time a ski is tuned.

A stone consists of abrasive materials bonded together in a round mold. This round stone rotates on a shaft with an adjustable RPM, enabling us to create different textures. A diamond dresser cuts the stone flat with a predictable pattern on the stone surface. This pattern imprints a consistent texture in the polyethylene base, which is free of any trailing fibers. By changing the RPM of the stone, or the speed at which the board crosses the stone, or the pattern cut into the stone, we can create different textures in the base of the snowboard; increasing the glide in different snow conditions.

There are a variety of variables available to the machine operator to use to obtain specific results:

Variable speed feed: controls how hard the ski is passed over the stone.

Variable speed stone: affects how much and how fast material is removed from the skis.

Pressure adjustment: controls how hard the ski is pressed against the stone.

Electronic diamond dresser: controls the type of structure; whether it's cross or linear, how fine or course it is and allows for reproducible structures.

STEP# 1- Place the ski in the jig and warm up the iron to the right temperature for the wax you are using. For the first wax job I use the warmest in the system. With TOKO this is Hydro or Yellow.

STEP# 2- With the wax on the iron drip a generous amount on the ski base. I like to use dots as this makes it easier to judge how much wax to use when you are mixing waxes. The drops should be an inch apart on either side of the groove. It is not important to wax the groove, as the groove is for steering and does not accept wax like the base.

STEP# 3- Starting at the tip of the ski lower the iron onto the ski and make one slow pass towards the tail. This pass is just to even out the wax so the entire base is covered with a thin layer of wax. You do not want the iron to come in contact with the bare base. The TOKO iron has cross patterns on it to allow wax to flow under the iron. If you are using a home iron then you must be careful not to push the wax off the ski. This problem can be rectified by lifting your home iron in the front so the iron does not plow the wax but runs over it.

STEP# 4- Now that you have a thin layer covering the ski base it is time to heat the wax up so it penetrates the base. Again start from the tip and move slowly along the base to the tail of the ski. You should leave a trail of wet looking wax about 2 inches behind the iron. If the iron sticks then you are going to slow and the base may burn. Again the iron should never smoke and it should move easily without weight. Do not iron back and forth like your doing a pair of pants. This will heat up the base in more areas than some and the risk of burning the base is high. Once the wax looks dry but is still warm to touch do one more pass from the tip to the tail. Once this is done then it is time to allow the ski to cool off. Do not put the ski outside as the molecules will stop penetrating the base. While that ski is cooling under room temperature you can do the other one.

STEP# 5- When the ski is back to room temperature then it is time to scrape the excess wax off. Take your multi purpose scraper and clean the edges and the groove. Always work from tip to tail as this makes the job go smoothly. Then take your 5mm plexi-glass scraper and scrape the ski from tip to tail. I find the best way is to walk backwards down the ski pulling the scraper towards me. This way there is less of a chance of slipping off the side and scarring the base. Scrape four or five passes or until you are not pulling up any wax off the base.

STEP# 6- This step is the most important step and is also the one most seem to forget. Brushing the base will clean off the base of any residual wax and make the base shine. Wax technicians spend the most time at this stage getting the ski super polished for world cup skiers. When brushing there is no rule. Brushing vigorously along the base will do the trick. Now your skis are ready to rumble.

MIXING WAX- You can mix any wax in your arsenal to improve the glide characteristics. For instance a warm wax is soft and will not last a long time. Mixing in a harder wax will improve the durability. This works well when using TOKO Dibloc Yellow by mixing in a bit of Dibloc Red. You can also mix Hydro and Nordlite 50/50 for a temperature around -7. Mix in more Hydro for warmer and more Nordlite for colder. Mixing is where you can become a kid again and try new concoctions.

RILLING THE BASE- You can also place a rill into the base for those spring conditions. A rill is like a stone grind however, it is not permanent. TOKO has an awesome riller that puts a diamond pattern into your base. This pattern has been found to whisk water off the ski very well.

MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS- One trick that I do is apply a couple of layers of wax before a race. If I was using Dibloc yellow I would do, one wax job then do another. This will make sure you have permeated the ski base with a lot of wax for the whole course. This works very well when dealing with very cold conditions. When I race in Alaska, I do as many as 8 applications.

The first step in preparing classic skis is finding your wax pocket. This is where you are going to apply klister or hard wax to get grip on those hills. It is important to select classic skis at a store that can properly measure cambers. Sigge's tests every classic ski they have, so they can sell you a perfect ski. A classic ski should be 65% of your body weight. This means that to make the ski flat on the ground should be 65% of your body weight. This of course changes a bit as your ability gets better.

The next step after choosing the right pair is that you must find your ideal kick zone. To find this out you will need a perfectly flat area, a piece of paper, and a friend. Place both skis on the ground and stand on the skis where the bindings are. Have your weight evenly distributed on the ski. Your friend will now slide the paper forward under the ski until it stops. Mark this point on each ski, as they may be different. Then bring the paper back under your foot and shift all your weight onto one ski. Now again slide the paper forward until it stops and mark that point. Now take the area between those two points and that is where your wax pocket starts. For the back of the pocket use where your heel comes down on the ski. This is your wax pocket. You should never put glide wax in you wax pocket but keep this area dry so that the klister and hard wax can stick to the base. If you glide wax this area the klister and hard wax will not adhere very well and come off easier!

A good hint is to actually sand your wax pocket. I use 80 grit and do three passes. This gets the hairs of the base to stand up and the grip wax will hold onto the base better.

To glide wax a classic ski follow the same techniques for doing a skating ski. Just remember, don't wax the wax pocket. Some technicians even tape off this area so as not to get a drop in the wax pocket. Always glide wax first. Once the ski is waxed you can wait till you see the conditions at the hill to apply the grip wax.

Equipment-

• Snow thermometer
• Grip wax for conditions
• Klister for conditions
• A cork
• An open mind

This are the few simple things that you will need to choose and apply grip wax. I will take you through this step by step.

STEP 1.- Take your thermometer and find out what the snow temperature is. Do not just throw it in the snow. Lay it in the track where you are going to be skiing. If the first part is in the sun but most of the trail is in the shade then take the temperature in the shade. This will tell you exactly what the snow temperature is. Once you have this you need to make some predictions. Is it going to be sunny? Is it going to snow? Or Rain? Answering these questions will tell you if the snow is going to warm up or cool down or stay the same. This will affect how you wax. This sounds like a lot but after a few times you will be able to determine this very quickly.

STEP 2.- Now you need to decide whether the snow is new or old. When snow falls it is very pointy and sharp. The wax that you use to stick to that snow does not have to be very sticky because the snow has sharp points. So you can use hard wax. However when the snow is old (if it has not snowed in a long time, or if it has warmed up above zero, or if a ton of people have gone over it along with the heavy groomer) then the snow turns round. You need a wax that is very sticky to stick to this snow ie. Klister.

Having the snow temperature and knowing what condition the snow is in is all you need to make the right choice.

• TOKO SILVER new and old snow around zero very sticky
• TOKO YELLOW new and old snow 0 to -2 quite sticky
• TOKO RED DARK old snow -1 to -4 quite sticky
• TOKO RED LIGHT new snow -1 to -4 sticky
• TOKO BLUE DARK old snow -3 to -13 pasty
• TOKO BLUE LIGHT new snow -3 to -13 dry
• TOKO TURQUOIS new or old snow -12 colder dry
• TOKO GREEN for a Binder to be ironed into wax pocket to hold on above waxes

• TOKO ORANGE wet icy snow 0 to -2
• TOKO MULTIVIOLA wet icy snow -1 to -8 (like universal)
• TOKO VIOLA wet icy snow -6 to -18
• TOKO SILVER an additive for durability and dirty snow
• TOKO GREEN binder to be ironed in to hold above klisters onto the ski

There is the TOKO line up. The best part of this system is it is easy to get to know. In the grip waxes if you live around Vancouver start with Silver, Yellow, Dark Red and Blue and the binder. I have already saved you money. In the klisters get Orange and Multiviola and the Green Binder. I use this combination 9 times out of ten at Hollyburn. In the Grip waxes you do not need the light Red and Blue as for training the Dark ones will give you better grip. Once you start racing however I suggest adding the light ones to your box as they are less sticky for those early laps of the race coarse.

