This week, we’re taking a look at the greener sides of the ski industry. It is of course not lost on us that we’re all sliding around on hunks of plastic and steel, feet entrapped in more plastic and carbon (who knows the carbon fiber footprint of a typical ski? Perhaps fodder for the next green week…), but this week we’re looking at the half-full glass of sustainable innovations and conversations in the ski world.
Mountain Flow eco-wax. 100% plant based hot wax with stylish and biodegradable packaging to boot.
At WildSnow, we generally agree on the importance of eco-friendly products in the ski industry and their relevance in a global setting. That is, it’s great to make steps in a more sustainable direction provided the performance and cost are reasonable. Ski touring gear and maintenance is such an infinitesimally small part of our global sustainability and carbon production issues. If every skier ditched fluorocarbon waxes and purchased carbon offsets for their ski trips, we wouldn’t even move the needle on carbon output worldwide.
We can however inspire change through our passionate powder pursuits. I feel that the ski world’s most effective and helpful role is providing voice and leadership to the global problem. So do what you can within your backcountry travels and don’t beat up anyone else for not doing the same, is at least my personal opinion. Off the soapbox, into the wax box.
Back in September, Lou teased the release of Mountain Flow Eco wax, made just down the road from Wildsnow HQ in Carbondale, Colorado. I was able to get my hands on some of the all temperature prototype last spring, and have been using a retail version of the same variety this winter.
About the wax
Due to a pending patent, MountainFlow founder Peter Arlein is unable to divulge exact contents of the wax. He assured us that we would be the first to know once he is able to do so. We can report that they succeeded in creating a 100% plant based hot wax, including hydrophobic slip additives, using a combination of plant waxes and oils. As noted in our September article, there is a bit of soy product included, but less than other plant wax products. Arlein found that soy was too soft in larger quantities.
Pricing
MountainFlow hot wax comes in warm, cool, cold, and all temp varieties. A 4.6 oz chunk of MountainFlow wax retails for $18.50. At roughly $4 per ounce, it is quite competitive with other brands. Often time the consumer must “vote with their wallet” and pay up for green products. A bit of google window shopping and rough math reveals these competitor’s cost expressed in USD/oz (sorry international readers, the $/g or kg were confusingly small or large for my tiny American brain).
$5.60/oz Purl plant based
$1.75/oz Purl original
$16/oz Swix flourocarbon
$6/oz Swix hydrocarbon
This puts MountainFlow on the middle-to-low end of the price spectrum, which is appealing providing that it goes on easily and glides well. This meets my first criteria for adoption of an alternative product. How about the application and performance?
Application
Applying MountainFlow is the same process as applying any petroleum based wax. Heat iron to 115 degrees F (recommended setting for the all-temp model) drizzle on wax, iron wax in to base, scrape and brush base, go skiing, repeat as needed.
The wax smells nice when melting, and is probably better for you to inhale than petroleum-based waxes.
In practice, it is quite similar to standard waxes, though there is a noticeable ‘gummy’ or sticky property to it. This was a deterrent on my first application, gumming up the scraper and brush. MountainFlow advised an extra sharp scraper, long tip to tail strokes, and continual cleaning of the tools. A dull scraper will cause friction and heat up the wax causing that gummy feel. The sharp scraper helped indeed, as most wax aficionados would have done to begin with. Eco Wax will require a bit more cleaning of your brushes and scraper sharpness, but regardless of a little extra tool maintenance, application is the same as a standard petroleum and paraffin based waxes.
Performance
Dropping in to the Holy Cross Couloir last spring. Ski bases gliding well with Mountain Flow on cold powder up top to corn on the southerly apron.
I’m a moderate-to-low waxer in the never-to-daily spectrum we see in the backcountry world, applying about every 2-3 days in spring, as compared to 2-3 weeks in winter. I wax mainly for skin glue health and ease of exits on long, flat egresses in wet snow. Springtime melt-freeze snow, often littered with bits of nature, can really take a toll on wax. Additionally, those long egresses in wet snow tend to be a daily occurrence, and my shoulders and arms are thankful for any break from nordic poling that a fresh coat of wax provides.
I was impressed with the longevity of MountainFlow last spring, pushing beyond that 3-day threshold on occasion. Performance in various wet snow conditions (hot-pow to overcooked corn) was excellent too. Skin glue did not peel off any wax or behave any differently on the ski. All in all, a success.
I ironed on my first coat this season the night before a cold tour. Temperatures were hovering right around 8 degrees F, the minimum listed temperature for the all-temp variety. I expected to feel the sharp cold dendrites piercing the wax and slowing my roll a bit. To my delight, I was able to glide with ease and enjoy deep powder laps one after the other. I have yet to re-apply to that ski, and it is still gliding well after a couple of weeks.
Former racers or serious wax nerds may notice a difference between Mountain Flow and a top notch Fluorocarbon wax. Mountain Flow has that audience in mind though. They are currently developing a race wax to compete with the on snow performance of these environmentally unfriendly waxes.
The remote west face of Snowmass Peak, Mountain Flow all temp did well in the sticky hot-pow.
