How to Wax a Snowboard (Easy Guide)
Whether you’re a professional rider or someone who snowboards once a month, it is an important skill to learn how to wax a snowboard.
Although you could turn it over to your local snowboard shop to do it for you, you can save time and money doing it yourself as it is a very simple thing to do.
Let’s get started!
What Tools Do I Need to Wax My Snowboard?
How To Wax a Snowboard (Step by Step Guide)
1. Clean Your Board
The first step is to clean off any dirt or old wax from the base of your snowboard. This can be done by wiping down the base of the board using a base cleaner and cloth. This should leave the base of the board nice and clean so you can apply the new wax. It may also be a good idea to remove the bindings from your snowboard as your board will expand from the heat of the iron.
2. Apply the Wax
First, you need to buy a wax best suited for the conditions you’ll be riding in. You can get warm, cold or all-temperature wax.
Next is to plug in your iron. You can get specific waxing irons however a regular clothes iron will do just fine, just make sure you don’t use it on clothes again unless you want a waxy t-shirt.
Once the iron has warmed up to medium heat, gently hold the wax against the iron until it starts to melt and drips. Hold the wax above your board, so that the wax is dripping onto the base, and slowly drip the wax around the edges.
Once you have gone around the edges, fill in the middle of the board in a zig-zag pattern. It is important to make sure the edges are covered as they’ll be the driest area.
3. Iron the Wax
Your board should now be covered with spots of wax. Next, set aside your wax and iron the base of the board by slowly moving the iron in a circular motion. You want to keep the iron moving otherwise it will get too hot and damage your board. The aim here is to cover the entire base with the melted wax.
4. Let the Wax Cool Down
You’ll want to leave the wax on the board for about 30 minutes so it can cool down and set. Go ahead and get something to eat.
5. Scrape Off the Wax
Once the wax has set, grab your scraper and scrape off the wax on the board going from the front to the back of the base. Make sure to have long, continuous strokes to get a smooth base. Don’t worry about taking off too much wax, the goal is to leave the thinnest layer possible on the base of the board.
6. Brush Off the Wax
The final step to create the smoothest base and thinnest possible layer of wax is to grab your brush and firmly brush from front to back of the base. This will remove any excess wax that wasn’t removed using the scraper.
7. Get Out There!
Now it’s time to get out there on the slopes and feel the speed of your newly waxed snowboard!
Why Should I Wax My Snowboard?
Waxing your snowboard will help the board to last longer as it provides an extra layer to the base of the board. It will also help you ride faster and smoother as it helps you glide over the snow. If you don’t have that glide you will find the board much less agile and slower.
When you buy a new snowboard, most of them will come with a layer of wax already applied so you do not need to wax a new board. However, it is a good idea to buy some snowboard wax as you will need to wax it in the future.
How Often Should I Wax My Snowboard?
Over time, the wax on the snowboard will rub off. How often you wax your board is dependent on how often you ride as the more you ride, the quicker the wax will wear off.
Generally, you will want to wax your snowboard every 3-4 riding days so if you’re someone who rides once a week then you should wax your board once a month. If you’re someone who only rides a couple of times a year then you would only have to wax your board once a year.
There are also other factors that can affect how often you should wax your board such as terrain. If you’re someone who’s riding on icy terrain then you will have to wax your board more often (maybe every 2-3 riding days) as the ice will remove the wax much quicker than on powder.
