How to Wax a Powsurfer

We have all the tips, tricks and tools to teach you how to wax a powsurfer. With 20 years in the powdersurfing game you can trust that we’ve waxed a LOT of powsurfers! We know how difficult it can be to wax a powsurfer so we have created the best tools possible to help keep you gliding your best. Grassroots offers a specially formulated “Powsurf Wax” that can be used as a quick rub-on solution or used for a proper Hot Wax job. We’ve also created a curved powsurf scraper so you can scrape excess wax down to the thin, smooth layer that creates the ideal glide. That curved powsurf scraper is a multipurpose tool that is excellent for cleaning ice and snow build up off of your powsurf foam grip. This is a game changing and HIGHLY RECOMENDED tool!

Both of these tools were created after we made the instructional video below so hopefully you read this far! These tools are well worth the investment.

There are 3 viable solutions to getting your powsurfer riding it’s best and we will cover all of these in this blog post.

Hot Wax (Iron application or Heat Gun application)
Rub On Wax
Phantom Permanent Glide Base Treatment
Phantom Permanent Glide Base Treatment with Hot Wax (Spoiler: This is the best)

In this video we gloss over the use of the Heat Gun and focus primarily on the use of an iron for application because most skiers and snowboarders area familiar with this tool and method. However we recommend the HEAT GUN METHOD over the iron. It’s actually easier in our opinion, it creates a more even coat with much less mess and much less wasted wax. This makes you happy and your environment more happy.

For a video demonstration on how to HOT WAX check the video below. For more details, tips and tricks on the heat gun method, rub on methods/tools and Phantom Permanent Glide Base Treatment just scroll down and continue read the rest of this blog post.

Powsurf Wax and Permanent Wax-Free Solutions

Hot Waxing a Powsurfer using a Heat Gun

Hot waxing and scraping your powsurfer is certainly more difficult and time consuming than simply waxing skis and snowboards because you are dealing with a 3-dimensionally channeled base. There are no flat surfaces so this requires more precise work with your waxing iron for the wax application and a curved powsurf scraper to scrape that wax to a thin layer.

Our favorite way to hot wax a powsurfer is to use a Heat Gun for the initial wax application. The heat gun method produces much less mess, less waste and it’s quicker and easier to get that ideal smooth and thin layer of wax that glides the best. But BE CAREFUL! Sloppy work with the heat gun or improper settings/distances could ruin your base. So follow the steps below and work your way into the groove that works best with the power/temperature of your heat gun.

HOW TO HOT WAX USING A HEAT GUN

**DO NOT OVERHEAT YOUR BASE – Be sure to always be moving the heat gun when it’s over the base and don’t get it too close to the base. You will need to find the sweet spot for the setting and distance of the heat gun that is just melting the wax to liquid. Excessive heat on one spot of the base can bubble and ruin your base.

Warm up the base with the heat gun and rub on the wax. We suggest doing this first step in sections, about 2 feet of the board at a time so that the base can remain warm as you rub on. The warmed base warms the wax as you rub and allows more of the wax to rub onto the board than room temperature would. While the wax in that section is still warm, use a scotch pad to buff it evenly onto the board. (similar to a standard rub on wax job, but thicker!) This creates a fairly even coat of wax across the board.
Next you will use the heat gun to melt that even coat of wax into the pores of the base. Keep the heat gun moving back and forth at all times and be sure you don’t get to close to the base or you could damage/melt the actual base material. Under good lighting you should be able to watch the wax layer melt to liquid on the base. Watch for thick spots or spots without wax and use your scotch pad to smear the warm to further even out the coat as you make your way from tip to tail.
At this point you can give your board a final buff with the scotch pad or a cork and use your curved powsurf scraper to scrape down any thick spots of wax. Your goal is a very thin layer of wax, as this will give you the best glide. Thick wax creates friction and can do more harm than good in your quest for speed.
For a very thorough job you can repeat step 2 and this ensures there are no missed spots and that your wax has seeped into the pores of the sintered ptex the best that it can. Then give it a final buff and get really hyped to go powsurfing!

Take note of how much less wax you had to waste to get a smooth even coat on your board! Look down at your floor and notice there is little-to-no mess. Enjoy the scent of a fresh wax job and know that you will be gliding your best.

Hot wax generally lasts 4 days or so, depending on how many runs you get, the type of snow you are riding in and the temperatures of the days. Some people, including the boys here at Grassroots Powsurf love this ritual! We understand that in can feel like work too when you are short on time.. but if you’ve waxed a few powsurfers using an iron and a scraper you will notice how much less of a pain in your @ass it was!

