Mein YouTube Video

Racing expert “Otto” reveals the secrets of the Jet Top Finish family

Anyone who passes by a World Cup race slope early in the morning hears a familiar sound: blades scraping, brushes spinning, paraffin in the air. Long before the athletes wake up, the real competition begins for the service teams—the fight for the perfect ski.

In the middle of this invisible race works someone who has been at home in the Toko racing world for more than two decades: Torsten “Otto” Thrän. And a sentence that Otto has been preaching for years serves as a foundation for anyone who wants fast skis—whether in the World Cup, at the Weisser Ring, the Inferno, or the Engadin Ski Marathon:

“A ski base is like a sponge. Only a well-saturated ski can truly be fast.”

This simple idea explains a surprising amount. Since the ban on fluorinated waxes, less has changed in practice than many had feared. Today’s paraffins are a bit harder, yes, and they require a few more repetitions before the base is truly saturated. But the process remains the same: paraffin is and always will be the foundation. Anyone who saturates the ski multiple times—even a third time, if needed—builds the basis for everything that follows.

And “everything that follows” has a name at Toko: the Jet Top Finish family.

Powder, Liquid, Block – why three products form a team

Anyone who spends more time dealing with ski wax preparation quickly realizes that there is rarely just black or white here. The Jet family consists of three top finishes that do not compete with each other, but complement one another perfectly. In the past, powder dominated—today, most races are run on liquid. Nevertheless, each product has a clearly defined role.

  • Jet Powder
    shows its strengths in cold, aggressive, or artificially sharp conditions. It also acts like a primer, bonds extremely well with the paraffin, and creates a durable base that harmonizes perfectly with Liquid and Block.
     

  • Jet Liquid
    has meanwhile become the central finish in racing. A large proportion of World Cup races are run on it—mainly because fluor-free liquids perform extremely well in higher snow moisture. As soon as the crystals become slightly wetter, liquids glide more easily, faster, and more directly. For many conditions, Jet Liquid is now the fastest and most uncomplicated top finish available.
     

  • Jet Bloc,
    is the youngest in the trio—and perhaps the all-rounder that many recreational racers underestimate. When properly worked in—first with fleece, then horsehair, then wool—Jet Bloc delivers a very fine and reliable finish. Otto likes to compare it to a Swiss Army knife: something you can practically take to any race, because it’s hard to go wrong with it. 

The real magic lies in the combination

In the World Cup, a sequence has become established that feels almost classic: a well-saturated ski, followed by Jet Powder as a primer, then Jet Liquid as a speed booster, and finally often a light touch of Jet Bloc to refine the snow feel and extend durability.

Bloc after Liquid may sound like “belt and suspenders”—but in long races or under changing conditions, this is exactly what makes the difference between “good” and “very good.”

For many recreational skiers and amateur racers, this combination may sound complex. But the key is not to always use everything—it’s to use the right product for your specific conditions. Dry snow? Bloc is often ideal. Cold, aggressive tracks? Powder helps. A moist groove? Liquid almost always wins.

The most common mistake: too much of a good thing

One point Otto keeps noticing concerns the dosage of Jet Liquid. Many recreational racers tend to simply use “a bit more,” hoping that more will also help more. In reality, the opposite happens. Too much liquid feels “heavy” and changes the ski’s handling.

That’s why the pros work with scales and a precise sense of timing: thin, even, and rather sparing. Two seconds of spraying are enough. The ski will thank you.

„Less is often better—and faster.“

In the end, it’s less about the amount of product than the combination.

Anyone who properly saturates their skis and then chooses the right Jet finish—Powder, Liquid, Bloc, or a combination of them—is already closer to World Cup level than they might think. Understanding the correct structure and buildup brings more than using five different products at once. And at many mass-participation events, Toko provides a waxing tip with a professional recommendation.

And this is perhaps the most important message Otto shares with every recreational athlete:

“A well-saturated ski is half the battle. It’s ready to absorb the Jet Top Finishes, reacts well and reliably. And if you don’t wander into the product jungle but work in a focused way, you experience exactly what the Jet family stands for: noticeable speed, tangible lightness—and the great feeling of being on equipment that does its job perfectly.”

This is how it works

Application Videos and Tips in our Wax Academy