Book 28, Question 32
How do ski technicians pick the right wax for different snow?
Wax fills tiny pores in the bottom of a ski and makes it slicker, so the ski glides.
Snow changes with temperature. Cold, dry snow is hard and needs hard wax. Warm, wet snow needs a softer wax that sheds water. Technicians check the snow temperature before a race and choose the wax like a chef picking a recipe. The right wax can make a ski noticeably faster.