"Mike Hui" wrote in message
.cable.rogers.com...
1. In classic skiing, one needs to lengthen or shorten the mi-section of
the
ski with kick wax. Let me call this the overlapping zone..

I'm a little unclear about what you're saying here. Are you saying that in
some conditions you need to extend your kick wax beyond the normal "kick
zone" to get adequate grip - therefore overlapping the glide wax?

Is this a "waxable" or "waxless" ski?

Are you talking about skiing in groomed tracks or off track touring?

If this is a waxable ski - Have you accurately identified and *marked* your
kick zone - through a "paper test" as well as some on snow testing? ( if
you don't understand this, I could refer you to some instructions). In my
experience, the paper test is often, maybe even usually good enough, but
on-snow testing and re-marking is helpful. Once you figure out what your
kick zone is for any pair of skis, having to extend the wax beyond it
(overlapping the glide wax) is not very unusual in my experience.

Rather than extending kick wax to improve grip/kick, you should first add
additional layers of the kick wax you're using - you make it thicker so it's
easier to make contact with the snow. If that doesn't work, you should
change to a "stickier" (warmer temp) kick wax.

The third strategy would be to extend it beyond the normal kick zone, like I
think you're suggesting. I've found this doesn't happen very often, if at
all - maybe in soft, deep, new snow conditions. If you're talking about
touring in deep, ungroomed areas, this will probably be more common, and not
so unusual, but my advice about glide waxing the overlap zone (below) still
applies.

If this is a waxless ski, I don't really have any experience with them.
However, if you're mostly a track skier, my guess is that if you're
regularly having to use kick wax beyond the normal kick zone of a waxless
ski, the ski isn't right for your weight and should be replaced. Probably
too stiff. If touring in untracked snow, I have no idea if this is
common/normal or not, but regardless, my recommendation about glide waxing
(below) still applies.

2. Kick wax doesn't stick well to glide wax.

Absolutely.

When you prepare your ski, would you cover the overlapping zone with glide
wax or leave it bare? It appears to me the answer depends on whether the
kick wax glides better than bare surface.

In a waxable ski, the kick zone should be completely bare of glide wax.

For both types of ski, the rest of the ski, including the "overlapping zone"
you talk about, should be glide waxed - it is not good for the p-tex to be
bare - it can be damaged if not kept properly waxed. If you do indeed have
to extend kick wax beyond the normal kick zone, the kick wax in that small
area will indeed wear off faster. Unless you're racing, it's probably just
something you'd have to deal with and re-wax. If you're touring, tracked,
or untracked, it's no big deal to stop to wax.

Any suggestions?

If you're skiing on groomed tracks with either type of ski and find that you
have to wax beyond the "normal" kick zone a lot, my guess is that the ski is
too stiff for you. (or in the case of a waxable ski, the kick zone just
isn't accurately marked). As I said, I'm a little confused about your exact
situation, and I hope this helps.

Grissy