Lesson 12: Sandwich Approach Plus

Have you noticed patterns in this class?

Look over the previous classes. Seems the number three comes up often!

Three possible angles on vertical ski edges (1,2,3 degrees)

Three types of waxes

Three layers in your sandwich.

If you can just remember those values, then the "complex" issue of ski tuning becomes relatively easy!


In this class we will consider what happens when there are "extreme" variations in temperature or snow conditions. Typically this happens in Spring skiing or in high altitude skiing!

It is in such conditions that you will have to "consider" when you will ski and where you will ski!

The three rule still apply but now you have to be more subtle.

Let me illustrate with a typical late March condition where I ski!

Here is the context;
-15 night temperature
groomed runs ( but frozen) with high water content.


10 AM +2C temperature and slopes are "soft"


2PM +10C temperature and snow is "mush" with "cement" like qualities.


How do you wax and structure?


I do not mind sacrificing some early morning ski glide so that I get very best skiing from 12 - 4 PM. That means large groovy structuring and soft +1to +10 wax IN THE INITIAL base layer! That is the first wax layer!

I let this layer set for three hours. The I lay another wax layer ( of harder wax -10C range) over this first layer).

I do my structuring with nylon brush ( mid type grooves) on this last layer!


Think what I have done! Like an onion I have created layers of structures and waxes.

Starting from base let us work up.
1. On base large, wide grooves for late day skiing

2. First wax layer is of the +10 type which will "appear" in the afternoon.

3. On top of that I have a thin layer of hard -12C wax for early morning skiing!

4. On top of this hard wax I have a series of medium grooves for that hard snow full of water!

Here is what happens.
In the early morning the hard water saturated groomed slopes wears away my top coat wax layer! By 12 PM this hard -12C layer is gone and now I am skiing on the other wax layer which is softer with wider grooves!

I get best performance all day!

So now you have a dual wax layered sandwich!


Did you notice that I did not speak about edge sharpening! In spring skiing you do not have to focus so much on very sharp edges! If you have done your daily check of the dings,,,,you will not need to have those razor sharp edges!


If you remembered what I said at beginning of class, I also mentioned that you should consider where you will ski when preparing your skis!
If you ski in very large, high altitude ski resort in the Spring, there is often two zones.
What I mean by that is the bottom by 11 AM is becoming very "slushy" with melted snow!
The upper bowls often ( even more if protected from sun) are still winter conditions!

I happen to like to ski the upper sections of major ski resorts! I rarely "come down" to base area until 5PM! So I tune my skis with this in mind!

You can now appreciate how tuning your skis for your needs will give you so much more pleasure! Once one of your friends tries your skis,,they will never give them back to you!
While others will be "cursing" that soft sticky snow,,,you will be flying by like a eagle!


Did any of you watch your wax solidifying on your skis? What did you see?


For your homework view the Flickr site photos of the boot liners. Identify which liner is high end and which is low end!

Next class will be on how to tune your boots for your needs!

When you are applying multiple layers of wax, are you scraping between layers or after all the layers have been laid down?

Once you apply first layer, you allow it to cool and harden!
You take off some in order to make it smooth and I pass a nylon brush once or twice.

Here is the secret to getting the second layer on. You realize that if you hold the iron too long in one spot the first layer will melt and mix with second application.

You must apply just enough new wax to cover ski, yet not too much to create convex ski base!
Do it fast and do not stay in one spot AT ANY TIME!

The first time you do this ,,it will be a mess! Soon you will learn how to apply this second coat so that it sticks to previous coat but does not "build up"!

Again a scrap off wax just to make surface smooth!

Hope this helps!

Pavel

Pavel, would it be possible to "post" a few pictures showing the different grooves of structuring for the different layers of wax? Your medium may be my wide.

And in your reply to ellistine this question comes to mind - how do we keep the harder wax on the outermost layer from ripping the softer wax layer with it over the course of the morning skiing. Will the harder wax not bond solidly to the softer wax layer? I suppose this has a lot to do with swiftness of the smoothing process with the iron.

Thanks,

Mike