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Indoor Wax?

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KilaTsunami
Posts: 2528 - Karma: 23,986
Anyone got any recs for a wax that works well indoors? Been spending a lot of time at the Fridge down in NJ. The snow is cold, but the humidity is high... which doesn't happen in nature, so were kinda stumped on what wax will solve our "sticky skis" issue.
Jun 1 2023 2:22PM
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Tucko
Posts: 220 - Karma: 1,819
I just use universal or the light blue medium cold wax. Works well enough for the most part but im sure there’s better options out there
Jun 1 2023 8:15PM
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KilaTsunami
Posts: 2528 - Karma: 23,986
TuckoI just use universal or the light blue medium cold wax. Works well enough for the most part but im sure there’s better options out there


Damn might fuck around and try to invent one. (I know some smart people, I’m not smart) 🤔
Jun 1 2023 9:58PM
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switchlip2
Posts: 1910 - Karma: 23,311
Can’t wait to rip big snow soon
Jun 1 2023 11:57PM
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KilaTsunami
Posts: 2528 - Karma: 23,986
switchlip2Can’t wait to rip big snow soon


Snagged a season pass thru some connections at work. I’m bouta live there lol
Jun 1 2023 11:59PM
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switchlip2
Posts: 1910 - Karma: 23,311
KilaTsunamiSnagged a season pass thru some connections at work. I’m bouta live there lol


I wish I lived like 2 hours away so I could rip there like every weekend
Jun 2 2023 12:02AM
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Whackson
Posts: 466 - Karma: 4,026
Doesn’t help the snows kinda shitty to begin with but can’t complain
Jun 2 2023 1:37AM
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HypeBeast
Posts: 9780 - Karma: 72,315
You skis are sticky? When the last time you got a base grind?

Otherwise https://www.tognar.com/how-to-choose-the-right-ski-wax/

@DominatorJacques


"Or here's what chatgpt says
For indoor skiing where the snow is cold but high in humidity, it is recommended to use a hydrocarbon wax with a lower melting point. Hydrocarbon waxes are known for their water-repellent properties and can provide good glide on moist snow. The lower melting point helps the wax penetrate the base material more effectively.

When selecting a specific hydrocarbon wax, look for one that is designed for colder temperatures and high humidity conditions. These waxes are typically labeled as "cold" or "all-temperature" waxes. They are formulated to perform well in colder snow conditions and to repel moisture effectively.

It's worth noting that indoor ski slopes often have artificial surfaces that differ from natural snow. In such cases, it's best to consult with the staff or instructors at the indoor facility for specific recommendations on ski wax types and application techniques tailored to their surface conditions."

Jun 2 2023 7:23AM
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KilaTsunami
Posts: 2528 - Karma: 23,986
WhacksonDoesn’t help the snows kinda shitty to begin with but can’t complain


Yea but there really isn’t anything they can do besides push the bad snow towards the bottom since the bad snow never actually melts. It’s definitely a conundrum
Jun 2 2023 7:27AM
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 6647 - Karma: 57,291
I picked up some mountainflow eco wax Moly wax recently. Maybe worth a shot
Jun 2 2023 9:03AM
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Weekendwarrior69
Posts: 54 - Karma: 966
Was at the indoor place in Oslo and they had a can of wd40 sitting on the side 🤷‍♂️
Jun 2 2023 12:22PM
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KilaTsunami
Posts: 2528 - Karma: 23,986
Weekendwarrior69Was at the indoor place in Oslo and they had a can of wd40 sitting on the side 🤷‍♂️


Yea they do that here too, but I think it makes the snow worse in the long run. If not worse definitely dirty lol
Jun 2 2023 12:38PM
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animator
Posts: 4547 - Karma: 26,209
BradFiAusNzCoCaI picked up some mountainflow eco wax Moly wax recently. Maybe worth a shot


Last year the rep stopped by the shop I worked at and gave everyone there samples of it. I really wanted to like it since it’s not nearly as bad as the enviro (apparently) as normal Fluoro wax but it was garbage. Somehow made my skis feel more sticky
Jun 3 2023 4:54PM
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 6647 - Karma: 57,291
The regular or the moly?

Normal one is so gummy. It’s a pain it’s scrape
animatorLast year the rep stopped by the shop I worked at and gave everyone there samples of it. I really wanted to like it since it’s not nearly as bad as the enviro (apparently) as normal Fluoro wax but it was garbage. Somehow made my skis feel more sticky
Jun 3 2023 4:56PM
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animator
Posts: 4547 - Karma: 26,209
BradFiAusNzCoCaThe regular or the moly?

Normal one is so gummy. It’s a pain it’s scrape

It was the normal “cold” 10-25F one it was blue. Absolute garbage
Jun 3 2023 10:09PM
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 6647 - Karma: 57,291
I’ve never used the blue one. Only the green one and the Moly one. But yeah my gripe is that it’s so gummy when scraping but overall I have had positive experiences with it. I didn’t use blue though so take it for what it’s worth
animatorIt was the normal “cold” 10-25F one it was blue. Absolute garbage
Jun 3 2023 11:14PM
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7621 - Karma: 20,195
I recommend getting some board butter base prep wax (super soft compound that will really get into the pores of the base) and putting on a layer of that with universal or cold wax on top.
Jun 4 2023 11:27AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24704 - Karma: 29,684
KilaTsunamiAnyone got any recs for a wax that works well indoors? Been spending a lot of time at the Fridge down in NJ. The snow is cold, but the humidity is high... which doesn't happen in nature, so were kinda stumped on what wax will solve our "sticky skis" issue.