STEP 3.- Now that you have seen the line it is time to make the decision of what wax to use. Lets start off easy. It is snowing and minus 2. I would choose Grip wax Yellow and Grip wax Dark Red. I would alternate these two on the ski base. The yellow will give me great stick and the red is designed to stop the wax from icing up and add durability to the combination. How about snowed yesterday at minus 4 and the temperature has stayed constant thru the night and it is still minus 4. I would use TOKO Dark red only. Has not snowed in 2 days and the sun has been out. The track is minus 4 but looks very glazed and I know the sun warmed it up to plus one in the day. Your are now using klister because the snow crystals have melted and gone round. I would use straight Mulitviola klister for this combination. It is zero degrees and the snow is wet. Klister Orange and Multiviola mixed 75% orange 25% Multiviola. Orange will give me awesome grip and Multiviola will give it durability. There are any number of combinations that you can use. Make choices on your own. At first, you will make mistakes but if you keep trying you will succeed.

This is where the most mistakes are made. Most people apply too much Grip wax to their skis. I have even seen some apply a full tube of klister to their whole ski. They had grip all right! Whether you are applying klister or hard wax 3-6 ultra thin layers is the key. You can always add more but you can not take wax off. It is also important to do your own waxing because you can experiment how many layers you can have on your ski before it starts to slow down your skis. I can use 6 thin layers of hard wax and three layers of klister. This gives me an idea of how much wax I can put on so I can plan what I want and where. If you do thin layers, the wax will come off the ski in those layers. If you do one thick layer, that layer is attacked by the fast moving snow/water and your grip is sacrificed. When I do a race I plan the layers from what I need at the end of the race when my technique is tiring and the snow is warming up, to the start of the race when I feel awesome and the snow is fresh.

When I train, I use the wax of the day that the temperature and conditions dictate. I will also throw that wax in my pocket along with one colder wax and one warmer. I do not mind stopping on the trail to reload or make adjustments. However, when I race I never want to stop so I use the Green binder. This binder is ironed in very thinly and now whatever I put on the ski will last up to for 4 times as long. It is very important to use a binder when doing loppets. If you are using hard wax then use the hard wax green. If the conditions will be klister then use the klister binder.

BINDER-When ironing in a binder use the heat of the iron to manipulate the binder on the ski. You do not need the iron that hot. Just enough to adhere the wax to the base. After you have applied the binder let it cool and then cork it in so it is very smooth. It should look like a mirror. Never get the binder into the groove.

ICING UP- This is caused by water entering your klister or hard wax and then freezing. Three ways to avoid this are: use thin layers of wax, use a colder wax along with the warm wax to help prevent icing up and prolong the durability, and finally let the wax especially klister set up. This means after applying it set it outside to cool so you can touch it and it is not sticky but tacky. A forth way, that many are surprised to hear is to cover your klister with hard wax. In a race scenario, you should always do this, keeping in mind you must let your klister set up before applying hard wax.

APPLY- Use your hands to apply klister. The warmth from your hand is the best to move it along the ski and it is also easier to keep it from getting on the sidewall and in the groove. For hard wax use a cork to spread the wax evenly.

TOKO WAX CARD- TOKO has developed a wax card system that is totally awesome. All you have to do is take the temperature and then follow what it says for that particular temperature and conditions. I still use it today to give me some ideas. These are very inexpensive and can be picked up at Sigge's or your local shop.

Thanks for joining us for the Sigge's Waxing updates I hope you have found them both entertaining and informative. Hope to see you out on the trails ripping it up!