Waxing
 
 
When & Why you should hot wax your base.
 
WHEN:You should be hot waxing your snowboard's base at least before every second or third time out, ideally before every trip (because it wears off!).
WHY:Your board's base is made of a material that dries out (like your skin), when its dry it tends to stick to the snow, so you go slow.
 
What you need to do it yourself.
 
Buy yourself some wax, an electric iron (or use an old one), a plastic scraper and a kitchen scourer. Ask your snowboard store which wax type is best for the snow conditions and temperature you will be riding in.
 
Setting up.
 
Plug in your iron and spread some newspaper out to limit the mess. Set your board down, base up, on some phone books. Make sure it is stable so you have both hands free to work with.
 
How to wax your snowboard
 
Step 1 Hold your iron base up with the tip pointing down to where you want the wax, hold the wax on the iron so it melts and drips (space the drips 1-2 inchs apart). Move up and down the board until evenly covered.
 
Step 2 Now you need to Iron the board, keeping the iron moving, only slow down enough to melt the next drip of wax. Take care not to keep the iron in the same spot for too long. Then let it cool for 20-30 mins.
 
Step 3 Once cool, use the scraper to scrape off the wax, use an end to end motion. Scrape most of it off, just be careful not to gouge the board. Then use the scourer to get the rest off. Done.
 
 
 
TIPS
 
If the wax starts smoking the iron is too hot.

Make sure you cover the whole board.

Wax your board when it is room temperature, the base will absorb the wax better when warm.

Don't overheat the board.

Apply extra heat to the edges (the metal dampens the heating of the edges).

Stick your board base down on the snow straight after waxing (if you can) it locks in the wax.