It was cold and the snow was fresh and deep; the cross-country skiing should have been terrific. But, as I shuffled along through the woods one day recently, it felt as though I was skiing in molasses ...

Even if you do no other ski maintenance yourself, you should learn how to wax your own skis. It’s easy, you’re unlikely to screw it up, and it’s way more cost-effective than taking skis to a shop ...

Keeping a fresh layer of wax on your skis is important, and not just so you can go barreling down the mountain like a downhill racer. True, a good coating of wax on your ski bases reduces friction, ...