The Science
THE ONLY TRUE ALL TEMPERATURE WAX
When a ski or snowboard is in motion, you are applying pressure and exerting friction, melting the snow, and creating a fine layer of water under your base. Control, maneuverability and speed in skiing and snowboarding is derived from altering the structure of this water. With this in mind, Hertel started research and in 1973 pioneered the encapsulation of surfactant wetting agents and later, fluorocarbons in paraffin.
Hertel’s revolutionary formula uses surfactants to decrease the surface tension and friction of water molecules under the ski or snowboard. This means the beads of water are flattened, resulting in easier running, better control, added safety, and more fun. Hertel then designed software to actually quantify the effect of surfactants on the surface tension of water. The results of the Hertel waxes were outstanding: Super Hotsauce reduced water tension from 75 dynes to 25 dynes, and (the now discontinued) White Gold further reduced it to an incredible 9 dynes. When commanded to turn, skis & snowboards waxed with Hertel wax slide with ease. Who doesn’t want their equipment to have instant response?
On top of the benefits of reducing water tension, using surfactants also make Hertel waxes the only true ALL TEMPERATURE waxes on the market. Hertel waxes have an incredible temperature range - they excel from 6°F to 52°F/ -14°C to +11°C, and even up to 68°F/ 20°C for SpringSolution. For most people, this will cover all the conditions they encounter over the winter. No other waxes on the market have that kind of range, and certainly no other “universal” wax comes close performance-wise.
Additionally, Hertel waxes are designed to be compatible with the p-tex base of skis and snowboards. As you apply the wax, it actually wets itself into the base, much like spilled gasoline spreading quickly on the ground, getting into every crack and crevice. The wax penetrates deeply into the p-tex eliminating the need to spend extra money on both base and glide waxes, as one Hertel wax performs both roles.