Get a Wax, Bro!
There’s a disturbing trend sweeping through North American ski resorts, one that I’ve had the displeasure of witnessing firsthand countless times on my home mountain of Vail– snowboarders with ski poles.
At first, I thought my eyes might have been deceiving me, as why would a snowboarder need poles/allow themselves to be seen poling down a cat track? But, recently, I was privy to part of a disturbing conversation between a group of two skiers and one snowboarder, in which the snowboarder asked for the poles of her skiing friends because “she forgot hers at home that day.” Her skiing friend obliged, and the crew went on their merry way, but I, for one, had seen enough.
As a snowboarder, we are frequently at a disadvantage for flat spots, such as cat tracks, as we can’t skate as conveniently as our two planking friends. That being said, certain resorts, such as Vail, which is connected by a labrynth of cat tracks can make for some slow crawls to the next powder stash. However, and again, as a snowboarder, we hold a moral obligation to the integrity of the sport, and with that sentiment in mind, I call on every snowboarder to put down the poles, and get a wax. It’s simple, it’s easy, it’s inexpensive, and, better yet, you’ll notice an immediate difference flying by your skier friends that once so eagerly offered you poles to try and keep up with them.
My favorite wax? One Ball Jay, which not only makes poles totally unnecessary, even on the coldest of days, on Vail’s cat tracks, but each flavor has a light, tropical scent to freshen up your mountain chalet. For those who have never waxed their own boards, no problem, stop in to your local ski tuning shop and pick up the supplies, and ask for some input from the guys (or gals) behind the counter. They’re great resources, and you’ll notice an immediate increase in your street cred. The steps? Heat the base, sprinkle some temperature appropriate wax on the base, spread evenly with your iron, let cool, scrape and buff. Simple.
Don’t be a snowboarder with poles; put down the ski poles, pick up the waxing iron, and witness the results.
