grey areas on base

I know that this has been discussed before probably, but I am still fuzzy
about what thee types of grey areas on the base of a ski mean.

1 - Small grey areas on the base that appear with skiing , but go away with
brushing. Some skis and/or wax and/or snow conditions seem to produce this
quicker than others. For example, skating skis will show this on the inside
edges.

Is this the wax being worn off or is it wax that is "oozing" (for lack of a
better term) during the skiing therefore leaving residue which is easy to
brush out. Does it indicate poor waxing and/or brushing technique or that
the bases aren't holding wax well?

2 - My classic skis - both the old pair and the new, as well as my wife and
kids' classic skis seem to get grey areas in a very well defined and typical
area - just behind the kick pocket, the whole width of the ski and maybe 5-6
inches in length. Again, this goes away with brushing, but seems to appear
in just that spot all the time.

Is this a mis-fitted ski? Is it some sort of flex point that is present in
most or all striding skis? Does it indicate bad technique - and if so, how?

Thanks for any replies.

Griss

1) I think you're basically down to the ptex and need to fill up those dry
bases with some new wax.

They may not have been prepped properly (iron in paraffin or soft wax
multiple times - allow to cool before re-ironing). Then put on the wax of
the day/week/month/yr.

Not a technique thing - well maybe waxing that is...

2) Same for the classic - I get the same sometimes. There is a lot of force
at the heel which accelerates wear.

Wax on!


"Griss" wrote in message
...
I know that this has been discussed before probably, but I am still fuzzy
about what thee types of grey areas on the base of a ski mean.

1 - Small grey areas on the base that appear with skiing , but go away
with
brushing. Some skis and/or wax and/or snow conditions seem to produce
this
quicker than others. For example, skating skis will show this on the
inside
edges.

Is this the wax being worn off or is it wax that is "oozing" (for lack of
a
better term) during the skiing therefore leaving residue which is easy to
brush out. Does it indicate poor waxing and/or brushing technique or that
the bases aren't holding wax well?

2 - My classic skis - both the old pair and the new, as well as my wife
and
kids' classic skis seem to get grey areas in a very well defined and
typical
area - just behind the kick pocket, the whole width of the ski and maybe
5-6
inches in length. Again, this goes away with brushing, but seems to
appear
in just that spot all the time.

Is this a mis-fitted ski? Is it some sort of flex point that is present
in
most or all striding skis? Does it indicate bad technique - and if so,
how?

Thanks for any replies.

Griss

We had a debate about this last year. For classical, some thought it
was drifting of the kick wax, which does occur. For me, if I saw five
inches of whiteness across the ski, I'd say my ski is not coming down in
front as it should.

Gene

Unlock wrote:

1) I think you're basically down to the ptex and need to fill up those dry
bases with some new wax.

They may not have been prepped properly (iron in paraffin or soft wax
multiple times - allow to cool before re-ironing). Then put on the wax of
the day/week/month/yr.

Not a technique thing - well maybe waxing that is...

2) Same for the classic - I get the same sometimes. There is a lot of force
at the heel which accelerates wear.

Wax on!

"Griss" wrote in message
...
I know that this has been discussed before probably, but I am still fuzzy
about what thee types of grey areas on the base of a ski mean.

1 - Small grey areas on the base that appear with skiing , but go away
with
brushing. Some skis and/or wax and/or snow conditions seem to produce
this
quicker than others. For example, skating skis will show this on the
inside
edges.

Is this the wax being worn off or is it wax that is "oozing" (for lack of
a
better term) during the skiing therefore leaving residue which is easy to
brush out. Does it indicate poor waxing and/or brushing technique or that
the bases aren't holding wax well?

2 - My classic skis - both the old pair and the new, as well as my wife
and
kids' classic skis seem to get grey areas in a very well defined and
typical
area - just behind the kick pocket, the whole width of the ski and maybe
5-6
inches in length. Again, this goes away with brushing, but seems to
appear
in just that spot all the time.

Is this a mis-fitted ski? Is it some sort of flex point that is present
in
most or all striding skis? Does it indicate bad technique - and if so,
how?

Thanks for any replies.

Griss

I got an interesting email newletter from Sierra Nordic today which relates
to the questions I asked about white areas on the base (see previous long
post). It's similar to some of the info that others gave to my questions,
but I think it's worth posting. In my case, I definitely have noticed (1)
this seems to happen more in really cold weather and hard (CH4 type) waxes
and (2) the areas easily brush out with horsehair brush. So I guess I'm
generally dealing with residual wax, not dry bases. Of course, there are
times where the edges of my skating skis actually lose wax and are "dry",
but that definitely looks different, and doesn't brush out very well.

For what it's worth, I brush my skis with white nylon/brass combi brush and
horsehair. I have no roto brush. Although I brush about as much as I care
to, and do even more when I "race". But obviously it's not enough.

---------------------------------------
From Sierra Nordic:

3. WHITE AREAS on the SKI BASE

If, after skiing, you notice white areas on the base of the ski, the problem
is probably just residual wax on the surface rather than wax worn out of the
base. This is especially true in cold weather conditions.

The number one mistake most people make when waxing skis is to not remove
all the wax from the surface of the base, especially in the structure (down
in the texture and rills). Remember, we ski on a wax-impregnated base, not
wax. Any wax left ON the base will increase friction and slow the glide.

In cold weather, this residual wax on the surface will turn white after
skiing for 10-15 kilometers. This is most noticeable on black bases, but
also occurs on clear bases where it is less visible. These whitish areas may
occur over any part of the base, but especially on areas that have more
pressure, such as behind the heel. Brushing the base with a soft thin
bristle brass brush or polishing the base with a white polishing pad will
remove the residual wax and the base will then look fresh and shiny. The
skis will then be ready to ski again, and may be noticeably faster.

When wax is worn out of the base, this generally first occurs along the
edges (especially on skating skis) and gives the wax-depleted areas of the
base a more dullish gray look, rather than whitish. Brushing or polishing
the base may make it look a bit more shiny overall, but the areas with less
underlying wax will still remain noticeably less black or a bit duller on
clear base skis. In this case, it's time to rewax.

White areas on the ski base are most likely to occur in cold conditions
because the harder cold weather glide waxes are harder to remove, especially
from the structure (texture) of the base. Also, the bases contract when
cold, squeezing wax to the surface.

Prevent the problem by hand brushing the skis well with a soft, thin bristle
brass brush. Soft means the bristles are not prickly to the touch. A soft
brush will not scratch or tear the fine plastic fibers that make up quality
sintered ski bases. Thin is important because fatter bristles, such as
nylon, are too fat to get down into the structure (stoneground texture and
rills). Brass is important because these bristles - even though thin and
soft - must be stiff enough to strip the wax out of the structure.

At Sierra Nordic, we sell an excellent soft brass brush for $24. It is a
perfect size brush that stands up to years of use and fits comfortable in
the hand for maximum efficiency and ease of use.

Next, the bases should be roto brushed. For more information on this
subject, refer to Tech Tip #15 on the Sierra Nordic Tech Tip Archives:
http://www.sierranordic.com/Tech_tip_15.html

In very cold conditions, after the initial scraping and brushing of the
glide wax, put the skis outside to cool them to the expected snow
temperature. Then bring indoors and immediately re-brush (hand and roto).