Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Avoriaz Bad Wax Job

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Okay ... so woz away at Xmas. We had fresh snow virtually every day (in fact it snowed 24hrs a day for 3 days - Very Happy ) and mid week I felt my board was getting a little sluggish. Sooo, popped into Monsieur Le Waxier in the evening... picked up me board the next morning, strapped in, and waited for me board to take off like a fast thing that had some extra go fast stuff stuck on the bottom...

but instead it just creaked and crunched and moved off like beached wale pulling itself back into the sea... so I ignored that and thought wait till I get a bit of momentum up and then.... but alas no... now it may have all been my imagination or perhaps that weird French Guinness that I had been drinking the night before.. but I was most perplexed. Puzzled

In my eagerness to get back on the slopes that morning, when I picked up me board .. I really only checked the edges to see if there was wax on there (scraping the thumbnail down the edge) , so I unstrapped me board and checked the base... not pleased I was... at all !!! Mad

Normally in the past when I have asked for just a wax, any scrapes/scratches are filled, dings smoothed over and a pleasing finish to the base... this time the base had all the same scratches dings n dents were still obvious on the surface and the base looked like it had been washed in wax (filmy coating similar to a translucent watercolour). I am assuming too much wax ain't a good thing. Confused

Maybe what I asked for and what I expected were two different things? When I put the board in I asked for it to be serviced. The guy said my edges were still sharp, so no need and that he would wax it. It had some scratches etc. But nothing major. In the past when I have had major gouges in the board, I have specifically said repair and wax and edge blah blah... this time I guess I just kinda expected them to be sorted without mentioning.. was I in the wrong.. or was the guy doing it a slacker? I have heard before of people mentioning that ski/board servicing in Avoriaz was pretty crap.. though maybe referring to one particular shop.

Still no excuse for the condition of the wax job... looks like it was put on.. but never removed... the board felt so crap on the last couple of days... would have been quicker to get off and push. rolling eyes

guess a lesson learned by me.. always check the board properly after servicing before handing over the Euro's... Guess I was kinda working under the assumption that I'd never had a bad job done before.. and these guys seemed to be a professional outfit... and maybe my eagerness to leave the shop.. possibly the hangover that I was trying to convince myself that i didn't have... and even perhaps i was wearing the wrong colour socks... ?? Laughing
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I will have my people 'attend' to these deceitful infidels. Wink

Had mine waxed & edged in La Tania mid week last week.... but then, I'm a girl & I wouldn't know the difference between a good wax & a bad wax unless we're talking bikini lines, legs & underarms Smile

I'd caused such a rumpus in the same shop the day before when buying some low light goggles that I wouldn't have dared to complain! Very Happy
snow report
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Honda Kitty wrote:
unless we're talking bikini lines, legs & underarms Smile


Glad you said that .. or I would have been forced to ask Laughing
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
If i was asking for a board to be waxed, I would not expect them to p-tex any gouges. That is a different and more time consuming process and I would expect to have to ask for it specifically. The wax will usually fill the gouges temporarily but will soon be pulled out by the action of riding on the snow.

Too much (snowboard) wax is a bad thing if you want speed and it sounds like they could have done a better job of scraping it off, but that's about it as far as I can tell from your description. A £1 scraper and 5 minutes would sort it out if you are in the same situation again.

However, I would also say that the lack of speed may not have been all due to the wax. I was in Chatel at New Year and we noticed very different snow conditions from one hour to the next on some days. Sometimes the snow was really sticky and not fast at all, whereas a few hours later it would be much quicker. The temps seemed to be changing so much, and there was a decent amount of new snow falling, and this meant that the snow characteristics were very variable.
latest report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Hey Tony. yeah the thought about snow conditions did occur to me. First couple of days I was there it was week old snow.. then on the 3rd day after a night long dump and continued to snow all day I noticed the change in performance... therfore I thought that a fresh wax would improve things... but I didn't really notice any change.. in fact it felt worse.. but may have been to do with as you say the changing sonditions... the snow did seem sticky/wet early on.. and when the temp dropped later in the day .. was a bit more crisp....

