Swix Wax Tips

Swix is one of the leading manufacturers of waxing products for cross country skis. Waxing a cross country setup requires more products and more care than an alpine ski setup, as you have to wax for both kick (traction for uphill and flats) and glide (for downhill and flats).

  1. Base Prep

    • Swix makes several base cleaner products, including aerosol and liquid versions, as well as a kit that comes with a fiberlene cleaning towel. Use the base cleaner to remove old wax to prepare the surface for a new wax setup. If you are preparing at the start of the season and used klister in the warm, sloppy spring snow, use klister removal first, then apply the base cleaner. Swix also makes a fluoro removal product if you have used a high-end fluoro glide wax on the base.

    Temperature

    • Swix takes a lot of the guesswork out of waxing by color coding its waxes for different temperatures (blue for cold, red for normal and yellow for warm). It also has both an online Wax Wizard or a chart that you can buy in stores that will help you match the temperature and age of the snow to the right wax product. Swix glide waxes can be applied to both alpine and Nordic skis. Kick waxes should only be applied to the wax pocket of waxable cross country skis.

    Swix Tools

    • Swix makes a variety of tools to help apply wax properly, including waxing irons for the glide wax, cork to smooth out the rub-on kick waxes, plastic and metal scrapers to remove excess wax and leave a fine layer of wax on the ski, and brushes and fibertex pads to buff out the wax on the base. Swix also makes ski vice holders if you want to hold the ski rigid while applying wax, and stones and files to sharpen the edges of downhill skis.