Waxing on TV...

Joaquin asked me to post the following. --JP

***

I saw Kuzmin on TV last night, and I found the video about it, but I
can't post into RSN. Could you please post it ?
http://www.exn.ca/dailyplanet/

I'm not an expert, but it shows for seconds the way Kuzmin waxes, and
some things go against the book, like touching the ski with iron when
melting, even though by the book says you should never do it, and
scraping in a "funny" way.

I didn't know you weren't supposed to touch the ski with the iron while
melting!

Is that why his waxed skis are slow? Is that why my skis are slow?

wrote:
Joaquin asked me to post the following. --JP

***

I saw Kuzmin on TV last night, and I found the video about it, but I
can't post into RSN. Could you please post it ?
http://www.exn.ca/dailyplanet/

I'm not an expert, but it shows for seconds the way Kuzmin waxes, and
some things go against the book, like touching the ski with iron when
melting, even though by the book says you should never do it, and
scraping in a "funny" way.

wrote:
Joaquin asked me to post the following. --JP

***

I saw Kuzmin on TV last night, and I found the video about it, but I
can't post into RSN. Could you please post it ?
http://www.exn.ca/dailyplanet/

I'm not an expert, but it shows for seconds the way Kuzmin waxes, and
some things go against the book, like touching the ski with iron when
melting, even though by the book says you should never do it, and
scraping in a "funny" way.

Jeff,
I'm not sure why the prohibition about touching the base. After years
of dripping wax onto the ski, about 2 years ago, I started getting the
wax flowing on the iron, and then very lightly touching the corner of
the iron to the ski so that it flows onto the ski in a smooth ribbon.
Make is much easier to melt in smoothly - especially when working with
blue and colder waxes. Unless you let the iron stand on the ski, I
can't believe that this will damage the base, and results in less
overheating than with the conventional drip method.

Marsh

Marsh,
I believe you're experience and you're reasoning are right on the money
- I've applied wax just that way for 12 years and it works much better
than dripping - once the wax has been applied to the ski, then the iron
slides over smooth ribbons of wax rather than scattered droplets - and
there is no burning of the base. I have discussed this with a
well-known racer/owner of a local ski shop who told me that he also
applies wax that way and has never burned a base.
Russ

There's a fine line here. I apply wax the way you guys have described -
with a corner of the iron either very close to the base - or lightly
touching it. I've done it for a long time and I don't burn skis that
way. However, I've also had to regrind skis because people helping me
one time or another used the same technique with too much pressure on
the iron and left lines down the base. That's on a freshly ground (and
therefor delicate) base. Generally if that happens the effect
disappears after the base is hardened off. But it's worth noting that
you can change the base surface with too heavy a hand on the iron if
you drag a corner along the base.

However, when you get it right it makes for without question the
fastest and easiest wax application I've seen.

Zach