Wax When?

Snowboard waxing should be done regularly to maximize glide and make it easier to turn and control your board.

• Wax when snow conditions change – when the temperature drops or increases drastically.
• Wax anytime your base looks dry, evidenced by faint white lines or patches especially near the edges.
• Don't wax your board if it has been sitting outside or in the freezing cold all night.
• Bring your board indoors for at least an hour before waxing to prevent damage to the base and allow for the best wax absorption.

Edge Tools

The snowboard tuning tools you need for edge care are:

• Biodegradable base cleaner
• Whetstone or diamond stone
• 6-, 8- and 10-inch-mill bastard files
• File guide
• Gummy stone

The tools for waxing are:

• Base cleaner and clean rags
• Waxing iron
• Waxes
• Plastic scraper
• Scotchbrite pads
• Wire or nylon bristle brush.

Many of these tools can be purchased in a snowboard tuning kit. Ask for the details on snowboard tuning and available snowboard tuning kits at your snowboard shop.

Keeping your Snowboard Tuned

We strongly suggest getting your snowboard tuned by a professional with the right machines at least once a year. A snowboard is too expensive to not take care of properly.

You can maintain your tune with a sharpening stone or fine file by lightly running it over the edges, slightly angled off the base. Most shops will put a 1 degree base bevel on a snowboard when they tune it which helps prevent you from catching an edge.

You should put a slight angle on the side edges. A shop will usually do a 2-3 degree bevel on the side edges to get better edge hold.

Finally, you should "detune", or dull your tip and tail from where the board would contact the snow on one side all the way around to the other contact point this will help prevent this area from catching on the snow and flipping you on your back or chest.

In Order to Wax. . .

Follow these steps for waxing your snowboard and you'll be speeding down the mountain as fast as you can.

1. Select a snowboard wax appropriate for the temperature range you'll be riding in.
2. Place your board on a work bench.
3. Preheat the waxing iron on low.
4. Adjust the temperature to medium, test a small piece of wax to make sure it does not smoke or your iron is too hot.
5. With the tip of the iron lightly touching the board, melt the wax against the iron so it runs in a thin stream onto the base. Move the iron so you leave a bead of wax that you can later iron onto the base. You want a thin layer of wax.
6. Keep the iron flat, and move in small circles. Spread the wax bead out until the entire base is covered with a thin film.
7. Longer periods of waxing while keeping the iron moving is best.
8. Allow wax to cool for twenty to thirty minutes. Use a plastic scraper to remove extra wax – take off as much as you can so you only have a thin layer.
9. Polish with a ScotchBrite buffing pad.
10. Brush the base from tip to tail with a nylon brush for cold conditions or a metal brush for warm conditions.

Base Tools

If you have the knowledge and ability to tune your own board, you need to get the proper snowboard tuning tools. The tools needed for base repair are:

• Biodegradable base cleaner
• Drip repair candles
• Metal scraper
• Surform or other planing tool
• Rilling bar
• Emery or silicon carbide paper
• Sanding block
• Scotchbrite pads
• Wire brushes.

Stay in Shape