Your skis are an investment, they cost a lot of money and can take you to some of the most incredible places and greatest moments of your life. As such, it only makes sense to take good care of them. Whistler has a lot of incredible ski tuning shops but these days there is a growing number of skiers and snowboarders interested in the Hands-On, Do-It-Yourself ethos.

In this video, Waxmaster Colin Mont from TMC Freeriderz (Whistler’s original freeride ski shop) demonstrates the correct technique and philosophy behind waxing your own boards. This is a step-by-step guide but you’re going to need these pieces of equipment to follow along— a waxing bench to secure your skis, a waxing iron, a file for your edges, soft and hard bristle brushes, a hard-plastic scraper and a waxing cork. You’ll also need some wax.

TMC Freeriderz sells all the necessary equipment online or at the shop. If the call of the mountains is just too strong and you don’t want to invest the time TMC or any of Whistler’s other great tuning shops will get your boards ready for any big day (you can do it yourself next time).

Whistler wax and ripping

So good luck and have fun. Skiing is a speed sport and the right wax job can make a huge difference. And for more information on how to actually enjoy those skis once you have them waxed up head to Whistler.com for accommodation, lift tickets, activities and more.

Author

Feet Banks moved to Whistler at age 12 so his parents could live the dream and ski as much as possible. He ended up living it too. After leaving home Feet did a few good stints in warmer climates and 4 years of writing school before returning to the mountains to make ski movies, hammer out a journalism career and avoid the 9-5 lifestyle as long as possible. He’s been a hay farmer, a hole digger, a magazine editor and has a jump named after him on Blackcomb Mountain, Feet’s Air. It’s tiny.