Swix F4 Glidewax
January 30th, 2008The use of a gliding wax like Swix F4 Glidewax will protect your gear and improve your sliding fun!
Swix F4 is a universal wax, intended for sliding in all kinds of gear, snow, or weather. This is a direct-apply type of wax that doesn’t require heating or buffing; just apply in an even manner along the entire base. F4 uses a fluorinated liquid form of wax that provides lower friction over a limited time; liquid wax is not as durable as heat-apply waxes, but it typically will last through a day’s activities.
F4 comes in one of three application methods: rub on with a pad, stick apply with an applicator bottle, or aerosol. In my experience, the stick apply is the most effective in general and also most convenient in cold field conditions. I put a layer on F4 on my gear at the beginning of every day and feel that effort makes a big difference in performance.
This shouldn’t replace regular full tunings of alpine, telemark, nordic, and snowboard gear, but adding a layer of F4 will improve your sliding and help to protect the base by reducing friction. And yes, it works very well on plastic sleds and wooden toboggans!
Shop around, prices on F4 can vary widely.