The skiers will know – non skiers maybe not – that skis require a wax as an interface between the base of the ski and the snow. Downhill skiers want a wax that allows them to slide better, therefore faster, and cross country skiers will need a sticky wax to give them grip when going uphill, and rather confusingly, they may want to slide as well on the descent – when cross country racing for example. There is a mind boggling array of waxes to cater for all types of snow conditions and all types of skis so it might be interesting to note that professional ski racers have a team of ‘waxers’ who endeavour to get the right wax on the right day, and it is not uncommon for medals to be won, or lost, as a result of the the wax, regardless of the racer’s ability. There are nearly as many wax makers as waxes, with each country having its favourite brand and each skier swearing that they use the best. We’ve got a wee selection here that date from the 1970’s – though as waxes don’t go ‘off’ they could still be used. Founder of The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection, Mick Tighe, trained with the British Biathlon (Biathlon is cross country skiing and shooting) Team back in the 1970’s and these are some of his waxes. The rather battered old waxing chart opposite might give you some idea of how the system works.