The whole base should glide
On alpine skis, the entire underside is a glide surface. Clean, wax, scrape and brush the whole base from tip to tail.
Vallaboden - alpine skis
Waxing alpine skis - guides to glide, steel edges, and ski care
Learn how to get better glide, more secure edge grip, and a base that lasts longer. Here we collect practical guides for the family's downhill skis, regular ski care, and more advanced tuning.
Three simple principles
The essentials first
Good alpine skis do not need complicated care. Keep your work clean, maintain them little and often, and choose a routine that suits how you use your skis.
Maintain the edges little and often
A diamond stone is often enough for routine maintenance. A file is needed when resetting the angle or repairing more substantial damage.
Work in the right order
Check the edges and base before the final waxing. This keeps metal filings and grinding dust out of a freshly brushed base.
Find the right level for you
How much ski servicing do you want to do yourself?
You do not need to buy a complete workshop straight away. Start with what solves your most common problem and add tools when you know why you need them.
Simple care
Family skiing and everyday piste use
Liquid glide wax, regular brushing and simple stone maintenance make a big difference without extensive work.
GlideEdge gripSimple
Complete care at home
Regular maintenance at home
With ski vises, a waxing iron, scrapers, brushes and edge tools, you can look after glide, bases and steel edges.
Hot waxingBaseSteel edges
Learn more
Training and racing
When small differences matter, precise angles, tested wax setups, the right finish and well-documented methods become more important.
PrecisionTestingFinish
Shortcuts
What would you like to improve?
Go straight to the topic you need help with now.
Glide
I want better glide
Solid and liquid glide wax, scraping, brushing and race finishing.
Steel edgesI want better edge grip
Angles, files, stones, sidewalls and routine edge maintenance.
Ski careI want to care for the base
Cleaning, base preparation, damage and summer storage.
ToolsI need the right equipment
Ski vises, waxing irons, scrapers, brushes and edge tools.
Start here
Four useful guides to get started
Start with simple waxing and edge care, build good working habits and choose the equipment you actually need.
01Simple waxing
Wax the family's alpine skis
A straightforward route to better glide without making ski servicing more complicated than necessary.
Read the guide 02Edge careSharpen the family's alpine skis
Maintain steel edges with simple tools for better control on hard snow.
Read the guide 03Working habitsGeneral advice for alpine skis
Waxing irons, brushing, cleaning, storage and a service log to help you achieve more consistent results.
Read the guide 04EquipmentWaxing equipment for alpine skis
A practical overview of waxing irons, scrapers, brushes, ski vises and edge tools.
Read the guideAll alpine guides
Explore by topic
Find all 18 alpine guides here, including those featured further up the page. Every shortcut also appears in the topic library.
Basics
Simple ski servicing and good working habits that make the other alpine guides easier to follow.
Simple waxing
Wax the family's downhill skis
An accessible method for better glide with liquid or solid glide wax without making ski service unnecessarily complicated.
Basic principles
General advice for alpine skis
Waxing iron, brushing, cleaning, storage, and the service logbook - advice that is useful for almost every ski service.
Steel edges and edge grip
From simple stone maintenance to angles, sidewalls, base edges and more precise edge tuning.
The family's skis
Sharpen the family's downhill skis
How to freshen up the steel edges with an edge guide, file and stone for better control on hard surfaces.
Complete guide
Sharpen steel edges on alpine skis
Angles, sidewall, base edge, files, stones and work sequence for those who want to work more precisely.
Angle guide
Edge angles for alpine skis and snowboards
See recommended base edge and side edge angles for piste, off-piste, racing and snowboards.
Glide wax for alpine skis
From quick everyday waxing to hot waxing and more detailed race preparation.
Ski care and bases
Cleaning, base preparation, storage, base damage and removing old fluorinated residues.
New skis
Base-prep new alpine skis
Clean, saturate and build up an even first glide layer on new or freshly ground bases.
Cleaning
Clean alpine skis
Choose between brushing, glide wax cleaner and hot scraping before applying a new wax layer.
After the season
Summer storage for alpine skis
Clean the skis, inspect the edges and leave a protective wax layer on the base until next winter.
Base damage
Burned bases and ice burn
Learn to identify heat damage and ice burn, what can be done at home and when the ski needs stone grinding.
Fluorine cleaning
Clean fluorine from skis and equipment
Clean skis, brushes, waxing iron and workspace in the correct order without re-contaminating clean skis.
Waxing equipment and tools
Complete basic equipment, product-based starter kits and more about waxing irons and ski brushes.
Basic equipment
Waxing equipment for alpine skis
A practical guide to ski vises, irons, scrapers, brushes and edge tools for a functional waxing bench.
Product guide
Starter kit for alpine maintenance
A product-focused review of tools and accessories for glide, steel edges, base repair and workspace.
Waxing iron
Choosing the right waxing iron
Compare temperature stability, plate, power, and analog and digital models for different ambition levels.
Brushes
Guide to hand brushes and roto brushes
Learn when steel, bronze, horsehair, nylon, fleece and roto brushes are used in the work sequence.
Learn more
Snow knowledge and waxing terminology to help you understand why different methods and products work.
Snow and conditions
Different snow types and wax selection
Understand how fresh snow, old snow, man-made snow, moisture and water content affect glide and product choice.
Glossary
Waxing terminology
Searchable glossary with explanations of base, steel edges, glide wax, tools, work steps and older fluorinated terminology.
From guide to waxing bench
Find the right products for your alpine skis
Choose glide wax, edge tools or waxing equipment directly. Contact us for advice based on your skis, your skiing and how much servicing you want to do yourself.