Functional Hydrophobicity

Ski Wax Testing for Fluorine Free Glide Wax: Measure Hydrophobic Wettability and Droplet Roll Off on the Ski Running Surface to Improve Wax Composition and Gliding Ability

Since the FIS ban on fluorinated wax, every glide wax has to earn its water repellency without fluorine. Measure water contact angle and roll off on the waxed ski base at the snow temperatures you design for, then confirm glide on snow.

Who this is for: Ski wax developers, ski base and ski makers, race service teams and university labs working on glide wax and ski running surfaces.

Where it fits: Wax composition screening, temperature range checks and batch comparisons, before glide tests on snow.

What it does not do: It does not measure friction or glide on snow, and it does not detect fluorine.

Method

Sessile drop contact angle and tilt stage sliding angle on waxed ski base, at room and sub zero temperature

Standard

Fully compliant with ISO 19403-6; partially compliant with ISO 19403-7, up to 60° tilt

Setup

About 2 minutes

Book a 15 minute demo Request a quote

Written by

Abhimanyu Bhandankar

Holds an MBA from Schulich School of Business and a BE in IT. He joined Droplet Lab in July 2019 and now leads sales and marketing.

CEO at Droplet Lab

Why ski wax hydrophobicity matters now

2023/24

season from which FIS fully banned fluorinated wax and fluorine containing tuning products in all disciplines and levels, checked by infrared testing.

FIS, fluor ban implementation, October 2023

0.005 to 0.035

coefficient of friction of skis on snow, from hard snow to fresh cold snow; a thin water film under a large area of the ski is detrimental.

Almqvist et al., Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2022

24% to 57%

more friction on dry snow after silicone oil treatments, even though they raised the contact angle on the UHMWPE ski base.

Buene et al., Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2022

Sources: FIS, Fluor ban implementation, Alpine, October 2023; Almqvist A. et al., A scientific perspective on reducing ski snow friction to improve performance in Olympic cross country skiing, the biathlon and Nordic combined, 2022; Buene A.F. et al., Effect of polydimethylsiloxane oil lubrication on the friction of cross country UHMWPE ski bases on snow, 2022. Figures come from these sources, not from Droplet Lab measurements.

Quick reference

What this ski wax check does and what it does not

A quick reference for wax and ski teams checking fit before reading further.

Evidence Box

Problem this solves

Fluorine free glide wax candidates that look water repellent at room temperature but behave differently on cold or wet snow.

Standards

Fully compliant with ISO 19403-6 for dynamic contact angle; partially compliant with ISO 19403-7 roll off, up to 60° tilt.

Peer reviewed method

The Dropometer drop shape method was validated against a KRUSS DSA100E in two peer reviewed papers, in Review of Scientific Instruments and Colloids and Surfaces A.

Customer case study

A University of Utah polymers lab measured four commercial low fluorinated glide waxes at 2 °C and room temperature; the two rated for the coldest snow were less water repellent in the cold.

Published research

RISE researchers rented a portable Dropometer to measure bio based ski wax prototypes below zero, using ethylene glycol at −5 °C.

Honest limit

Higher contact angle does not always mean better glide. Confirm with friction or glide tests on snow.

Who this is for

What ski wax question are you trying to answer?

Pick the card closest to your role. Each one points to the part of this page that answers it.

Wax formulator

You are replacing fluorinated additives with paraffins, natural resins, silicones or bio based ingredients. Contact angle and roll off on a waxed ski base rank each wax composition in an afternoon, before costly glide tests on snow.

Test at the snow temperatures the wax is sold for, not only at room temperature.

Ski and ski base maker

Your sintered UHMWPE ski base material and its grind change how wax behaves. Measuring waxed and unwaxed skis on the same base shows what the base and structure contribute.

Grind and structure change roll off as much as the wax does.

Race service or test team

You choose wax for alpine or cross-country skis and the day's snow conditions. A quick hydrophobicity check on test skis helps you compare candidates and keep records alongside your glide tests.

Lab readings guide the shortlist; the glide test decides.

