You get the iron hot, drip wax onto your ski, run the iron down the base a few times, and then repeat with the other skis. Wait 15-20 minutes while the skis cool, then scrap wax from the side, groove, and base of one ski (with wax flying over the waxing bench, floor, you), brush, brush some more, then do the other ski. Finally wipe all the excess wax off the skis, the wax bench, the floor, and you.
What if you could just spray on a thin coat of wax, let it dry and bond to the ski in 30 minutes, then simply do a quick brushing, and you're done? No mess!
TOKO is shipping a line of spray-on High Performance Liquid Paraffins that look to greatly reduce the time it takes to wax race skis. There are Blue, Red, and Yellow temperature ranges, and initial reports are the wax will last 50 kilometers. Some of the marketing materials suggest the new waxes meet the European Regulation PFC 2020 for eliminating Flours from ski wax. And the was is supposed to make skis as FAST as using hard HF waxes! And it's less messy to wax! (You're significant-other will be SO happy!)
| Toko High Performance Liquid Paraffin | Fahrenheit | Celsius | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow | Air | Snow | Air | |
| Yellow - For high moisture and wet snow conditions | 32 to 21 | 50 to 25 | 0 to -6 | 10 to -4 |
| Red - Wide application range for common conditions in the medium snow temperature range | 25 to 10 | 28 to 12 | -4 to -12 | -2 to -11 |
| Blue - For cold and aggressive snow conditions | 14 to -22 | 16 to -22 | -10 to -30 | -9 to -30 |
Udo Raunjak, TOKO's Head of Research & Development, summarizes the main product features of the paraffin wax:
The new, highly concentrated liquid wax generation is a new TOKO development. It is based on a special formula which ensures that the High Performance Liquid Wax penetrates directly into the microstructure of the ski base, a feature which guarantees the excellent properties of this product.
The High Performance Liquid Wax is guaranteed to be a sensation in the racing world. It is an excellent adhesion promoter and therefore ideal for base preparation - for example, as the base for applying products like HelX or JetStream. Amateur skiers will, however, also appreciate the main advantages of the paraffin wax as a universal wax.
The liquid waxes of the High Performance Liquid Wax range are very easy to use. Simply spray on, leave to dry for around 30 minutes and polish with the Polishing Brush Liquid Paraffin - finished! In addition, in comparison to conventional hot waxes, use of the new liquid racing waxes is very clean as the High Performance Liquid Wax enables fully dust- and chip-free preparation.
Users of the High Performance Liquid Wax will appreciate the many advantages: Its application is very easy and clean, the liquid wax dries quickly, is very long-lasting, highly water and dirt repellent and guarantees an outstanding performance on the slopes. In addition, the new generation of paraffin liquid wax offers a high level of protection for the skis. We at TOKO are convinced of the benef1ts of the innovative High Performance Liquid Wax range.
There are changes to how you wax with Toko High Performance Liquid Paraffin:
- Clean using TOKO Racing Wax Remover. Due to the high adhesion properties of wax, it is essential to clean the ski using the specially developed Racing Wax Remover before the next waxing. Drip Racing Wax Remover onto Base Tex (aka Fiberlene) and thoroughly clean the base. Tip: Let the base dry for about 15 minutes after using Racing Wax Remover. Afterwards, the ski is ready for waxing.
- Depending on the base condition, pre-treatment with TOKO Hot Wax is still recommended (e.g., if your bases are dry, better to wax with a base prep wax followed by LF Grey or LF Blue, then move onto the Liquid Paraffin).
- Spray on the TOKO High Performance Liquid Paraffin.
- Wait 30 minutes.
- Polish with the new TOKO Polishing Brush Liquid Paraffin.
- If you have time, money and motivation, add a top coat of Helx or JetStream
TOKO recommends waxing in a well-ventilated room, to wear protective gloves, and to wear respiratory mask (full/half face mask with gas filter Protection Level A2). It's unclear if these are general waxing recommendations, or specific to the High Performance Liquid Paraffin line, as they provide the same warning to all their wax products.
Here's a video showing the application:
I've seen the High Performance Liquid Paraffins priced as high as $115 per canister. But from the video it looks like you can wax quite a number of skis since waxing requires just a quick spray down the ski. It could be cost effective, maybe more so than hard wax.
There are two related products:
- TOKO Racing Wax Remover (C10-12 Alkane/Cycloalkane, Isopropyl Alcohol, and Ethyl Acetate) is designed to remove top finish products like Helx and JetStream but not harm the paraffin layer. Essentially, it's a flour cleaner. As noted above, Toko recommends using it before rewaxing.
- TOKO Polishing Brush Liquid Paraffin is a special brush for polishing skis after applying High Performance Liquid Paraffin Wax. Add this brush to your toolbox.
Rex has similar products on the market and Swix will surely release something similar for next season as well.
Get waxing!
