Important: Don’t call it a wax! PHANTOM is in no way whatsoever a topical temporary wax. It is a unique waxless permanent base treatment. We have patented a novel method of avoiding unstable chlorofluorocarbon functional groups and instead, our proprietary formula permeates throughout the thickness of your base and is permanently bonded to the polyethylene, increasing the glide characteristics of your base. Therefore it does not wear off like a topical wax. This eliminates the need for constant and expensive application of fresh coats of wax, which is harmful to your wallet and the environment.

It’s easier to apply. For Do It Yourself (DIY) application, the Original PHANTOM 1.0 formula required at least 6 hours of UV cure time in direct strong sun. This was a challenge for those in lower light areas, especially in the winter. In PHANTOM 2.0, we have reduced the DIY direct sun cure time to be approximately 1 hour per each Part A and Part B, dramatically reducing potential application issues as it pertains to sunlight/UV availability. In sum, PHANTOM 2.0 saves 5 hours of curing time—a dramatic and practical change.

Traditional wax is a topical application (i.e. it adheres to the base surface, but does not penetrate the base surface) and thereby wears off on every run you take. Some specialty waxes can last a half run and are just temporary topical accelerants. With PHANTOM, and in standing by its lab and on-snow assertion of permanence, in non-technical terms, we essentially miniaturized the “slippery stuff” into molecules small enough to absorb into the base. We then utilize UV light to create a reaction with the polyethylene base molecules and a permanent bond is formed throughout the entire thickness of the base. So technically, if you were to grind and grind through all the layers of your base, you’d still have the benefits of the PHANTOM treatment at each layer.

The simple answer lies in PHANTOM’s stable chemical structure. Traditional topical wax is a phase-change polymer. Meaning, it melts at high temperature, hardens at lower, and changes hardness and structure throughout temperature changes from morning to afternoon. PHANTOM is a crystaline structure which does not dramatically change over wide temperatures, enabling consistent glide to be maintained beyond what an ‘all-temperature wax can accomplish.

Waxing is costly in terms of time and money––service fees, dropping off and picking up your skis at the shop, etc. PHANTOM only requires a single application and it lasts forever, with no further need for maintenance, and certainly no need for waxing afterwards. One and done. The cost of PHANTOM 2.0 ($99 USD) is equivalent to three standard wax services, which collectively typically lasts for only a matter of runs or days. In the end, PHANTOM yields a completely different and revolutionary value proposition: delivering consistent and reliable performance—saving you time, money, and energy so you can focus on the skiing part

Yes—with zero concerns. If you are racing competitively, you can still apply special temperature-specific waxes onto a PHANTOM treated base. When your temperature-specific wax wears off (typically in just a few runs), you’ll still be benefiting from the consistent performance of a PHANTOM treated base, which is far superior to the performance of an un-waxed base. We have also learned in our own testing that topical wax lasts longer on a PHANTOM treated base than on an untreated base. Why? Because there is a positive molecular attraction between the paraffin and the permanently bonded PHANTOM chains in the polyethylene ski base.

PHANTOM eliminates the need to wax, but does not eliminate the need to take care of your base strucutre and your edges. All skis and snowboards still need to be stone ground and tuned to address the natural oxidation of polyethylene, fix damaged areas, and de-bur and tune the edges. PHANTOM addresses the base’s gliding surface exclusively. And again, if you happen to enjoy waxing, go for it—your topical wax is temporary but it will at least last longer on a PHANTOM treated base than un-treated base. And once it wears off, you’ll still enjoy the consistent all-temperature glide and performance of PHANTOM.

Damages to your base should always be promptly and professionally repaired. Given that your ski or snowboard has a PHANTOM application, a shop can repair the PHANTOM treated base just as you would normally with base welds and patches. Depending on the size of the repaired section, we recommend that PHANTOM be applied to the P-tex repair zone to maintain consistency across the entire surface area of the base.

Yes. PHANTOM can be applied on your own with good strong direct outdoor sunlight for a minimum of one (1) hour cure time for each Part A and Part B. There’s about 20 minutes of required prep (removing wax prior to application and brushing out the structure after each step). Starting in October, 2018, select PHANTOM Dealers will have rapid cures stations with specific UV lights designed for PHANTOM formula, which nets a precise cure inside of only twenty (20) minutes for each part.

Not at this time. PHANTOM has been developed to work specifically on alpine ski and snowboard bases. We do not endorse PHANTOM for any other sport, including nordic skiing at this time.

PHANTOM is an excellent solution for backcountry skiing and splitboarding. With PHANTOM, you no longer need to worry about wax being removed by skins; skin glue is no longer contaminated by wax, and you always can rely on glide in variable snow conditions throughout the season (and even into the summer for the diehards out there). One important reminder for those using skins: make sure you “ski-in” the treatment over a few runs on-piste. In doing so, you will have prepped the bases for skin use. While brushing out the structure removes most hard residue from the surface, you still need a few runs on snow crystals to buff things out to get the most out of PHANTOM’s permanence attributes and use with climbing skins.

No. PHANTOM does not change the appearance of your skis or snowboard bases, whereas wax does. Wax is a topical and temporary coating. When your boards look greasy and coated with fresh wax, they can be temporarily fast. When the coat of wax wears off, the bases have the natural polyethylene appearance (which can also mean they are slow). Lack of a greasy look with PHANTOM in no way correlates with a lack of speed. With a PHANTOM treated base, there is no topical or temporary change of appearance in the base, but that doesn’t mean they are slow—by any stretch.

No. PHANTOM does not have a shelf life, or storage temperature requirement.

A single PHANTOM 2.0 package includes: four (4) pouches of PHANTOM (Part A x2 and Part B x2—each packet contains approximately 7.5ml in liquid volume). Each packet is to be used in its entirety for each single ski. If applying on a one snowboard, use both packets at once. It is important to use the entirety of the packets. As PHANTOM absorbs into the base, if the full contents are not used, you may not have enough treatment on the running surface after absorption. In sum, use all of the contents to the fullest on your ski or snowboard base. Do not attempt to apply a single PHANTOM package to more than one pair of skis or more than one snowboard, as the efficacy will fall short of ideal.