Fit check

Is this the right test for your glide wax program?

It measures how water meets the waxed ski base. It does not measure glide.

Good fit if

You compare fluorine free glide wax candidates on the same ski base.

You need roll off as well as contact angle.

You test at sub zero temperatures, near the snow conditions of use.

You check durability after a set number of km of skiing or abrasion.

You report hydrophobicity in papers or product data.

Less relevant if

You need the coefficient of friction itself; that needs a tribometer or glide test.

You need to prove a wax is free of fluorine; that needs chemical analysis.

You need hardness or melting point data.

You need dirt absorption measured directly.

Summary

How to test ski wax hydrophobicity

The answer in under a minute.

Wax a ski base sample the way skiers do, then measure water contact angle and roll off angle at room temperature and at a sub zero test temperature. Rank wax compositions on both numbers, retest after wear, and confirm the best candidates with glide tests on snow, because contact angle alone does not predict friction.

The Dropometer contact angle kit with its tilt stage runs both checks; our sliding angle measurement guide and contact angle measurement guide explain the methods. A University of Utah polymers lab used it on low fluorinated waxes, a Utah thesis on ski wax and friction linked performance most strongly to wax hydrophobicity, and RISE used a portable unit for bio based ski wax prototypes. Our consumer products guide covers the wider context.

Expert Quote

Expert perspective on roll off

A surface can pin a drop at a high angle yet never let it roll. High repellency and easy roll-off are different properties, and a single contact angle won't tell you which one you have.

The problem

Why fluorine free ski wax is hard to get right

Reducing the friction between the running surface and the snow is the goal of every glide wax. A ski glides on a thin layer of meltwater made by friction between the ski running surface and the snow. Too little water and the ski drags on dry snow; too much, spread under a large area of the ski, and capillary drag slows it down. Glide wax, a lubricant and thin coating, is applied to the ski base, usually ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), to give a low coefficient of friction, resist dirt absorption and keep water droplets from wetting the base. For decades fluorinated waxes did that best, because fluorine gives very low surface energy. FIS has now banned fluorinated wax in all disciplines and levels from the 2023/24 season, and professional waxers were exposed to fluorinated compounds while applying them. Wax makers can no longer fluorinate a wax to get water repellency, so they now rely on paraffins, natural resins, silicones, graphite and bio based ingredients, and every new wax composition has to be ranked for water repellency at the temperatures it is sold for. The catch is that higher hydrophobicity does not guarantee better glide: in one study, silicone oils raised the contact angle on the ski base but increased friction on dry snow. Teams need a fast, repeatable surface test that comes before, not instead of, glide tests on snow.

A fluorine free wax beads water at room temperature but performs poorly on cold snow.

Glide drops quickly as the wax wears after a few km of skiing.

Drops stick to the waxed base instead of rolling off.

Results change between ski bases, grinds or waxing methods.

Waxed skis pick up dirt and lose glide over a session.

Troubleshooting

Why a glide wax underperforms and what to check

Why:

Without fluorine, the wax surface has higher surface energy, so water wets it more.

How to detect:

Lower water contact angle than your reference wax on the same ski base.

Corrective action:

Adjust the paraffin, resin or additive blend, then remeasure at the target temperature.

Why:

Wax hardness and surface structure change with temperature, so room temperature readings can mislead.

How to detect:

Readings at a sub zero test temperature differ from room temperature results.

Corrective action:

Measure at the snow temperatures the wax is rated for; use ethylene glycol below zero, where water would freeze.

Why:

A high contact angle can still come with high contact angle hysteresis, so water adhesion holds the drop. Our contact angle hysteresis glossary entry explains why.

How to detect:

High sliding angle, or drops that do not move by 60° tilt.

Corrective action:

Change the additive or application, and check roll off as well as contact angle. Our experiment on sliding angle on hydrophobic surfaces shows the method.

Why:

Some fluorine free waxes easily wear from the base under shear from the snow, so performance falls over a session.

How to detect:

Readings fall after a set distance or abrasion cycle.

