It was cold and the snow was fresh and deep; the cross-country skiing should have been terrific. But, as I shuffled along through the woods one day recently, it felt as though I was skiing in molasses ...

Even if you do no other ski maintenance yourself, you should learn how to wax your own skis. It’s easy, you’re unlikely to screw it up, and it’s way more cost-effective than taking skis to a shop ...

Fluorinated glide wax is being banned from elite competitions, and big brands like Swix say they’re searching for environmentally friendly alternatives. But the seductively speedy—and ...