Did you know that it’s really easy to wax your snowboard in the comfort of your home if you have the necessary tools. By doing your tune-up yourself, you will save a lot of time and money. Here's how to wax your snowboard at home in 5 easy steps.

Things you need:

Available in stores, online or in your mother's housekeeping closet. Seriously, investing in tune up equipment will not only save you money, but will also ensure you have a fresh board all winter long if you want to. Here’s what you will need:

• A leveled worktable

• A base cleaning product with a non abrasive tissue

• Wax (Opt for a 4 season wax adapted to Quebec's variable climates.)

• An iron  (Opt for an old iron that nobody’s using or check out our professional tune up iron from Dakine.)  

• A plastic scraper  ( Check out our professional scrapers from Dakine)

• A rigid bristle brush ( Check out our professional brush from Dakine)

Step 1: Clean up

Before you start waxing, it is extremely important to wash the base of your board thoroughly. By removing grime, you will allow the wax that you will soon apply to penetrate the base and adhere to the board better. To do this, a basic all-purpose cleaner and a non-abrasive cloth will do the trick.

 If you have a little more time and wax to invest, you can also opt for the "Hot Scrape" method: Heat the base of your board with the iron, apply a thin layer of wax on the hot surface, immediately remove the wax with the scraper. It's an effective way to remove dirt from the base of your board by opening its pores.

Step 2: Loosen the screws

The screws that hold your two bindings conduct the heat when you put the iron on the base of your board and it may create small dents in it. You do not need to remove them completely, just loosen them a little to apply your wax on a well leveled base.

Step 3: Wax

First, choose a wax that suits the conditions in which you ride. You can never go wrong with a good 4 season wax. When applying the wax, keep in mind that the base is the part of your board that will be used the most, so it’s wise to wax as often as possible throughout the winter. It's also good to use a stiffer wax along the edges of your board.

To apply the wax, it's simple. You just have to stick your wax block on the iron so it drips on the base of your board. Once the wax is poured over the entire surface, spread it with the iron. Make sur to never leave the hot iron on the board. Keep the iron moving at all times to avoid burning the surface. Go back and forth until the entire base of your board is coated with a smooth, even layer of wax.

Step 4 - Scrape

After spreading wax over the entire base of your board, set it aside and let it cool for about half an hour or until the wax has reached room temperature. Then take your scraper. Make sure to work with a sharp scraper, otherwise it will be more difficult to scrape. The most important thing when scraping is to remove all the excess wax by performing long, flowing movements. A short, agitated scrape will not give a good result. Go smoothly, but with a firm grip until the surface is smooth and there is no excess wax.

Step 5- Brush

After removing the excess wax from the base of your board, it's brush time! Do not spare your board, brush hard! Continue brushing until you see shallow scratches on the surface. This will allow your board to slide easily over the snow instead of sticking to it. Voilà!

Simple right!? Since it is almost impossible to wax your snowboard too much, do it as often as possible to give your shred stick a better glide ability and a longer life. Take care of your board and your board will take care of you.