Corrective action:

Test after controlled wear, and adjust hardness or the hot glide wax treatment.

Why:

Base material, structure and surface asperities change the apparent contact angle and roll off.

How to detect:

The same wax reads differently on different bases or grinds.

Corrective action:

Fix one base and grind for wax comparisons, and test each base separately.

Why:

Kuzmin and Tinnsten found all waxed skis absorbed more dirt than unwaxed ones, which can reduce glide.

How to detect:

Readings change after skiing on dirty snow. Our guide to reproducible sliding angle measurement covers fair comparisons.

Corrective action:

Clean the base the same way before each test, and compare dirt pick up between waxes in field tests.

Not sure why your fluorine free wax glides worse?

Bring a waxed ski base sample and your reference wax to a call, and we will compare them on screen.

Book a 15 minute demo

Lab records

What a ski wax test record contains

Each check produces a record you can file with the wax batch or test. These records can sit beside your glide and friction test results.

Wax identity

Wax composition, batch, and whether it is fluorine free.

Base and application

Ski base material, grind, waxing method and hot glide wax treatment.

Method settings

Probe liquid, drop volume, temperature, tilt rate and drops per sample.

Readings

Contact angle and sliding angle, median and spread, fresh and after wear.

Decision

Take to glide test, adjust or drop, linked to the snow test result.

Drop images

Automatic edge and baseline detection gives the same reading from the same image, so a reviewer can recheck any result.

Measurements

What to measure on the ski running surface

Repellency

Water contact angle on the waxed base

Why it matters: It shows how strongly the top surface of the wax repels water.

How to interpret: Compare with a reference wax on the same base; thresholds are set per base and wax family from your own glide tests.

When it is not enough: It does not predict friction on its own.

Roll off

Sliding angle on a tilt stage

Why it matters: It shows whether droplets leave the base or pin.

How to interpret: Lower is better roll off; drops that do not slide by 60° are recorded as 60° or more.

When it is not enough: Drop size changes the reading; keep it fixed.

Cold

Contact angle at sub zero temperature

Why it matters: Wax behaves differently in the cold, where it is used.

How to interpret: Use ethylene glycol below zero and compare waxes at the same temperature.

When it is not enough: Lab cold is not the same as snow.

Durability

Readings after wear

Why it matters: Glide properties fade as wax wears.

How to interpret: Compare the decline with the reference wax.

When it is not enough: Lab abrasion does not match skiing exactly.

Validation

Validated measurement approach for ski wax testing

How the Dropometer itself has been validated, and where ski wax researchers have used it.

Peer reviewed method

The Dropometer drop shape method is published in Review of Scientific Instruments and Colloids and Surfaces A. Contact angle was validated against a KRUSS DSA100E, with a published accuracy of 0.35°.

See the validation papers

Customer evidence on low fluorinated waxes

Prof. Jeffrey Bates's experimental polymers lab at the University of Utah ordered a Dropometer in 2021. After fluorinated waxes were banned, it measured four commercial low fluorinated glide waxes at 2 °C and room temperature, and found the two waxes rated for the coldest snow were less water repellent in the cold.

Read the case study

QC Protocol

How to test glide wax hydrophobicity and roll off

Six steps for one ski base and one wax family. Repeat for each new base or temperature range.

1

Prepare the base

Use one ski base material and grind, cleaned the same way, for all wax comparisons.

2

Wax the samples

Apply each wax with your standard hot waxing, cooling, scraping and brushing.

3

Lock the method

Fix probe liquid, drop volume, test temperatures, tilt rate and drops per sample. Our measurement method selector helps choose between methods.

4

Measure at room temperature and in the cold

Measure contact angle and sliding angle at room temperature, then at the sub zero test temperature with ethylene glycol.

5

Retest after wear

Repeat after a set abrasion or distance, and check readings against our Droplet Lab reference measurements dataset.

6

Confirm on snow

Take the best candidates to glide or friction tests on snow. Our guide to the best contact angle goniometer for industrial QA covers batch testing.

We completed our gage R&R study on the unit and it performed very well.

