Why Storage Wax is Essential for Snowboard Summer Storage
Storage wax is simply a thick, unscraped layer of wax applied to your snowboard before long-term storage. It prevents base oxidation, shields the base from dust, keeps your edges from rusting, and helps maintain the base’s ability to absorb wax down the road.
Preventing Base oxidation
If your snowboard base looks like this picture below: white, chalky patches and streaks instead of a rich dark color, then your board has developed base oxidation.
What is Base Oxidation?
The base of your snowboard is made from a type of plastic material called polyethylene. When polyethylene is exposed to air, the oxygen in the air reacts with the surface of the polyethylene molecules and breaks the chemical bonds in those molecule chains. This molecular change causes the base to become brittle and lose its structural properties.
How does Storage Wax prevent Base Oxidation
When you have storage wax on your base, the wax blocks oxygen in the air from coming into contact with the polyethylene. Since the oxygen cannot reach the polyethylene, it cannot break down the molecular bonds in the material. This prevents the base from degrading and turning white during storage.
Protection Against Dust
Without storage wax, dust will inevitably settle directly onto your base during the long months of storage. This is a problem because your snowboard performs best when the base is clean and smooth. Furthermore, dust often contains tiny abrasive particles, meaning that simply moving your board around could scratch the base.
Storage wax blocks dust from contacting the base, protecting it from abrasive particles. It also saves you from the hassle of deep cleaning and waxing your base next season. Just scrape off the excess wax and you are ready to ride!
Shielding Edges From Rust
According to Burton, waxing over your steel edges is one of the best ways to prevent rust from forming over summer. Rust needs two things to develop: oxygen and moisture. By applying a layer of wax over the edges, you create a barrier that seals the steel off from the environment, stopping both from reaching the metal.
One important step before you do this: make sure your edges are completely dry. If there’s any moisture present when you apply the wax, you’ll actually be sealing it in, which will accelerate rusting rather than prevent it.
Complete Your Off-Season Protection
Applying wax before summer storage is a simple yet effective way to protect your snowboard in the off-season. It preserves the base, reduces edge rust, and makes your preseason setup a whole lot easier. But which type of wax should you actually use? Check out this article to find out which type of storage wax is best for you.
Storage wax is just one piece of the puzzle, if you want to make sure your board is fully protected over the summer, check out this guide for everything you need to know about off-season snowboard storage.
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