Ski Wax and PFAS Contamination

[thetrailboss]

This sounds really scary. PFAS contamination in Park City water linked to ski wax.

Ski wax contaminated Park City’s aquifers with ‘forever chemicals.’ It could cost millions to clean up.

Study finds soil at ski areas have elevated levels microplastics believed to be left by ski and snowboard wax.

www.sltrib.com

 

[Smellytele]

So when do the ski wax companies start getting sued? And ski race clubs and teams?

 

[thetrailboss]

So when do the ski wax companies start getting sued? And ski race clubs and teams?

Looks like Vermont banned these waxes, but it is too little too late. Pretty scary....

I don't believe that I have used fluoro ski waxes.

 

[letitsnow1]

Looks like Vermont banned these waxes, but it is too little too late. Pretty scary....

I don't believe that I have used fluoro ski waxes.

I think fluoro wax is banned industry wide

 

[Smellytele]

I think fluoro wax is banned industry wide

I have used it and actually still have some. It last a long time. Very hard.

 

[thetrailboss]

I think fluoro wax is banned industry wide

Well, as the article says, theoretically it was banned, but many still use it. The FIS apparently has not been able to develop and accurate testing.

 

[BenedictGomez]

The FIS apparently has not been able to develop and accurate testing.

I volunteered at the FIS event here last month & I was told they were testing skis for the naughty wax.

How "accurate" it is I have no idea, but I know at least some form of testing exists.

 

[Smellytele]

I volunteered at the FIS event here last month & I was told they were testing skis for the naughty wax.

How "accurate" it is I have no idea, but I know at least some form of testing exists.

The "naughty" wax I have dries to a crust(like the ice cream hard chocolate topping) and looks different than the un-naughty wax

 

[machski]

I volunteered at the FIS event here last month & I was told they were testing skis for the naughty wax.

How "accurate" it is I have no idea, but I know at least some form of testing exists.

Yes, I believe Raghild got DSQ'd as her skis supposedly tested for Flouro wax. But she was able to prove it wasn't her skis, something like the test system got contaminated. So while they test for it now, seems ver inaccurate. But you cannot buy it any longer. And if you used any wax prior to 2 years ago, you likely used the naughty stuff as it was blended into every product on the market to my knowledge.

 

[djd66]

But you cannot buy it any longer. And if you used any wax prior to 2 years ago, you likely used the naughty stuff as it was blended into every product on the market to my knowledge.

it is still very much for sale. Just look on google.

what crazy are the vids of how you apply and the respirators that people wear. Must be some nasty stuff!

 

[SkiingInABlueDream]

Is anything thing in that article really a surprise? Wasn't to me. Feels like a micro example of leaded gas again.

Somebody develops a chemical that performs some function, industry accepts it because it works well, someone else eventually discovers that said chemical is toxic, awareness increases but most everyone ignores it until bad things start happening then we all say, oh shit.

That said, I couldn't bring myself to read the whole article; after a couple paragraphs it felt like it was repeating itself with different people's names cited.

Edit. I do hope usage of the stuff eventually does stop. Some engines absolutely can't run without leaded (or comparable additive) fuel but there's absolutely no reason to keep using the "bad" ski wax. If everyone in racing is forced not to use it the field remains level.

 

[thetrailboss]

The "naughty" wax I have dries to a crust(like the ice cream hard chocolate topping) and looks different than the un-naughty wax

If taken out of context, that sounds dirty.

 

[Newpylong]

Damn we used to use Fluoro like Dominator all the time in the 90s, no respirator. There was Swix low and high Fluoro too.

It was reserved for race days due to cost and we used Hydro for training and everything else.

 

[kbroderick]

Yes, I believe Raghild got DSQ'd as her skis supposedly tested for Flouro wax. But she was able to prove it wasn't her skis, something like the test system got contaminated. So while they test for it now, seems ver inaccurate. But you cannot buy it any longer. And if you used any wax prior to 2 years ago, you likely used the naughty stuff as it was blended into every product on the market to my knowledge.

Head blamed the contamination on a "ski-prepping tool" according to the Ski Racing article; I think the rumor was that it was a brush. The recommendations to prepare for fluoro testing listed a lot of possible contamination sources, even to the point of thoroughly cleaning out tool boxes. I'd expected World Cup techs to just replace all their brushes and basically anything else that touched wax, but apparently not (or one got missed).

FIS has had a fluoro ban "in place" for several years, but until this season they didn't have a way to actually test skis. Apparently they now use an IR spectrometer at the World Cup level; I think at lower levels a coach could file a protest against another competitors equipment, but it's a loser pays process for the cost of shipping the skis to Europe and having them tested.

Just about every manufacturer used fluoro in their faster waxes, but most if not all also offered cheaper, fluoro free (hydrocarbon) options. Eg Swix had CH (hydrocarbon), LF (low fluoro), and HF lines, in ascending order of price. Dominator apparently used a different form of fluoro that (at least according to them) is not an issue and does not contain PFOA. Apparently they actually cleared their waxes with the EPA, too, unlike the other folks.