When and how to maintain waxing the base of your snowboard to keep it fast.

Here at Signal we use two versions of high end sintered UHMW polyethylene base material. UHMW = Ultra High Molecular Weight. The base material used on Yup, Omni, Ambient and the Wide Wise is an even higher end base material that has carbon infused into it at the factory and a higher molecular weight. To pass quality control and before it arrives at your door this is our factory wax protocol.

We use a Swix CH5/Dominator Eco Blend -2:1 ratio for wax. We then hot wax all boards through a Roller Waxing Machine. We remove all excess wax and then run it through a buffing wheel. Finally, we run it through a polishing wheel and before bagging we wipe it down with a Fine Grade Aluminum Oxide Flap Brush to buff it one last time. 

When your board arrives, it’s ready to go, and it’s FAST!

After a few days of riding, the wax will wear off, or the snow will get dirty and you may notice your base starting to slow down or dry out. There are a few different theories and styles of waxing your snowboard base. Today, we will cover the basics, but I do encourage you to explore and chat with others and share waxing tech. Especially those that race banked slaloms. Buy them a few beers and start asking questions! These shredders have secret potions, waxes and techniques that are rarely shared openly. 

Waxing your board:

  1. Find a place you can lay your board flat and make sure the cord of the iron reaches the entirety of the base. 
  2. Heat the iron to a medium heat that is just enough to melt wax. Any hotter and you get a lot of smoke. You'll essentially be burning the wax onto the board, it's unnecessary and not the kind of smoke inhalation you're looking for.
  3. Two options here. Touch the wax to the iron and let it drip in dots all over the base. Or, my favorite, taught to me by the great Jeff Pensiero at Baldface Lodge, touch the wax to the iron to get it melty and soft then rub the wax on the base like you’re waxing a surfboard. This is super efficient and your favorite bar of wax will go a lot further.
  4. Melt the wax into the base. Run the iron up and down the base until all the wax is melted in. You can run your hand along the base and feel for dry spots.
  5. Let it cool.
  6. When cool, scrape all the extra wax off the base and edges. Wax seeps into the pores of your base. You want a smooth smooth surface with as little to no extra wax on it as possible. 
  7. Enjoy your newly waxed, super fast base! Oh, and laugh at your friends as you pass them in all the flat spots.