So that your classic cross-country skin skis retain a good quality of glide and grip, it’s important to look after them regularly:looking after the skins, the sole.
We’ll explain everything!Follow our advice to extend the life and performance of your Nordic skis!
Classic cross-country skin skis offer great ease of use as they don’t require any grip wax to grip on the climbs.
However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to wax your skis ;)
Indeed, your classic cross-country skis consist of two zones:a grip zone (the skins) located in the middle of the ski and a gliding zone at the ends of the ski.
It’s on this latter area that you have to apply glide wax.
For the regular maintenance of the skins of your classic cross-country skis, we recommend you run a cloth over them against the grain after your outings to remove impurities and snow accumulated in the hairs.
There is also a care product on the market which prevents snow from sticking to the skins and improves the glide.
It’s advisable to apply it on dry skins.
Our INOVIK cross-country skin skis are equipped with skins with a lifespan of between 500 and 800 kilometres of use.
If you notice that your skins are worn and no longer provide sufficient grip in use, we recommend you change them.
You can either have your skins changed in the workshop or do it yourself.
If you go for the second option, note that it’s a fairly simple, quick operation to do at home with very little equipment required.
EQUIPMENT:
► 1 heat gun or simply a hair dryer
► 1 cloth
► New skins
⏱ 5 to 10 minutes
STEP 1: REMOVE THE OLD SKINS
1 - Peel off the skins from the sole, starting from the front of the tip towards the heel.To make peeling the skins off easier, you can heat them a little using a heat gun or simply a hair dryer.
2 - Clean the area with a cloth
STEP 2: GLUE THE NEW SKINS IN PLACE
1 - Position the new skins by placing them in the location provided on the sole
2 - Glue the skins, pressing down on them with your thumbs from the tail to the tip.
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► If your skins are damaged and you need new one, get in touch with your nearest Decathlon workshop.
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING TUTORIAL - How to change the skins on your classic cross-country skis
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING TUTORIAL - How to wax for glide?
TO KEEP YOUR SKIS IN GOOD CONDITION
After each ski outing, be sure to clean and dry your skis with a microfibre cloth to prevent them from becoming deformed or rust setting in.
When transporting and storing your skis, hold them together firmly with a ski clip to prevent the soles from rubbing against each other, but not too tight to maintain their camber.
For the gliding area, you can opt for two types of waxing:
Cold glide wax - liquid wax
in the form of an aerosol or stick with application foam
This type of wax is very easy to use because it’s quick and doesn’t require any specific equipment.
It’s perfect for last-minute waxing, and is also very suitable for beginner cross-country skiers for whom waxing is more of a chore than a pleasure.
It’s a complementary wax to hot wax, but does not replace it.
Hot glide waxing - solid wax
In the shape of a bar of soap - each colour corresponds to an outside temperature
This type of wax requires specific equipment to apply it.
It’s a wax that offers excellent gliding qualities and helps maintain and protect the sole of the skis.
It’s suitable for intermediate and advanced users, or just anyone who enjoys maintaining and waxing their skis.
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Check out our glide waxing tutorial
based on a cross-country skating ski
Regular maintenance of your cross-country skis is essential to maintain their performance.
Don’t neglect it if you want to continue enjoying the slopes to the full!
Skin care
Nylon brush
Ski clip
Cross-country ski cover
"I’m passionate about mountain sports.Today, I’m lucky enough to fully live out my passion for sport and, more particularly, for cross-country skiing in being both a cross-country ski instructor and sales manager for Inovik.I hope to share my passion for this sport with you through articles and advice.
