Dominator Wax - Average Joe

[teleman]

Howdy,

This is my first post so go easy on me. I recently switched from Swix and Mountain Flow wax over to Dominator late last season after my friend introduced me to butter. We were spring skiing and my wax was yellow Swix and it was super slow, my fat Voile skis with scales were sticking/globing with snow and I thought it would be a long trip back to the car. He pulled out the butter and we stuck a light coat on my scales and it was like I added a jet pack and was flying down the snow! So this got me convinced about switching wax.

Long story short, I went all in and bought Dominator Zoom Graphite, Race Rocket, Hyper Zoom, Butter, Elite W, Fc overlay, Renew and Bullet. I mainly ski backcountry in Wyoming on Voile Fish scale skis.

Any suggestions on what else I need for my quiver or any other tips? I use Dominator Zoom as my main wax. When it’s colder I mix in Bullet to Zoom Graphite. For overlays I wanted to try flouro and non flouro. I was not quite impressed with the Elite W compared to Butter. Butter is way quicker on sticker snow and I use Hyper Zoom with that. Fc overlay works well and I just bought Race Rocket to see how it compares this winter. Renew I use that for summer storage and maybe once a month during ski season to renew base. Dominator made a huge difference in my glide and nothing else compares to what I tried. Love their overlays for coating my scales/tips/tails to speed things up.

I also saw Dominator offers flouro powder C6. But it’s 130 for 20 grams. Is that worth it?

Let me know if you have any other tips for my wax arsenal or what I need to add to it.

Dominator fan boy, signing off.

 

[cantunamunch]

Long story short, I went all in and bought Dominator Zoom Graphite, Race Rocket, Hyper Zoom, Butter, Elite W, Fc overlay, Renew and Bullet. I mainly ski backcountry in Wyoming on Voile Fish scale skis.

Sweet selection and sweet setup.

. I was not quite impressed with the Elite W compared to Butter. Butter is way quicker on sticker snow and I use Hyper Zoom with that.

Interesting. Have no experience with Elite W so taking your word for it.

I also saw Dominator offers flouro powder C6. But it’s 130 for 20 grams. Is that worth it?

I can think of two situations where it might be worth it, but only for self powered users:
really really really really cold snow days, like in the below-Bullet Psycho range and
new snow in creekbeds/drainages at Bullet temp ranges, because snow is always more humid there even though the crystals are new snow sharp.

That said, I am on completely different snow than you and will be following to learn stuff too.

 

[teleman]

Looks like the Q6 flouro powder covers a warmer range. Regarding psycho, we do get really cold temps and super dry snow. But when it’s that cold it gets pretty dangerous in the backcountry so I prefer not to go out in those temps. I have a green slab of Swix and honestly haven’t used that much for super cold snow. So not sure Psycho would be needed for me. But never know until I try!

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0609/5575/4750/files/OVERLAYS.jpg?v=1638850271

 

[cantunamunch]

Looks like the Q6 flouro powder covers a warmer range.

There's a trick - I think @Primoz first made it popular on this forum - where in really cold conditions one tweaks the cold/arctic wax with a little warmish wax to make the cold wax glide just a little better, otherwise it's all sandpaper ugh. That is what I was referring to.

Regarding psycho, we do get really cold temps and super dry snow. But when it’s that cold it gets pretty dangerous in the backcountry so I prefer not to go out in those temps. I have a green slab of Swix and honestly haven’t used that much for super cold snow. So not sure Psycho would be needed for me. But never know until I try!

Fair enough, can't argue with that.

 

[teleman]

Fyi I chatted with Dominator about Q6 flouro powder. It’s strictly a race powder for added speed on race days. So for the average Joe like me not needed!

 

[Tony S]

^^^
Yeah, concentrated fluoros are pretty much just for serious races, and these days ... probably not even that. You just cooked your first walleye over a campfire in an ashy skillet. No need to proceed directly to cutting puffer fish.

 

[Max Capacity]

Glad you found Dominator. I have been using Hyperzoom for over 20 years now. I still have some cold powder left in the small white can that I use when it's going to be real cold, like below 0.

I even had a cube of Q6 from the late 1990's when son was racing.

 

[slow-line-fast]

I can't answer your question but have a question for you. Please tell me about what to do with wax and fishscales. I have some S-bounds that I rarely ski anymore simply because I'm currently not in terrain where they shine. But when I do next reach for them, I'd like to have more of a clue about how to prep their midsection.

 

[teleman]

I wax the scales with Dominator Fc rub on wax. I also run it on the tips and tails. I then buff with a cork. In the spring I use Butter. Makes a huge difference in glide, only down side is takes a bit away from climbing. I use to use swix liquid glide wax but it doesn’t last very long. Exicted to test race rocket this season!

You have to apply more heel pressure when going up. Scales save tons of time over rolling terrian and can get up some pretty decent stuff!

 

[slow-line-fast]

Exactly, rolling terrain is where scales are great.

