[pmart123]

I'm no expert in this, but I think one common misconception among regular skiers is that a ski tune is "free" rather than each ski only gets so many full tunes as it wears down the base and edges. Obviously, if you get a core shot or something like that, it becomes more necessary. I always understood waxing skis as more protective though?

[emgeee]

Could definitely be wrong but I always thought waxing was about reducing the friction between the ski and the snow by both creating a uniform surface and because the wax has a lower coefficient of friction than the plastic of the skis.

edit: learned something new!

[jcgrillo]

A uniform surface is actually not ideal, as it causes a lot of suction between the base and the snow, that's why ski and snowboard bases have "structure" ground into them with a stone grinder--that's what getting a base grind does, it restores the base's structure.

Hot waxing permeates the pores in the ptex with oils from the wax, but you really want to scrape and brush it all off--there shouldn't be any residual wax remaining after.