Birkie Wax Recommendations 2025 from Vaughn and Track 'N Trail

• Posted on 7 February 2025
• By Vaughn McGrath and Aron Schilf
• Posted in birkie, wax
• 0

Wax Recommendations for the 2025 Canadian Birkebeiner. Go cold!

WEATHER and TEMPERATURES   9am -20C  11am -17C  1:30 pm -15C  Snow Type: cold, fresh, fine grain snow. Snow is moderately abrasive

Clean off old kick wax with wax remover before applying glide wax

GLIDE: Hot Wax 

Glider Base Prep:

1. Start with a light brush with a T0179 steel brush or bronze brush. Wipe clean with Fiberlene.
2. Clean skis with Swix Glide Wax Cleaner (apply cleaner, nylon brush cleaner on base, wipe clean with Fiberlene). Let stand 5 -10 minutes. 
3. Light brush with steel or bronze brush, wipe clean with Fiberlene.
4. Melt a bead of glider on tip and tails. Set Iron Temperature to that shown on the wax container. Iron 2 times.
Pro Speed: Swix TS5, HS5 or Polar Powder. Polar hardwax will also work.
5. Finish: Scrape with Swix Plexi Scraper & brush T0179 steel brush or medium brass brush. Finish nylon brush

GLIDE: Liquid and Easy

1. Alternatively use liquid spray glider. Finish with nylon polish brush. See Swixschool | Swix (swixsport.com) for videos on the application process for glide waxing and liquids
   
   Easiest Option: At room temp, apply Vauhti PureOne Base wax. Let dry for 15 minutes, cork it in with a natural cork and then polish with fiberlene or a nylon brush. Apply liquid glider, in this case Vauhti PureOne Polar. Let dry and absorb for 15 minutes, corking it in while drying. Finish with a nylon brush, polishing cloth or fiberlene. 

GRIP:  

1. Sand (rub) the clean grip zone area with #100 grit silicon sandpaper.
2. Spray on a thin layer for VG35 base binder spray
3. Alternatively you can iron in a layer of VG35 Green Base. Iron in and let it cool. Cork it smooth while cooling.
4. Apply 2 layers of V20 Green. Grip Cork smooth between layers
5. Apply 3-4 layers of VP30 grip. Smooth carefully out between each layer.
   
   Don't forget to adjust your bindings if you need to. Go back of the balance point to speed it up!

SKIN SKIS

If you are using skis with integrated skins we recommend cleaning the skins with Swix N22 Skin Cleaner or Vauhti Skin Cleaner. Use Toko EcoBoost or Vauhti Blue Skin Caret o improve the skins water repellant properties. Lastly, boost the glide and grip properties with Swix N21 Skin Boost.

See .Swixschool | Swix (swixsport.com) for videos/demos of how to apply all of these products.

Our suggestions to take on your ski for Saturday for touch-ups are:

VP30 and VP40.

Excellent Videos on glide or kick waxing are available at Swixschool | Swix (swixsport.com)    

Happy trails!