Brandon Barbee

Corporate Quality Engineer, Zeus Industries, Polymer Manufacturing

Download the ski wax hydrophobicity SOP

A two page SOP you can adapt for your waxes and bases, with the method lock, temperatures, gates against a reference wax, a troubleshooting table and a record sheet.

Sliding angle measurement with the Dropometer

Example output

Example glide wax screen on a UHMWPE ski base

Example data only. Your values and gates will differ and must come from your own reference waxes and glide tests.

How to read this screen

Example gates against the reference wax: water contact angle within 5° and sliding angle no more than 5° higher. The bio based prototype matches the reference at room temperature but falls behind in the cold. The silicone additive reads highest but pins drops, so it goes to a glide test with caution. The unwaxed base shows what the wax adds.

Example glide wax screen

Sample	Water contact angle at 23 °C (°)	Ethylene glycol contact angle at −5 °C (°)	Water sliding angle (°)	Result
Reference fluorine free hydrocarbon wax	104	88	22	Reference
Bio based prototype	103	79	24	Adjust for cold
Paraffin plus graphite	101	86	26	Glide test
Paraffin plus silicone additive	110	90	38	Glide test, check pinning
Unwaxed ski base	92	74	45	Information

Example data, not customer data. Sintered UHMWPE base, one grind; water at 23 °C and ethylene glycol at −5 °C; 20 µL drops for sliding angle.

Signal order

The order to check signals when a wax glides poorly

Check these in order. Each one rules out a cause before you look at the next.

1

Base and waxing

Rules out base, grind and application differences.

2

Contact angle

Shows whether the wax repels water as well as the reference.

3

Sliding angle

Shows whether drops roll or pin; our sliding angle guide explains the test.

4

Cold readings

Shows how the wax behaves at the snow temperature.

5

Glide test

Confirms gliding performance on snow, which decides.

FAQ

Common questions about ski wax hydrophobicity

Questions wax makers, ski makers and test teams ask about glide wax and the ski running surface.

No. Hydrophobic waxes help by repelling meltwater, but Buene and colleagues found silicone oil treatments raised the contact angle on UHMWPE ski bases yet increased friction on dry snow by 24% to 57%. Use contact angle and roll off to shortlist waxes, then decide with glide tests on snow, which show what the skier actually feels.

Contact angle shows how strongly the base repels water; sliding angle shows whether water droplets leave the running surface of skis or stick. A wax can have a high contact angle and still pin drops. The Dropometer's snap in tilt stage measures roll off up to 60°, partially compliant with ISO 19403-7.

Water freezes, so labs use a liquid that stays liquid, such as ethylene glycol. RISE researchers rented a portable Dropometer to measure bio based wax prototypes at −5 °C. Compare waxes at the same temperature and liquid, and treat lab cold as a guide to cold snow, not a copy of it.

FIS rules now state that fluorinated wax or tuning products containing fluorine are prohibited for all FIS disciplines and levels, fully from the 2023/24 season, with infrared testing at events. Wax makers must now reach water repellency without fluorine, which makes hydrophobicity testing of each new wax composition more important.

Yes. Most race bases are sintered UHMWPE, and the base material, grind and surface asperities change both contact angle and roll off. Rohm and colleagues studied how the bearing ratio of UHMWPE ski bases affects friction on snow. Compare waxes on one base and grind, and test waxed and unwaxed skis.

No. A fluorine free wax and a fluorinated one can read close on water. Events test with infrared spectroscopy, and labs use chemical analysis. Use contact angle to show how a wax performs, not what it contains.

Kuzmin and Tinnsten found all waxed skis absorbed more dirt than unwaxed skis, whatever wax was used, and dirt can reduce gliding ability. Clean the ski base the same way before each lab test, and compare dirt pick up in field tests.

ISO 19403-6 covers dynamic contact angle, where the Dropometer is fully compliant, and ISO 19403-7 covers roll off on a tilt stage, where it is partially compliant up to 60°. There is no dedicated ski wax standard for hydrophobicity; most teams judge skiing performance with their own glide test protocols.

