Why do downhill ski racers wax their skis?

Answer

Waxing skis make your skis faster. You also want to have smooth bottoms on your skis.

Smooth bottoms of your ski - It is CRITCIAL to avoid skiing over rocks, dirt, or anything that is not ice and snow. This can cause scratches, nicks, and divots in the bottom of your ski. You want the bottoms to be as smooth and scratch free if possible. The smoother they are, the more surface area touches the snow which allows you to ski faster. "Burrs" are what they call nicks on your edges and the bottom of your ski.

Waxing your skis - This is usually done the night before a ski race. You melt wax over your skis with and then iron the wax over the skis. Ski wax comes in a variety of colors which are associated with different temperature ranges. The purpose of different wax for different temperatures is because the consistency of the snow changes with the temperature.

The day of the race you scrape the wax off your skis. There will be some wax that still remains on the bottom and will quickly wear off. Consult a local ski shop for proper technique.

First answer by JillianG. Last edit by JillianG. Contributor trust: 292 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 90 [recommend question]

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