If you are new to Nordic skiing, the lineup of waxes from a company like Toko can be daunting. That being said, Toko is actually one of the easiest systems to get to know! Most all waxes, grip and glide, are based on a 3-color system of Blue, Red, and Yellow. Using this as a guide, I put together a short video displaying some of the most useful products and “what you really need”. I will list those products, with informational links, below the video. At the very bottom I will also link a great series of videos from Toko displaying specific waxing techniques.
Note: to purchase Toko products at a great discount, visit the MNC Apparel Page below to download the Toko Order form. Email your completed order forms to Toko Representative Dave Boucher (davidnboucher@comcast.net)
MNC Apparel and Wax OrdersIrons
The most important tool here is an iron, which is NOT your typical clothes iron. Please only use a ski-specific iron for all waxes.
The Toko T8 iron is a great deal but you can find even less expensive options at Skirack and Amazon.
Swix North waxing iron via Skirack
Tuning Tools
After melting in and ironing wax, you will need to scrape and brush the wax. This requires 3 tools: a groove scraper, a plexi scraper, and a brush.
Things can get complicated with a multi-brush procedure, large oval brushes, and rotary brushes. The simplest way to think of it: the larger the brush, the quicker the job. But the smallest brush will be cost-effective and work just as well for 99% of skiers! If you purchase just one brush, a metal brush is recommended.
First, use the groove pin to clean the wax from the center groove of the ski:
Next, use the plexi scraper in a pushing motion (with two thumbs on either edge of the groove) to scrape the bulk of the wax off, tip-to-tail direction:
Finally, use your brush to finish getting the finer wax particles out. Mark an arrow on your brush, and only use it in that direction. With metal brushes, move tip-to-tail direction only.
Glide Wax
For the simplest wax purchase, I recommend sticking to only Base Performance/NF BLue and Base Performance/NF Red. These waxes will cover most conditions. You can also make life even easier by supplementing with a liquid glide was such as Express Wax. Once per week (say, on a Sunday) apply your hot wax with an iron and scrape/brush. Then, for the rest of the week, just run on a little Express Wax before each ski. At the end of the week, re-wax with the traditional iron method.
Grip Wax
Made easy again by Toko! For regular grip waxes, purchase a Base Green, a Blue, a Red, and a Yellow.
For klister (transformed and icy snow), grab one can of Base Klister Spray and one can of Universal Klister Spray.
You will also need a cork to apply grip wax.
How do I do all of this waxing stuff?
Toko has a handy resource of videos on their website, and at MNC we are working to also create similar content. Here are some recommended basics videos:
Ironing-in your glide wax and using the iron
Man, THIS is the kind of thing that makes New England skiing so great! Actually, you can say that about so many aspects of our skiing world, from this youngest level all the way up to the Masters racing scene. I often get to see all the fun our BKL skiers are having at the Range, but seldom do I get to watch them race other than the Skiathlon or a few other overlapping events. It was a ton of fun to see such strong efforts, and there was a real vibe of fun and joy even during the races themselves.