Business impact

What changes when you measure ski wax hydrophobicity

Typical changes in how teams work. Benchmarks are given only where a published source exists.

Before and with ski wax hydrophobicity checks

Metric	Before Dropometer	With Dropometer	Indicative Benchmark
Wax screening	Glide tests on every candidate	Contact angle and roll off first, glide tests on the best	No published benchmark; track on your own waxes
Cold performance	Room temperature only	Readings at sub zero test temperature	Coldest rated waxes less repellent in the cold (University of Utah)
Glide prediction	Contact angle alone	Contact angle, roll off and glide test together	Silicone oils raised contact angle but added 24% to 57% friction on dry snow (Buene et al., 2022)
Fluorine free transition	Fluorinated reference	Fluorine free candidates ranked by numbers	FIS fluor ban in all disciplines from 2023/24

See the test on your own wax

Send a waxed ski base sample and your reference. We will show the comparison on a call.

Book a 15 minute demo

Estimate saved wax development work

Enter your own numbers. The result is an estimate, not a Droplet Lab claim.

Instrument cost ($) Each Dropometer unit is US$5,000; the default models one unit.

Wax candidates tested per month

Material and glide test cost per candidate ($) Wax ingredients, ski base samples and glide test cost for one candidate.

Technician hours per candidate Waxing, contact angle and roll off checks, and analysis.

Loaded lab rate ($/hr)

Wax candidates you expect to screen out before glide tests (%) No published benchmark. Use your own estimate and start low if unsure.

Result

~0

Candidates saved per month

~0

Monthly savings

~0

Payback period

~0

First year net benefit

Monthly savings = materials saved + technician time saved from reduced iterations.

Limits

What contact angle cannot tell you about glide

Honest limits, so you know when to reach for another test.

It does not measure friction or glide on snow.

It does not detect fluorine in a wax.

Water freezes below zero; use another liquid and compare like with like.

Base grind and structure change readings as much as the wax.

The tilt stage reaches 60°; drops that do not slide are recorded as 60° or more.

Lab cold and lab wear do not fully match skiing.

Contact angle and sliding angle show how the waxed ski base meets water. Glide, coefficient of friction, hardness, melting point, dirt absorption and fluorine content need their own tests.

Book a 15 minute demo Request a quote

How this page was created

Editorial and technical transparency notes for this page.

Transparency Details 4 checklist items

01

Drafting assistance

Drafted with Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic) using web search for sources, then edited by the Droplet Lab team.

02

Technical review

Reviewed and edited for technical accuracy by the Droplet Lab Team.

03

Verification steps

Standard identifiers, units, thresholds and key procedural claims are checked against cited sources before publication.

04

Updates

Reviewed every 12 months or when the underlying method changes.

Report a correction

Spotted an issue in this summary? Send a correction request and our team will review it.

Correction Request

We work hard to keep this page accurate and up to date. If you spot an error (wrong revision/year, missing requirement, incorrect interpretation, or broken link), tell us and we'll review it.

Contact us to report a correction

Sources

References

1.

FIS. Fluor ban implementation, Alpine. October 2023. https://assets.fis-ski.com/f/252177/x/0790222147/fluor_ban_implementation_alpine.pdf

2.

FIS. FIS widens scope of fluor testing after successful first season. October 2024. https://fis-ski.com/inside-fis/news/2024-25/fis-widens-scope-of-fluor-testing-after-successful-first-season

3.

Almqvist, A. et al. A scientific perspective on reducing ski snow friction to improve performance in Olympic cross country skiing, the biathlon and Nordic combined. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 4:844883, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.844883

4.

Buene, A.F., Auganæs, S.B., Klein-Paste, A. Effect of polydimethylsiloxane oil lubrication on the friction of cross country UHMWPE ski bases on snow. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 4:894250, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.894250

5.

Kuzmin, L., Tinnsten, M. Dirt absorption on the ski running surface: quantification and influence on the gliding ability. Sports Engineering 9(3):137 to 146, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02844115

6.