Hot Wax vs Rub On Wax vs Phantom Glide Base Treatment

Hot Wax vs Rub On wax vs Phantom Permanent Glide

Hot wax will ALWAYS win the battle between hot wax and rub on wax. Hot wax penetrates the base material so it glides better and lasts much longer than any rub on wax. Rub on wax rubs off, fairly quickly and unevenly when applied to any base, and even more so when applied to a 3D base. Rub on wax can work great if you need an emergency bump out in the mountains or if you have no other option.. rub on wax is better than no wax at all! The benefit of a proper hot wax job is that your board will absorb the wax giving it a much longer lasting wax job. It also creates a much “healthier” base that is not subject to drying out. Many people go so far as to hot wax their boards before they store their gear over the summer and this is a good habit to keep your base running it’s best throughout the lifetime of your board.

Rub On Wax – We recommend rub on wax only when you are in a pinch.

If you just need a quick bump of speed during the day or you only plan to get a run or two while you are out (or perhaps you forgot to hot wax before going riding) you could get by with a quick Rub-On wax job. For this we recommend carrying the Grassroots Rub On with Cork in your pack or pocket. It’s round so it can easily rub wax within your channels and you can buff smooth with the included cork. This is great for those on the fly “speed need” emergencies but do understand that the rule is and always has been “Rub on wax rubs off” and this is true, but it’s better than no wax at all and can get you by for a run or two.. or in best case a full day of powsurfing.

Phantom Permanent Glide Base Treatment is something we have been experimenting with for a few years now and we are seeing pretty good results. We find a fairly consistent result across all snow types. This is much better than no wax at all and it’s permanent so in that regard better than constantly rubbing on wax. However, with side by side testing of boards treated only with Phantom vs freshly hot waxed boards we are seeing the phantom glide treated boards perform on average at about an 80% speed, and freshly hot waxed boards creating the top line of comparison at 100% speed. There are some snow conditions when the comparison is nearly identical, but more often than not the hot waxed board is gliding better.

The hands down winner for the best glide across all conditions all of the time is most certainly a board treated with Phantom Permanent Glide AND a hot wax! Phantom treatment keeps the board gliding well even as the wax wears down or even completely off the board. Phantom treatment with rub-on wax can yield good results as well.. although you’ll need to be rubbing-on wax quite often.

For some, the Phantom Permanent Glide treatment could eliminate your need to ever wax your board again. It provides a consistent glide across all types of snow for the entire life of your board and if you are happy with the 80% speed potential (however in some conditions it’s nearly identical in speed performance) then perpahs this is the “one and done” solution for you.

The Phantom Glide Permanent base solution is great but it does come at a cost (around $100). We provide a few options for that treatment. You can have your base treated before we ship a new board out to you, or you can ship an existing board to us for treatment, or you can purchase the DIY kit to apply the treatment yourself at home. DIY treatment is best done when temps are above 50 degrees and with strong sunlight available to cure the base treatment.

Why is it Important to Wax Your Powsurfer

Proper glide is crucial to the performance of your powsurfer. Your powdersurfer will always perform best when it’s planing on top of the snow as this allows the board to flatten out and use it’s shape and channels to cut through the snow giving you precision control. This goes for nearly any board sport; snowboarding, wakeboarding, wake skating, surfing etc.. if you are not gliding well you are making things more difficult for yourself in all aspects. Speed is your friend, don’t let it scare you, become comfortable with it and if you need to slow down a bit simply turn and/or weight your back leg a bit more to keep yourself at a comfortable (but still planing) speed. For more helpful tips check out our video on “Powsurfing for Begginers & Intermediate Riders”.

Keeping your powsurfer base waxed at all times (including summer storage) keeps the ptex from drying out. When a base dries out (oxidizes), the P-Tex loses its pores and ability to absorb wax. The base can discolor and become highly susceptible to friction and scratches, and causes the ride to feel slow and “grabby” on the snow. So wax often and take care of your base!

Your potential for speed relies on a number of factors, on of the most important being a sintered Ptex base material as your base. An “extruded” ptex base material will NOT glide as well or hold wax. Extruded ptex bases are used on very low end snowboards and many children’s snowboards because it is very cheap for manufacturers.. . Buyer beware! Be sure you get a powsurfer with a SINTERED ptex base.

Every Grassroots Powsurf is handcrafted using sintered ptex base material using either sintered Ptex 2000 on our sublimated graphic bases or a graphite infused ptex 4000 material for our solid black bases. This has been the case for nearly 20 years. We don’t skimp on quality. But it is important to note that the base material that is the “fastest and highest quality” also will require the most care and the most maintenance. High performance racing bases like our all black Sintered Ptex 4000 graphite infused base will require more frequent hot wax applications than other bases for you to get the speed you are after. So be sure to keep this in mind when choosing a powsurfer or base option on any snowboard.

We hope you found this helpful! For more helpful tips and tricks be sure to check out our How-to-powsurf videos!

ADDITIONAL HOW-TO POWSURF VIDEOS