by Mr.
Klister
How Grip Wax Works
First, we'll take a quick look at how a "grip"
or "kick" wax works. Ski movement on snow is
based on grip and glide. Grip provides you with a source
of propulsion and glide enables you to stay in motion.
The theory behind how grip waxes work is complex, but
can be summarized for all practical purposes as follows:
Grip wax works by interacting with the snow to form a
temporary bond between the ski and the trail against which
the skier can push to move forward. When a ski is weighted,
this bond is formed by the penetration of the harder snow
crystals into the softer grip wax. The effectiveness of
this bond is a function of how well the snow crystals
penetrate the wax. Thus, getting good grip requires that
you be able to select a grip wax that is soft enough to
allow the snow crystals to penetrate it, but not so soft
that they will remain stuck in the wax after you push
off.
Sound simple enough, doesn't it? Snow, however, is a
complex material whose crystalline properties vary with
temperature, humidity and age. So, picking the proper
grip wax for a day of skiing requires being able to effectively
assess these snow properties on the spot. If there is
anything connected with waxing that seems mysterious,
this is probably it. How to "read" snow and
how to "match" waxes to snow types are subjects
of sections to follow.
