Ski Wax Information

NEW FOR FAST WAX

NOW USING ENVIROMENTLY FRIENDLY FLUORINATED COMPOUND

New this fall, Fast Wax fluorinated products have moved to the FW-02 environmental friendly fluoro additive. The FW-02 additive passes the regulatory reviews of the U.S. EPA and other environmental agencies around the world. It is not made with, nor does it degrade into, PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) or PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and is not associated with ozone depletion.

This new FW-02 additive has been extensively tested and found to have superior performance to other ski waxes with superior absorption into ski bases. The new Fast Wax product irons in easily, scrape out smooth, and brushes out quicker than other waxes.
Bottom Line… Faster Skis.

The results of the new products are shown with Fast Wax skiers winning races by simply skiing away from the competition. Angie Robinson won the World Masters by skiing away from the competition on the downhill run into the stadium, catching the final 2 competitors and developing a winning margin of 6 seconds in the last kilometer of the race. Similar story with Elaine Nelson winning the Pre-Birkie, several elite level master skiers reported they could not come close to Elaine and that she just skied away from them.

New Products

The FW02 additive has led to the development of new fluoro Hotbox and fluoro Base prep waxes. Both products are focused on the competitive skier. Test results have shown that getting the fluoro additive into the base of the ski using this product combination yields faster skies than graphite and moly products.
Here is a link to Caldwell Sports with some additional testing of Moly and Graphite Waxes
Here is some lab-testing to support the science behind the waxes

New Packaging

You have spoken and we have listened by adding more information to the package, starting with a QR code that links you directly to the Fast Wax web site: iron temps are now listed, improved product identification and revised temperature ranges.

New Online Store

To insure all Fast Wax Products are always available Fast Wax has set up a new online store for  retail customers, check the online links for your favorite local Dealer or go online direct from Fast Wax.

Lab Testing

For evaluation of the new waxes the test method (AATCC Test Method 118-2007) was selected. This is an Oil Repellency: Hydrocarbon Resistance Test, used to measure the effectiveness of fluorinated compounds to reduce the surface energy of treated surfaces. This test yields a qualitative analysis of fluorinated compounds.

1. Purpose and Scope 1.1 This test method is used to detect the presence of a fluoro chemical finish, or other compounds capable of imparting a low energy surface, on all types of surfaces, by evaluating the surface’s resistance to wetting by a selected series of liquid hydrocarbons of different surface tensions.
2. Principle 2.1 Drops of test liquids, consisting of a selected series of hydrocarbons with varying surface tensions, are placed on the surface and observed for wetting, wicking and contact angle. The oil repellency grade is the highest numbered test liquid, which does not wet the surface.

 

Test Method

The test skis for this analysis were prepared by stone grinding the bases with minimal structure.  Both skis were cleaned and waxed with a paraffin wax and tested for oil resistance to develop a test baseline.
Then both skis were waxed per Birkie recommendations, one ski was waxed using Fast Wax products. Additional skis were waxed with other commercially available ski waxes. Oil repellency was measured at each step of the waxing process. The testing reports a sample of each; a graphite wax and a molybdenum wax combination, however several commercially available products were tested all with the same result.

The final 3 phots of the test samples show the results of the wax systems. Note the oil resistance decreases in the graphite and moly treated skis as the waxing system progresses.