WAX

Hot box waxing is the best method to condition ski bases. Base prep ski wax deeply penetrates into the ski base in just a few cycles vs. waxing with an iron, which can take up to 20+ cycles for full saturation. Hot boxing results in greater base protection and faster skis.

Ski and snowboard bases are made of a polyethylene plastic material (p-tex). Inexpensive, entry level ski bases are made of extruded polyethylene, which is formed into a sheet of plastic using high heat. Extruded p-tex has little ability to absorb wax. Higher end ski and snowboard bases are made of sintered polyethylene powder that's pressed together under high pressure to bind the grains of polyethylene together leaving microscopic spaces. These spaces have the ability to absorb wax, which is necessary to protect the base from damage due to the high friction created while skiing.

Waxing with a hot iron only allows a small amount of wax to be absorbed before the base overheats. Therefore, it takes many repetitions to reach maximum wax penetration. Skis in a hot box, set at 50°C to 55°C for 2-4 hours can safely absorb enough wax to fill the base