Why Snowboarders Get Stuck in the Flats (And How to Fix It Forever)
You know the feeling. You're coming off a great run, carrying speed into a flat section — and then you slow down, slow down, stop. Everyone on skis glides past you. You unclip your back foot and push. Again.
This is the most common frustration in snowboarding. And almost nobody talks about the real cause: your wax.
Why Flat Sections Are a Wax Problem
Skiers have poles. When they slow down in a flat section, they push. Snowboarders don't have that option — which means glide is everything. A snowboarder with poor wax loses momentum faster than a skier with the same wax, because there's no mechanical backup.
Flat sections expose wax failures that steeper terrain hides. On a steep run, gravity compensates for a slow base. On a flat, there's nothing to compensate. Every bit of friction your base generates against the snow costs you momentum you can't get back.
The Three Wax Mistakes That Cause Flat Stops
1. Using the Wrong Temperature Wax
Temperature-specific waxes are formulated for a narrow snow temperature range. Cold wax on warm snow creates too much friction. Warm wax on cold snow doesn't bond properly to the base. Either way, you're slow — and flat sections make it obvious.
The problem is that snow temperature changes throughout the day. The wax you applied for cold morning conditions may be completely wrong by afternoon. Most snowboarders don't re-wax mid-day. So they ride on the wrong wax for half the day and wonder why they keep stopping in the flats.
2. Wax That Wears Off Too Fast
Cheap or soft waxes wear off quickly on abrasive snow — especially man-made snow, which is far more abrasive than natural snow. After a few runs, you're essentially riding on a dry base. A dry base has dramatically more friction than a properly waxed one. Flat sections become walls.
3. Ski Wax Repackaged as Snowboard Wax
Most "snowboard waxes" on the market are ski wax in different packaging. Ski wax is formulated for ski bases and ski riding dynamics. Snowboard bases are wider, flatter, and interact with snow differently — especially through flat sections where the entire base is in contact with the snow simultaneously. A wax not engineered for snowboarding will underperform on a snowboard, full stop.
The Fix: All-Temperature Snowboard Wax®
Hertel invented the solution to this problem in 1974: All-Temperature Snowboard Wax® — a registered trademark, the only wax legally allowed to carry that name, and the only wax purpose-built for snowboarding from the ground up.
Here's what makes it different:
- Works across all temperatures: From 6°F to 52°F (-14°C to 11°C). One application in the morning works all day as conditions change. No guessing, no re-waxing, no wrong-wax problem.
- Purpose-built for snowboard bases: Not a repackaged ski wax. Engineered specifically for the wider, flatter snowboard base and the demands of snowboard riding — especially flat sections.
- Lasts 3x longer: Three times the durability of competing waxes. It doesn't wear off after a few runs on man-made snow.
- Trusted by Burton and Sims: The brands that built snowboarding trusted Hertel wax. That's not marketing — that's the history of the sport.
How to Apply It for Maximum Flat-Section Performance
For the best results — especially if you ride a lot of flat terrain or resort snowboarding with cat tracks:
- Hot wax method (recommended): Iron the wax onto your base at medium temperature, keep the iron moving tip to tail, scrape while still warm, buff to a high shine. This gives maximum penetration and durability.
- Rub-on method: Rub the bar directly onto your base and buff vigorously. Faster and still effective for regular riding.
- Re-apply every 3–5 days of riding, or sooner if you're on man-made snow which is more abrasive.
What About Cat Tracks and Long Runouts?
Cat tracks — those long, flat connector trails between runs — are the ultimate test of snowboard wax. They're often shaded (cold), slightly uphill in sections, and heavily trafficked (scraped and icy). If your wax fails anywhere, it fails here.
All-Temperature Snowboard Wax® handles cat tracks better than any temperature-specific wax because it's formulated to perform in exactly these mixed, variable conditions. Cold shade, warm sun, icy patches, soft snow — one wax, all of it.
The Bottom Line
Getting stuck in the flats is not a skill problem. It's not a board problem. It's a wax problem — and it has a simple, permanent fix.
Shop Hertel All-Temperature Snowboard Wax® →
The only trademarked all-temperature snowboard wax. Made in USA since 1974. Trusted by Burton, Sims, and snowboarders who are done walking through the flats.
📚 Free WAXFAX Book: Download Terry Hertel's complete waxing guide free from our homepage.
📺 Watch on YouTube: Search "Hertel Snowboard Wax" at youtube.com/@hertelwax for application tutorials.
Written by Terry Hertel — Inventor of All Temperature® Wax, Made in USA since 1974.