It is refreshing that hard work, ingenuity and industry — keystones that brought us the gear revolution we are enjoying now — are developing eco-friendly alternatives to some necessary products. Regarding that hard work, Arlein says “There was a lot of trial and error. The R&D process took about 200 formulations before we got it dialed. That meant that we got to do a lot of skiing (“product testing”) so no complaints!”
Why not use plants to lube up your petroleum-based plastic bases and clean it off edges made of steel from unregulated factories in China? Maybe a movement such as MountainFlow’s can inspire changes to the way the rest of our gear is made? Stay tuned this week for a look at Checkerspot, a materials company turned ski maker that is using an innovative replacement for petrol based core and sidewall materials which is, unlike fossil fuel derivatives, more tunable for ski performance.
Want to give it a try? Shop for it.
15 comments
Good on these guys! I understand the magnitude of a change to ski wax on our total planet burden, but no snowflake feels responsible for an avalanche….
Well put Paul, great analogy!
I think about ski wax impacts being much greater on the local water supply than its affect on carbon output. The compounds used in most ski waxes aren’t good for aquatic life, or for civic drinking water, for that matter. I don’t think this is something most skiers think much about. Moving to alternatives that use fewer (or no) toxic chemistry is a good idea full stop.
When it comes to toxicity, the dose makes the poison. How about some actual data on concentrations in runoff water? If it’s parts per trillion, we are talking homeopathic doses, and then, homeopaths say, it would be good for every living thing, due to expected opposite effects. Not that I credit homeopathy.
Now, back to business. I am a minimalist waxer and only wax when needed. That is, I crayon wax onto the skis in the field. Snow does the burnishing and removal of excess. It works for me and avoids contaminating skin adhesive with wax. Does this virtuous wax crayon well?
Same question about using the crayon method. Any info on that? I crayon wax on, melt in with iron, buff and brush. Just don’t have time to hot wax every single time. Saw this wax available at a local shop a few weeks ago and was gonna pîck some up so glad to see this review.
Fellas great question. It’s a touch softer so I would Imagine so. Will crayon a pair of planks this week and report back.
I find if you let the wax cool for a bit, the gummy isn’t a problem
Dear Gary
First thank you for this informative review of what seems like a great product all round.
I have rewritten this comment a number of times until I finally calmed down enough to write a less emotional comment.
You write…
‘If every skier ditched fluorocarbon waxes and purchased carbon offsets for their ski trips, we wouldn’t even move the needle on carbon output worldwide.’
This type of comment troubles me deeply. The micro dictates the macro Gary. When enough citizens, employees, and consumers start to advocate for climate-friendly policies and only purchase such products, government officials and companies will step up to supply them. By using our power, we incentivize better products, services, and innovation. Each one of us plays a role in this. If everyone ditched fluro waxes Toko and the like would stop making them. If people would reduce their flying, ticket prices would sore, there would be less planes in the air and ultimately less demand. It’s simple economics. If you start acting sustainably others will follow.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Theresa
that didn’t take long
Hey thanks for commenting Rich. I think I address this micro to macro approach to change, and a skier’s role in it, in the following paragraph and in the conclusion. I did feel compelled to state the obvious fact that our little corner of the world isn’t much of a carbon contributor. And I feel that a blind, chest beating, and sometimes shame based approach to climate change discussion counter productive. Hopefully you’re able to read along this week about carbon offsets and today’s coming blog about WNDR skis as well. I think we’ll do a great job illustrating how the community and industry can and is creating MTs ripples!
Is it carbon emissions?….or every pollutant?…or just a few?….or just flourocarbons for today’s thing to worry about and tomorrow it’ll be some other chemical or other byproduct of modern existence you Loraxes are letting permanently bunch your panties. It seems more logical to be concerned about nuclear weapons, international conflict, etc.
Please, more skiing, less silly “green” salon-class b*tching and moaning.
From a ski shop perspective, I’m curious how well this type of wax works, and if it coats in a similar fashion when ironed in. Latelly I’ve been a big advocate of the crayoning method of wax application, which uses a fraction of the wax of the drip-on application method while providing enough wax to iron in evenly and with a full coating. Guess that’s a long way of saying that crayoning spares a lot of waste.
Thanks, been waiting for an independent review before I tried this stuff. Does anyone else prefer the “crayon method” over dripping for wax application? I’m a skate skier too, and switched the crayon method a few years ago. Seems to really conserve the wax and the iron is less likely to catch on dry spots. Just hold the iron close to, and roughly perpendicular the ski base with one hand, and lightly push the wax into the iron with the other until it only slightly melts. Then quickly paint the wax onto the base like I big fat crayon. Cover most of the base this way and then iron it in like you normally would. No drippy waste.
This is great to hear, I’ll give this stuff a try!
Back in the day when I knew all the shop guys I could buy a kilo. of the red all purpose wax for $10 and it would last me years hot waxing. Nowadays I cannot abide the steep prices for a 3oz piece and switched to Gulf Wax household paraffin which is very inexpensive and available at any hardware store and super market. After years of being a hot wax enthusiast for powder days I have discovered that after hot waxing my skis for summer storage in the new season after scraping and buffing them out, the crayon way of rubbing on the wax and buffing it out works very well for weeks at a time as long as I do it before each powder outing. I have no idea if paraffin is making me an eco outlaw, but I am happy not to have to pay $20 for a small chunk of special, formulated, expensive ski wax.