Rub on, not hot wax, just to avoid tedious scraping?

 

[teleman]

Exactly, rolling terrain is where scales are great.

Rub on, not hot wax, just to avoid tedious scraping?

I still use hot wax on the tips and tails. Then use rub on for added speed or if I waxed too cold and needed something a bit warmer for conditions.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Well I thought this thread was way over my head and probably still is. So I like to butter them up by cold crayoning some softer wax and then drip on the green. Makes the beer go down a little more smoothly, at least for me.

 

[cantunamunch]

^^^
Yeah, concentrated fluoros are pretty much just for serious races, and these days ... probably not even that.

Shall we start in on 'FIS SL skis are only for paragons of godlike fitness' next?

Give me 20g of concentrated fluoro and I have 3-4 seasons' worth of lifting up my wax of the day in difficult conditions - or getting 10-15% more glide out of a durable CH wax of the day. All with just a few crayoning swipes under that WoD.

He's not proposing to cut puffer fish. He's sprinkling Accent on his walleye.

 

[Tony S]

Shall we start in on 'FIS SL skis are only for paragons of godlike fitness' next?

Give me 20g of concentrated fluoro and I have 3-4 seasons' worth of lifting up my wax of the day in difficult conditions - or getting 10-15% more glide out of a durable CH wax of the day. All with just a few crayoning swipes under that WoD.

He's not proposing to cut puffer fish. He's sprinkling Accent on his walleye.

Okay, fine. You're right. But I have a spidey sense that that's not where he is.

Plus there is the $ thing

 

[teleman]

Question is bullet best to just mix with Zoom for colder temperatures or is it better to just use by its self if it’s pretty dry and cold snow? Seems it be a pain to scrape if used by it’s self due to how hard the wax is.

 

[Jacques]

Question is bullet best to just mix with Zoom for colder temperatures or is it better to just use by its self if it’s pretty dry and cold snow? Seems it be a pain to scrape if used by it’s self due to how hard the wax is.

Either way, those super hard waxes need to be scraped like 5 minutes after applying. Maybe sooner! Then let a steel, or brass brush do the rest of the work after further cooling.

 

[teleman]

Either way, those super hard waxes need to be scraped like 5 minutes after applying. Maybe sooner! Then let a steel, or brass brush do the rest of the work after further cooling.

Thanks for the tips. By the way love your wax videos on YouTube! Extreme detailed and great information!

 

[Primoz]

Seems it be a pain to scrape if used by it’s self due to how hard the wax is.

Sharp scraper is the key. And no, they shouldn't be scrapped of in 5min but just as every other wax... 30+min. It's not just top of the wax that matters. At least for me, scrapping cold wax is much more pleasant work then scrapping off warm waxes, but main difference is, scrapper with cold waxes last for one ski, with hot it last for 2 pairs.

 

[Tony S]

Sharp scraper is the key. And no, they shouldn't be scrapped of in 5min but just as every other wax... 30+min. It's not just top of the wax that matters. At least for me, scrapping cold wax is much more pleasant work then scrapping off warm waxes, but main difference is, scrapper with cold waxes last for one ski, with hot it last for 2 pairs.

This post is interesting, mostly because it grounds us in what one experienced person, at least, actually means when he says "sharp scraper."

 

[snwbrdr]

Howdy,

This is my first post so go easy on me. I recently switched from Swix and Mountain Flow wax over to Dominator late last season after my friend introduced me to butter. We were spring skiing and my wax was yellow Swix and it was super slow, my fat Voile skis with scales were sticking/globing with snow and I thought it would be a long trip back to the car. He pulled out the butter and we stuck a light coat on my scales and it was like I added a jet pack and was flying down the snow! So this got me convinced about switching wax.

Long story short, I went all in and bought Dominator Zoom Graphite, Race Rocket, Hyper Zoom, Butter, Elite W, Fc overlay, Renew and Bullet. I mainly ski backcountry in Wyoming on Voile Fish scale skis.

Any suggestions on what else I need for my quiver or any other tips? I use Dominator Zoom as my main wax. When it’s colder I mix in Bullet to Zoom Graphite. For overlays I wanted to try flouro and non flouro. I was not quite impressed with the Elite W compared to Butter. Butter is way quicker on sticker snow and I use Hyper Zoom with that. Fc overlay works well and I just bought Race Rocket to see how it compares this winter. Renew I use that for summer storage and maybe once a month during ski season to renew base. Dominator made a huge difference in my glide and nothing else compares to what I tried. Love their overlays for coating my scales/tips/tails to speed things up.

I also saw Dominator offers flouro powder C6. But it’s 130 for 20 grams. Is that worth it?

Let me know if you have any other tips for my wax arsenal or what I need to add to it.

Dominator fan boy, signing off.

Are you racing where they do have the equipment to detect the use of Fluorocarbon additives? If yes, then fluoro is not for you

Are there uphill traverses that you find annoying that you lose all momentum? if yes, than fluoro can help.