Waxing is a very important part of Nordic Skiing, but also a very complicated part. We want to give everyone the information on how to do this, but please note, we are not expecting you to do this on your own, or to understand all of it, especially now. The wax industry is going through a major change and a lot of the waxes that were being used on the higher end races no longer are made, thus there is a lot more testing of the new waxes happening and some of these new waxes will out perform others depending on the conditions. So, please read through this information and if you are interested in getting more involved with the waxing of our skiers skis, please talk to me and I can help you go in the right direction. I am also giving you below what we as a team are doing for waxes this year and for the foreseeable future. One other area of waxing/ski prep that is proving that is has more effect on a ski's performance is Structure, especially for the shorter races that our skiers compete in. We as a team have many options and continue to test them to see what will work best for the day.
Waxing Basics
Fluoro Carbon waxes are being fazed out in the Nordic world, and Central Cross Country (CXC) and the Minnesota State Nordic Coaches Association have put a ban on all Fluoro Carbon waxes for all races this year. CXC has put out a grid of waxes that are approved for JNQ races as well as other races that they sponsor, with a link to that list below. Also, many of the bigger Citizen races have banned Fluoro waxes as well. Either way, all parties will expect people to abide by these bans on the Fluoro waxes, even though it will be more so on an Honor system due to the fact that testing is still in development for all.
We as a team for a number of years have used the Start Green line for colder temps, Rex Blue line for temps in the upper teens to 20's, and the SkiGo C242 Yellow line for the warmer temps for the bigger races. Last year we started to use Rex Liquid waxes for our weekly Conference (regular season) races due to the ease and quickness of getting many skis done.
As we move forward and into a new era of waxes and waxing, we have made some minor changes, but I have tested many of these, used many of them on a regular basis, and have discussed them with multiple people who have tested the newer waxes, in particular the liquid waxes. Here is what we are going to plan moving forward as a team: (All of our decisions are non-Fluoro waxes, but if we are able to use Fluoro's at all this year, we will go with those waxes that fit in the line with what we use)
For our Weekly Conference Races:
Rode Liquid Waxes (we as a team will continue to apply this the night before meets)
- We may still use Rex liquids from time to time based on performance of the wax
For the Conference, Section, and State Races:
Start Green: -10C to -30C
Rex Blue: -1C to -10C
SkiGo C242 Yellow: 0C and Above
However, we will be testing the liquid waxes for these races as well, and if we feel that one will work better than the hard waxes, we will go with that wax.
As for Kick Wax, we as a Coaching Staff have tried to make things even more simple for everyone for our practices and weekly Conference races. Our skiers will use either Rode Special Green, Swix Extra Blue, or Rode Multigrade Violet. These three waxes cover most conditions, but we do have other waxes, including liquid klister, that may be needed and we will put that on the skiers skis. When it comes to the Conference, Section, and State Meet, we as a team have many more options and we as Coaches will have tested and will test those waxes to see what will be best for the day. Some of those waxes, though, may not be allowed depending on what the decision on Fluoro Kick Waxes is going to be.
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