No one, except Olympic skiers, their wax techs, guys in the back rooms at SOME board shops, the Start Haus in Truckee, and Rob from the snowboard team have a grasp on the complication of race waxing. I'd begin to explain but I'm still working on getting a clue. For those of you that don't know, basically there's hotboxing and base grinds, high fluoro wax, graphite, overlays, rub on wax, hot wax, new snow wax, old snow wax, temperature of the snow (we have a thermometer we stick in the snow), temperature of the air, humidity, iron temperature for hot wax, spray on wax, travel wax, wax that looks like cocaine or powdered sugar you dash on the base and rub in with cork just before jumping in the start gates, and speaking of, I've been told there's wax more expensive per gram than cocaine; there's horse hair brushes, soft brushes, brass brushes, umm other brushes . . .
Don't touch the base of your snowboard with your hands or the oils from your skin may get into the base. Don't put a hot iron on a cold snowboard or you could delaminate the thing. Take off your bindings or the screws could expand in the board when you put a hot iron on it. It's best to wait all night then scrape in the morning for it all to really absorb. If you really want to glide it's recommended to brush a lot, 45 minutes or so.
I had no idea until this year. We've gotten very detailed. I'd say they're testy planks of wood and fiber glass.
It'd be dope to rub soap on the bottom and see how that sends the dang thing down the hill, although I think it's illegal, like a spitball.
Tomorrow is Nationals Finals in Open Class in Boardercross, some of the best kids in the nation will bang into each other down the course. Delightful.
No comments:
Post a Comment