SKIING WITH A SMILE
The Rise and Fall of Fluorinated Ski Waxes
PART IV OF IV
Why Avoid Fluorinated Ski Waxes?
There are plenty of reasons...
Perhaps the best way to sum them all up is with a line from the Czech romantic comedy From Subway with Love (Román pro ženy):
"Not those. Those are nasty!"
But enough cinematic wisdom.
Let's return to the hard facts.
In the previous three parts, we followed the rise and fall of one of the most remarkable technologies in the history of cross-country skiing.
From the revolutionary arrival of CERA F, through increasingly sophisticated and expensive fluorinated products, to questions about actual performance, human health and environmental protection.
Now it's time to bring our story to a close.
A Revolution We Cannot Deny
Let's start with something we should certainly not question.
Fluorinated ski waxes represented a major technological innovation.
Under certain snow conditions, they could deliver genuine performance advantages over conventional hydrocarbon waxes.
And anyone who prepared racing skis during the arrival of CERA F probably knows exactly what I am talking about.
So let's not rewrite history.
Fluorinated waxes worked. And sometimes they worked damn well!
But that is not the whole story.
When Performance Is No Longer the Only Measure
Over time, fluorinated waxing developed into an extensive and extremely expensive system of racing ski preparation.
LF, HF, fluorinated powders, blocks, liquids and various finishing layers.
More and more products.
Increasingly sophisticated application procedures.
And often, ever-higher prices.
In Part II, we explored whether the actual benefits of all these products always justified their cost and complexity.
There is no reason to claim that expensive fluorinated waxes never worked.
But there is equally little reason to assume that a higher additive content, more layers and a higher price always meant better glide.
And this brings us to our first important lesson.
The technical value of a product should be judged by measurable results, not by its price or marketing promises.
The Price We Do Not Pay at the Checkout
In Part III, we came to an issue that I consider even more important.
The potential consequences of fluorinated ski waxes for human health and the environment.
Scientific studies have shown that professional ski wax technicians experienced significant occupational exposure to certain PFAS substances.
Including the problematic perfluorooctanoic acid, commonly known as PFOA.
We also know that some fluorinated chemicals are extremely persistent in the environment.
Meanwhile, wax layers gradually wear away during skiing, releasing some of their material into the snow.
Which raises a fairly simple question:
Are a few seconds of faster skiing really worth those risks?
Of course, it is important to distinguish between different chemicals, their specific properties and actual exposure levels.
Not every fluorinated product presented the same level of risk.
But that distinction does not make our basic question disappear.
And What About the Most Expensive Topcoats?
Special attention should be given to the products applied as the final layer to an already prepared ski base.
The so-called topcoats or speeders.
These were often among the most expensive products in a manufacturer's entire range.
Under certain conditions, their performance benefit could be real.
But how long did that benefit last?
How much active material actually remained on the surface after application?
And how quickly did the layer wear away during contact with the snow?
The answers depend on the specific product, application method and snow conditions.
Which is precisely why we should examine not only the initial improvement in glide, but also its durability.
Because a very expensive product with a short-lived effect may be excellent business for the manufacturer.
But not necessarily an equally good deal for the skier.
Were Manufacturers Victims of Their Own Success?
And now we return to the central question of our entire series.
Could fluorinated ski wax manufacturers have contributed to the downfall of a technology that had brought them so much success?
There is no simple, definitive answer.
Restrictions on fluorinated chemicals were introduced primarily because of health and environmental concerns.
We cannot honestly claim that the bans were directly caused by the commercial greed of ski wax manufacturers.
But we can reasonably ask whether expanding product ranges, high consumption levels and the pursuit of commercial success contributed to the scale of the problems that eventually needed to be addressed.
And whether some manufacturers could have searched earlier for solutions with lower health and environmental risks.
Perhaps yes.
Perhaps no.
But questions like these are an essential part of evaluating technological progress.
So What Did Fluorinated Waxes Really Give Us?
They gave us faster skis.
New technologies.
New experiences.
And a remarkable amount of knowledge about the interaction between wax, ski base and snow.
All of that has genuine value.
But their story also taught us that technological progress cannot be measured by performance alone.
We must also consider the price we pay for that progress.
And not merely the financial price.
Today, the use of fluorinated ski waxes is prohibited in competitions governed by FIS rules.
Racing ski preparation has therefore had to move in a different direction.
And perhaps that is a good thing.
Because good skis should ultimately bring us the joy of moving through the snow.
Not unnecessary risks to people and nature.
One Final Thought: Use Your Own Brain
If I had to take just one lesson from the entire history of fluorinated ski waxes, it would be this:
Never stop thinking independently.
Do not automatically believe that a new product must be better than the previous one.
That a more expensive wax must be faster.
Or that a more complicated preparation process must necessarily produce a better result.
Ask questions.
Test.
Compare.
And remember to consider what we leave behind in the natural environment.
And if we wanted to express all these thoughts in a slightly less scientific way...
Let's return to the wonderful character from our Czech movie.
"Not those. Those are nasty!"
And that brings our story of the rise and fall of fluorinated ski waxes to an end.
The End.