To get a sense for the obsession over wax in the cross-country ski world, look no further than the trucks.
Many of the national teams now have a dedicated wax truck, which they roll out to major competitions around the world. Inside, teams of specialists layer and test different combinations until they’ve arrived at a formula for race day.
Norwegian firm Swix leads the ski wax market with a 65-70 percent market share worldwide, according to the company. But high-level teams want options.
Competitor HWK — founded by fluorine chemists and skiers Hannelore and Werner Kube in Austria — vies to be the wax of choice on the pro circuit. Karl Höchtl, who imports HWK to the U.S. market, advises anyone venturing into niche markets to be patient.
Still, he has hope that the U.S. market might gain some ground on its European counterpart. In Pyeongchang, Team USA fielded what is arguably its most competitive team to date.
“It is legit,” Höchtl says. “They have some incredibly good skiers right now.”
