phil wrote:
Connel MacKenzie wrote in message ...

Sean Martin concludes:
"Wax your base frequently and take care of it well. If you do, it will
give you more life in the board and make your experience more enjoyable."


And he made one of my boards so perhaps he knows what he's talking
about...

I don't recall saying he doesn't know what he's talking about. I do
think that the answer to the question "Why wax the board at all" was
somewhat off target.

I am not making a general statement: I am talking about a FAQ - where
newcomers to a discussion group learn its ground rules. For newcomers,
turns on a snowboard are not high speed turns, rather they are the slow
gradual turns of an instructor led class. Low speed turns (and faster
turns to a lesser degree) use a tremendous amount of the base, not the
edge exclusively as you imply. Having the base slipperier gives the
edge more influence on the turn, which then makes turning (especially
slow turns) easier.

With the assumption that only newbies would ask "why wax" the question's
answer should probably address newbie concerns. I doubt any seasoned
professional would think twice about "why" to wax...but not every
question in the FAQ is for seasoned professionals.




Isn't the point of waxing the board *to make it easier to turn*? Speed
(especially for us newbies) is controlled by the edge - so the only time
I (as a newbie) need the *base* to be slippery is while learning to link
my turns. Being able to turn the snowboard is what made my few days out
last season "more enjoyable."


No. Turning's got bog-all to do with the base. Turning's about how you
apply the edge to the snow; it's not about torque applied the base.
Probably it's best to hire a board until you've figured out the
mechanics: let someone else worry about waxing it for you.

I do understand the mechanics. My self deprecating comments were
intended to exaggerate the fact that a FAQ should also address newbie
concerns.


phil