A quality iron with a temperature control is the first and best tool of any nordic skier. Lubricating the base material with wax on a consistent basis will greatly enhance performance and enjoyment.
Set the iron temperature to the recommended melt point of the wax being used. Once the wax is on the ski, work quickly and efficiently with the iron. Keep the iron moving and melt the wax until visibly wet and covering the base. Let the wax fully cool. Scrape and brush.
Did the ski absorb wax? Hot take on this…not necessarily and here is my thought process: Paraffin particles are larger than water molecules and if you were to soak your ski in water it would not gain weight through water absorption. A cold ski is not a sponge. But when you heat the base with the appropriate iron temperature it transforms the polyethylene (p-tex) base and allows the wax to bolster, adhere to, and in some cases absorb into the base.
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