maybe I won't go back and burn the guys house ... just yet wink

Cheers!!
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Hello folks - this got me thinking. I got a new board last season and was told that it wouldn't need a wax for a while because it was new. On day four or five it started to feel odd - a bit sticky, and when I was on a drag lift it actually started squeaking on the snow. Is this a symptom of lack of wax? After how many days on snow would you get a new board waxed for the first time?
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Duvet, normally after 2-3 days it will need its first wax.
snow report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Normal wax on skis is not good when it is very cold. Have had several days with newly-waxed skis and a very cold day. The skis then just do not slide nicely. The only cures I know are (1) find warmer snow and (2) keep on skiing slowly until the surface was is all gone. Christmas week in Val d'Isere was cold and our skis did not run nicely that week.
ski holidays
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
There are different types of wax for different snow temperatures. I am not sure how effective or ineffective it would be to have say a wax rated as 0-minus10 deg if the temperature was lower or higher. Although I would assume any wax is better than none.
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
If you ask for a wax, you should definitely not expect anything but a wax - if you want the gouges to be filled and the base ground, you'd have to ask for that, and you'd have to pay more. How much did they charge you for just the wax?
It sounds like they didn't scrape the wax off, which would be a mistake on their part. However, the wax should scrape itself off your base after a few runs, so don't know why this would have affected you for a few days. It also sounds like they may have put on a warm weather wax when the temps were cold, anoter mstake. But even with the right wax, soft/fresh/powdery snow is going to run slower than old, hard snow.
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
OK folks Hope you are all well
Here is the plan. £10 will buy you a block of really good wax for all round mountain and temp conditions (if in the resort you fancy temp testing the snow then do so and buy the appropriate wax to suit the snow temp at that time) Buy a cheap scraper £1-£5 (flat edge metal is the best) and a wee travel iron (with no steam holes) and you are on your way. When the muissies (or hubby) is in the shower get your board/skis out and DIY. It is such a rewarding experience knowing you have waxed up your board (or skis) yourself and it also means you have no one else to blame Sad - Very Happy AND for a tripple Win factor - it is soooo much cheaper that the rip off of paying for a "service" in resort. NehNeh
Usually a normal size block will last my board 5 or 6 waxes so it really is all good. Very Happy
For those gouges buy a stick of ptex too Use one of they rocket lighters with the roooaar noise like a flame thrower (not a normal flame lighter as the carbon from the flame discolours the ptex if its the clear stuff) to melt it into the hole ( Embarassed tip Embarassed dont do it in your underwear as it gets really hot) then use the same (metal) scraper to smoth it off then a wee bit wet n dry sand paper to smooth it once set - wax as above over the old gouge and your kit will be as good as new!!
Madeye-Smiley Very Happy Smile Laughing
Try all of the above on an old board or even piece of wood one day at home before you go away and you will never look back.
All the best.

NehNeh Shock NehNeh
ski holidays
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
DIY definately the way to go, best post riding social as well, get all the boards out and have a good wax, ptex, beer session! NICE!

Oh and dont drip the hot PTEX on an ashtray or it'll explode! Then you have to tiptoe around your room looking for glass shards and hide the evidence!
snow conditions
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
lo-ridah - that sounds like the voice of experience!!

yes, waxing is an easy DIY job although I never bother doing it in resort for a week's trip - I just do it when I get home ready for the next trip (however much it feels like a chore after you have returned home, you will thank yourself for it when you pack for the next trip and realise the board is ready to go)

p-texing is a bit of an art in my experience and ideally the p-tex should be on fire as it drips into the hole, so that it bonds properly with the base. the stuff can get everywhere though when it is alight and dripping.
snow report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ponder, I agree... if there were gouges I would have specifically asked for those to be fixed. There were light scratches on the base (board only got one week outing last year and had a full "service" half way through)... and I guess I kinda auto assumed that they would be filled by the waxing process.. when I noticed they weren't done that wasn't an issue for me.. it was more the condition of the actual wax job.. but hey.. no biggie Cool Hopefully will be away on at least one more trip this year... may experiment with self wax and p-tex before I go.. if it all goes horribly wrong I can get it sorted in resort. And a new board for next year Smile

Always a possiblity that the guy misunderstood what I was asking for when I put the board in... it all got very confusing after talking about the edges... my French is nowhere up to scratch Embarassed
latest report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
[quote="Oisin Osh Kelly"] the base looked like it had been washed in wax (filmy coating similar to a translucent watercolour).

Just wondering from your description if may be the wax job was done by some sort of automated machine/process (not sure if they exist)
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Ok,who know anything about edging the board?
I can wax ok,got the gist of Ptex ,but the whole edging malarchy has me beat. Puzzled
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Simon (Mr T),
How are ye?
To be honest the best edging is done on a grinder which most servicing shops have. Personally I get my edges done on the way home from my last trip of the season then do the rest myself during my trip's.
You can get a hand edging tool (£5 - £15) to fit 2 angles (check your board spec and see which is your angle) from most decent gear shops and it is pretty simple from there. Select the angle that matches your board. Make sure the board is secure (a clamp or vice is best - I use my B&D workmate snowHead ) from there run the edging tool along to take out any ruff patches then quicken up to get a sharp edge. (it is basically fileing down the bumps and dents, bit like being in techie at school!!) Very Happy
If you are in any doubt the techie heads in the shop where you get the tool should be able to give you a basic run down. Madeye-Smiley The $$ saving is excellent which means more beer and cheer in the pocket. happy days. Razz

all the best. Very Happy
snow report
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Oisin Osh Kelly,

Hi. I had the exact same waxing experience as you. When I picked up the board it still had the fine white crystals all over it and a nice man said that in that shop they only do the 'quickie' waxes rather than the proper hot wax and that he didn't know anywhere in Samoens that does the proper hot wax (anyone know of anywhere in Samoens that does it?). But in the end we did a DIY job and I was hsit off a shovel for the rest of the week. So the rubbish wax was called 'Fartage' (tee hee) - how do I ask for the proper hot wax if I'm ever too lazy to do it DIY? (i'm still talking about snowboards here...)
ski holidays



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy