Photo by Robson Hatsukami Morgan
It’s that time of year again, the mountains have announced their closing dates (Brighton- April 24th, Snowbird- May 1st, Solitude- April 25th, Park City- April 17th). The snow is continuing to turn into the wonderful thick, surfy, slush. To the unprepared, slush can be dangerous, but with the right preparation, it’s almost as good as powder…almost. People come staggering off the mountain HOT, soaked to the bones, snowboard base bone dry, and torn by the rocks. It can be a challenge when mother nature turns up the heat, but that doesn’t mean you should cut your season short.
Gore-Tex
It’s time to wring out your gear. Mittens always get soaked! Your butt gets wet the moment you sit down, ehhh uhh welcome to spring! I can almost hear the wet SMACK of gloves/mittens hitting the trunk of the car and thinking sure ill get that later…. yeah right, that’s never going to dry out. Gore-Tex is going to be your new friend! Gore-Tex is a water-proof and breathable material that will keep you dry and cool all day long. By changing the size of the jacket pores Gore-Tex has small enough pores and water-resistant material to keep water from entering. The pores are 700 times bigger than an individual water vapor molecule allowing sweat to escape from the inside out. Keeping you dry from both sides.
Wax, Wax, Wax! Keep that base from getting white. Base burn is the white film that develops on your snowboard when you continually ride your board without applying wax. Snow is sharp even if it’s just on a microscopic level; anyone whose ever taken a short-sleeve digger knows what’s up. Spring, Old, Dirty or New snow can increase the amount of wax coming out of your board and if unprotected, could damage the base as well. Waxing your snowboard will increase your speed and protect it from base burn. Here at Salty Peaks Board Shop, we prefer the…
ONE- Summer Slush Warm
Wax is one of the most misunderstood by the average skier and snowboarder; what are all these additives? Silicon do I need that? What about graphite how does that help? Let’s back up a second.
How do we even move on a snowboard?
We glide due to the friction of the snowboard across the snow layer. As we move over the snow our boards create heat melting a small layer of snow that lets us glide over the surface. Depending on snow conditions different waxes are used to achieve different goals. Dry conditions create a lot of Electrostatic friction between your board and the snow if there is no way to disperse the charge it can lead to a slow board. Wet conditions can increase the amount of water between your base and the board. The more fluid beneath your board the more friction can slow you down. Fresh snow can be jagged and rough creating more friction and needs are harder wax so it lasts longer on your board. Old or soft snow needs a softer wax to create a more hydrophobic surface due to water build-up between your board and the snow surface. It can be a lot.
The easiest way to look at it is we need to reduce the overall friction our board has with the snow. So what are some things we can do?
Board Maintenance
Those rocks and debris are out to get you this time of year. As the snow melts, the low tide season begins. If you are anything like us you can’t help, but get every last inch of the snow, and that can put you in some dangerous places. Maybe you came down a shoot that looked like it had more snow, maybe you swore there was enough snow to make it to the bottom, or maybe the damn rock just keeps moving. Whatever the problem might be we can take care of it here at Salty Peaks Specialty Board Shop! There is nothing we can’t fix, it’s just about how much you are willing to spend. So if you ding a rock, tap a tree, ride some pavement or catch a rock while riding on grass come stop by and have it repaired before next year.
If that damage sits all summer it can really mess your board up. Temperature changes and moisture can continue to misshape and split the wood core within your snowboard even when you’re not riding it! Make sure at the end of the year you dry your board completely and through a coat of wax on your base to protect ya neck!
I hope this helps you in your endeavors to surf the slush. It’s the second closest thing to powder, but in the spring it happens every day! Get out there and enjoy it!
-NS
