WAXFAX

WAXFAX

The Untold Story of Ski Wax Innovation, Industry Politics, and Life on Snow

By Terry Hertel

For more than five decades, Terry Hertel has lived inside one of the most competitive, political, and misunderstood industries in winter sports:
ski and snowboard wax.

Now, for the first time, many of those stories, discoveries, battles, victories, and controversies are coming together in one place:
WAXFAX.

Part history.
Part science.
Part insider story.
Part warning to the industry.

WAXFAX is more than a book about wax.

It is a firsthand account of innovation, resistance, Olympic competition, and the relentless pursuit of performance on snow.

FREE Download Available Now

The complete WAXFAX book is available as a FREE download directly from the front page of HertelSkiWax.com.

No subscription.
No gimmicks.
Just decades of ski industry history, innovation, and real-world experience shared directly by Terry Hertel.

From a Small Idea to a Global Industry Impact

In 1974, Terry Hertel introduced what would become one of the most recognized concepts in ski wax history:
All Temperature ski and snowboard wax technology.

At a time when skiers carried multiple color-coded waxes for different conditions, Hertel challenged conventional thinking by developing systems designed to adapt across changing snow conditions.

That philosophy would eventually influence generations of skiers, snowboarders, racers, technicians, and wax companies around the world.

WAXFAX tells the story behind:

  • The invention of All Temperature wax
  • The development of HotSauce and WhiteGold
  • The rise of Rub N Go
  • Olympic and World Cup success
  • Behind-the-scenes industry politics
  • Battles over trademarks and technology
  • The science of snow, friction, and glide

The Olympic Stories Few People Heard

One of the most powerful parts of WAXFAX is its firsthand account of elite ski racing during some of the most important moments in modern American skiing.

The book explores:

  • Calgary 1988
  • Lillehammer 1994
  • World Cup victories
  • Race-room innovation
  • Technician relationships
  • The pressure surrounding independent performance breakthroughs

According to Terry Hertel, shortly after major racing successes connected to WhiteGold technology, he was bluntly told by leadership tied to the ski establishment to “get the fuck out of the industry.”

For readers, WAXFAX offers a rare look at what can happen when an outsider disrupts a deeply entrenched industry.

More Than Wax — It’s About the Science of Snow

Most people think ski wax is simply about speed.

WAXFAX explores something much deeper:
the interaction between snow, water, friction, pressure, and control.

The book discusses:

  • Why snow constantly changes
  • Why temperature alone means very little
  • Water management on snow
  • Surface tension and drag
  • Why fatigue matters in skiing and snowboarding
  • The relationship between glide and safety

It also challenges many long-standing industry assumptions that Terry Hertel believes have misled consumers for decades.

The Human Story Behind the Industry

Beyond the technology and competition, WAXFAX tells the personal story behind building an independent American company inside a highly competitive international industry.

Readers will encounter:

  • Successes
  • Setbacks
  • Industry pressure
  • Business battles
  • Manufacturing struggles
  • Legal conflicts
  • Personal sacrifice
  • The determination to continue innovating despite resistance

The book provides a raw and often unfiltered look at what it takes to survive as an independent inventor and manufacturer.

A Different Kind of Ski Book

Most ski books focus on athletes, resorts, or adventure stories.

WAXFAX focuses on something few outsiders ever see:
the invisible technology underneath every ski and snowboard on the mountain.

The tuning rooms.
The politics.
The science.
The pressure.
The competition behind the competition.

It is a story told by someone who lived it firsthand.

Download WAXFAX Today

If you are:

  • A skier
  • A snowboarder
  • A racer
  • A technician
  • A mountain enthusiast
  • An inventor
  • Or someone who appreciates true independent innovation

you can download the complete WAXFAX book FREE right now from the front page of HertelSkiWax.com.

Some inventions fade away.

Others leave tracks across history.