Where I often ski the snow is super cold and we are right next to the ocean, and I just use Swix HF6 and it works pretty good. You can try that.
Jun 4 2023 10:50PM
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olic
Posts: 291 - Karma: 914
DataWax make a couple of indoor specific waxes:
Arctic Race indoor wax
Arctic Universal indoor wax

https://www.datawax.com/ski-snowboard/snow-waxes?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiMKU9tWr_wIVgIODBx2eLQ1eEAAYASABEgJSefD_BwE
Jun 5 2023 4:09AM
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DominatorJacques
Posts: 11229 - Karma: 76,289
Turd__AuthorityYou skis are sticky? When the last time you got a base grind?

Otherwise https://www.tognar.com/how-to-choose-the-right-ski-wax/

@DominatorJacques


"Or here's what chatgpt says
For indoor skiing where the snow is cold but high in humidity, it is recommended to use a hydrocarbon wax with a lower melting point. Hydrocarbon waxes are known for their water-repellent properties and can provide good glide on moist snow. The lower melting point helps the wax penetrate the base material more effectively.

When selecting a specific hydrocarbon wax, look for one that is designed for colder temperatures and high humidity conditions. These waxes are typically labeled as "cold" or "all-temperature" waxes. They are formulated to perform well in colder snow conditions and to repel moisture effectively.

It's worth noting that indoor ski slopes often have artificial surfaces that differ from natural snow. In such cases, it's best to consult with the staff or instructors at the indoor facility for specific recommendations on ski wax types and application techniques tailored to their surface conditions."


This can be a tough one for sure. Man-made snow usually contains minerals not found in natural snows.
IDK if this place has some kind of super water filters to remove these.
When they are present, one needs a hard wax to very hard wax, as the minerals are quite hard.
As for humidity, it's not the air, it's the snow. Can't make a snowball = dry. Can make, but falls apart = normal. Can make, and hold together very well = wet.
If the snow is full of "stuff", then a hard wax with graphite would be good, as graphite is very hard, yet not very hydrophobic, so if the snow is indeed wet, a hydrophobic component will be needed, and the base grind will need to address wet snow too.

It's kind of a shot in the dark from here, but here I will list a few waxes you might try.

Very hard wax to overcome high mineral content: https://dominatorwax.com/products/psycho-os-paste

Hard wax with a hydrophobic content: https://dominatorwax.com/products/dominator-elite-os1p

I recommend these hard waxes in paste form, because you don't need an iron so hot to melt the base to apply, then no hassle with scraping a hard wax either. Follow instructions on the containers.
Jun 10 2023 9:48AM
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Rparr
Posts: 5371 - Karma: 42,524
the snow there definitely feels weird as fuck
Jun 10 2023 9:56AM
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switchlip2
Posts: 1910 - Karma: 23,311
Rparrthe snow there definitely feels weird as fuck

Doesn’t feel real
Jun 10 2023 10:38AM
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KilaTsunami
Posts: 2528 - Karma: 23,986
switchlip2Doesn’t feel real


It’s like sand.. still definitely the best snow around in June lol
Jun 10 2023 12:24PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7099 - Karma: 17,045
I actually skied for about 6 years indoors in the UK when I started working in the industry. The best thing I found for getting skis to work well indoors was base grind. Wax types did not matter hugely compared to getting the grind right. I found a pretty deep linear grind used to work pretty well as I recall.
Jun 13 2023 3:57PM
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THUGwife
Posts: 1909 - Karma: 301
Interesting. I have just started skiing in Hemel Hempstead and I am finding the boxes super sticky. Is this because of a similar issue?
Jun 14 2023 8:30AM
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olic
Posts: 291 - Karma: 914
THUGwifeInteresting. I have just started skiing in Hemel Hempstead and I am finding the boxes super sticky. Is this because of a similar issue?


Used to ride at Hemel a lot but never found the boxes or rails particularly sticky, but the snow was a different matter, on some days you'd have to flat line form the top just to get speed for features at the bottom. I found the snow there ate my bases so had a separate pair of "indoor" skis just for riding domes or dryslope. Get the datawax indoor wax and a good basegrind and you should be good though.
Jun 15 2023 3:42AM
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THUGwife
Posts: 1909 - Karma: 301
olicUsed to ride at Hemel a lot but never found the boxes or rails particularly sticky, but the snow was a different matter, on some days you'd have to flat line form the top just to get speed for features at the bottom. I found the snow there ate my bases so had a separate pair of "indoor" skis just for riding domes or dryslope. Get the datawax indoor wax and a good basegrind and you should be good though.


Thanks my man. Great insight. I don't find the rails sticky, it's only the boxes, and I seem to be getting a lot of sparks.

I did get myself a set of indoor only skis, a little shorter and narrower profile than what I use in the mountains.

I'll consider a base grind. Are there specific instructions for that if I am sending off to a shop to deal with?
Jun 16 2023 2:35AM
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BingPow
Posts: 560 - Karma: 5,420
the riders at big snow will rub DW-40 on their bases, they say it helps
Jun 16 2023 8:48AM
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KilaTsunami
Posts: 2528 - Karma: 23,986
BingPowthe riders at big snow will rub DW-40 on their bases, they say it helps


Nice, i guess thats why everyones bases turn black lol.. I also saw a bar of soap off to the side, i wonder if that helps
Jun 16 2023 10:45AM
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