Rohm, S. et al. Effect of different bearing ratios on the friction between ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene ski bases and snow. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 8(19):12552 to 12557, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6b02651

7.

Freberg, B.I. et al. Occupational exposure to airborne perfluorinated compounds during professional ski waxing. Environmental Science and Technology 44(19):7723 to 7728, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1021/es102033k

8.

Cushman, L.M. A study of the material properties of ski wax and friction at the ski snow interface. MSc thesis, University of Utah. See our analysis of this thesis. https://dropletlab.com/validation/citations/analysis/a-study-of-the-material-properties-of-ski-wax-and-friction-at-the-ski-snow-interface/

9.

Skedung, L., Almgren Stenberg, E. Bio based ski wax prototype development: hydrophobicity, hardness, biodegradation and glide performance on snow. RISE Report 2024:53. See our analysis of this report. https://dropletlab.com/validation/citations/analysis/bio-based-ski-wax-protype-development-hydrophobicity-hardness-biodegradation-and-glide-performance-on-snow/

10.

Kramer, C. Temperature dependent performance analysis of marketed low fluorinated Nordic ski glide waxes. RANGE: Journal of Undergraduate Research 25(1), 2024. See our analysis of this paper. https://dropletlab.com/validation/citations/analysis/temperature-dependent-performance-analysis-of-marketed-low-fluorinated-nordic-ski-glide-waxe/

11.

Chen, X. et al. Contact angle measurement with a smartphone. Review of Scientific Instruments 89(3):035117, 2018. https://pubs.aip.org/aip/rsi/article-abstract/89/3/035117/368179/Contact-angle-measurement-with-a-smartphone

12.

Surface tension measurement with a smartphone using a pendant drop. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0927775717307744

13.

Droplet Lab validation papers

14.

Customer publications that cite the Dropometer

15.

University of Utah case study

16.

Textile DWR water repellency testing

Ski Wax Testing for Fluorine Free Glide Wax: Measure Hydrophobic Wettability and Droplet Roll Off on the Ski Running Surface to Improve Wax Composition and Gliding Ability

Abhimanyu Bhandankar

Droplet Lab Team

Featured Studies & Publications

Why ski wax hydrophobicity matters now

2023/24

0.005 to 0.035

24% to 57%

What this ski wax check does and what it does not

Evidence Box

What ski wax question are you trying to answer?

Wax formulator

Ski and ski base maker

Race service or test team

Is this the right test for your glide wax program?

Good fit if

Less relevant if

How to test ski wax hydrophobicity

Expert perspective on roll off

Why fluorine free ski wax is hard to get right

Why a glide wax underperforms and what to check

Not sure why your fluorine free wax glides worse?

What a ski wax test record contains

Wax identity

Base and application

Method settings

Readings

Decision

Drop images

What to measure on the ski running surface

Water contact angle on the waxed base

Sliding angle on a tilt stage

Contact angle at sub zero temperature

Readings after wear

Validated measurement approach for ski wax testing

How to test glide wax hydrophobicity and roll off

Prepare the base

Wax the samples

Lock the method

Measure at room temperature and in the cold

Retest after wear

Confirm on snow

Download the ski wax hydrophobicity SOP

Example glide wax screen on a UHMWPE ski base

Example glide wax screen

The order to check signals when a wax glides poorly

Base and waxing

Contact angle

Sliding angle

Cold readings

Glide test

Common questions about ski wax hydrophobicity

What changes when you measure ski wax hydrophobicity

Before and with ski wax hydrophobicity checks

See the test on your own wax

Estimate saved wax development work

Estimate saved wax development and glide test work.

What contact angle cannot tell you about glide

Standards, evidence and related repellency workflows

ISO 19403-7

ISO 19403-6

University of Utah

Ski wax and friction at the ski snow interface

Bio based ski wax prototypes

Low fluorinated Nordic glide waxes

Dropometer

Functional hydrophobicity and self cleaning

PFAS free reformulation

Solar panel self cleaning

How this page was created

Drafting assistance

Technical review

Verification steps

Updates

Report a correction

References