Why officials tested ski wax for ‘forever chemicals’ at Olympic cross-country trials in B.C.

When the news came down that the national cross-country skiing Olympic trials would be making a last-minute venue change to the mountains outside of Vernon, B.C., this month, organizers had to fly into action.

With less than two weeks to prepare for the competition, which ran from Sunday to Tuesday, the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club had trails to groom, volunteers to coordinate and something new to them to set up — a ski wax testing station.

Wax is crucial for athletes’ ability to grip and slide on snow, but one previously popular ingredient was banned from all elite competition in recent years. The use of fluorinated ski waxes is now prohibited because of the risks fluorocarbon — a type of polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFA) — poses to the environment and human health.

“It’s the first time we’ve had testing at our particular club,” said Mike Bell, a Sovereign Lake ski resort volunteer and longtime coach who was assigned to set up the testing station.

The Olympic trials were originally set to be hosted in Prince George, B.C., but a lack of snow there forced them to the Vernon area.

So with only a handful of days to prepare, Bell had to devise a system to allow officials to quickly and efficiently conduct random tests for fluorocarbon, also known as “fluor,” on hundreds of skis over the three-day competition.

He and his team of volunteers set up rows of ski racks. Then, race officials took small samples from the bottom of skis and analyzed the molecules in the wax using light spectroscopy.

Change of venue sees hundreds of skiers racing in Vernon, B.C., for Olympic dream

Fluor was first outlawed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) in 2019, because of concerns around human and environmental health, but race-side testing was not yet developed. Then, as testing methods improved, the substance was officially banned in all elite competition in 2023.

Now, the federation is in the process of rolling out testing for the banned substance to all races under its banner.

The FIS oversees all sliding sports including cross-country skiing, downhill, jumps and freestyle snowboarding, and implemented the ban on fluor-containing waxes across all disciplines. 

Fluorocarbon molecules are water repellant, making them an excellent compound to facilitate gliding across snow — particularly when wet and sticky. 

The FIS says fluor waxes became a staple of cross-country and alpine skiing disciplines in the 1980s and have been widely used since. 

“While their performance was unquestioned, harmful effects soon came to light,” said the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

The fluorocarbon molecules were then refined into poly-fluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAs, which are now referred to as “forever chemicals,” according to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

The Government of Canada says adverse environmental and health effects have been observed from PFA exposure, and says the chemicals are known to impact liver, kidney, hormone and reproductive system function.

Wax remains an important aspect of cross-country skiing, and all skiers are encouraged to swap their fluoro-containing wax for PFA-free alternatives. 

At the Sovereign Lake Olympic trials, each club had a team of people dedicated to getting the kick wax on their athlete’s skis just right, since it can make the difference between a win, and Olympic dreams, and being off the podium.

The athletes are competing for a total of 10 spots on Team Canada, four for men and six for women in freestyle and classic disciplines. The Olympics will be held from Feb. 6 until Feb. 22 in Italy.